Week 2: Spinning Yarns: Fairy Tales, Textile Art, and Story Structure

Week 2: Spinning Yarns: Fairy Tales, Textile Art, and Story Structure

Join New York Times bestselling author Betsy Cornwell '12 M.F.A. in a discussion about how to reimagine and reassess traditional fairy tale narratives and the ways in which we all weave our own destinies. At the time of the Christmas story, one of the world's most profoundly influential stories of renewal, we ourselves can use the holidays as a time of reflection and renewal as we move into the new year and next chapter of our lives.

Festive Recipes from the Kylemore Kitchen

Enjoy the second of three cozy Christmas drink recipes and decadent holiday cooking videos straight from the Kylemore Global Centre’s kitchen with Chef David Harrison!

Follow along the video below to learn how to make Sticky Toffee Pudding and Mulled Wine.

"Mechanica" by Betsy Cornwell '12 M.F.A.

A New York Times bestseller, “Mechanica” was published in 2015 and has been featured on several best of the year lists, including Amazon’s Best Young Adult Books and USA Today’s Must-Read Romances. In a starred review, Kirkus called this retelling of Cinderella “a smart, refreshing alternative to stale genre tropes.”

Recommended reading prior to the live discussion: The first three chapters of “Mechanica” (or the first two chapters as a free preview online).

Cinderella and Story Structure

An introductory video with New York Times bestselling author, Notre Dame graduate, and Irish resident Betsy Cornwell ’12 M.F.A. Fairy tale retellings have spanned and morphed over hundreds of years, but some common themes have prevailed. Here, Betsy discusses the ways in which she has adopted and challenged the traditional fairy tale narrative, as well as the ways in which the story structures that so often are classified as fantastical actually reflect our lives in more ways than we know.

Textile as Narrative and Empowerment

Author Betsy Cornwell ’12 M.F.A. examines the intersections of story structure and textile art and delves into the thematic reasons why textiles are so interwoven with her heroine’s fate in her Cinderella retelling “Mechanica.” How do traditionally dismissed feminine art forms, such as the telling of fairy stories and the creation of fabric and clothing, subvert and reinvent our expectations about serious art? How have fabric and folktales contributed to the way we see and create our own lives?

Excerpts from "Mechanica"

Grab a “cuppa,” get cozy by the fire, and enjoy listening as Betsy reads out loud from the first two chapters of “Mechanica.”

December 8 Celebratory Mass at Kylemore Abbey

The Benedictine Nuns Celebratory Mass at Kylemore Abbey. On behalf of the Benedictine community of Kylemore Abbey cordially invite you to join them for Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Celebrating their Titular Feast on Tuesday, December 8, at 7:15 a.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. GMT live via Webcam from the Monastic Church at Kylemore.

"Maybe Next December," an Original Christmas Song by Colm Gavin

Nollaig shona daoibh – a very happy Christmas from all of us at the Kylemore Global Centre! Listen to #1 album selling Irish singer Colm Gavin and Zoë Langsdale, West of Ireland Programs Manager, sing Colm’s original song “Maybe Next December.” The song is set in New York City and elicits a sense of bittersweetness we are all feeling during these times and coming into the holiday season. We hope this song can give you some solace and warmth. 

Colm will be leading a songwriting workshop from December 18 – 20, 2020, which you can attend either in person OR online, and another in-person workshop from February 19 – 21, 2020. You can find more information on our website. Watch the promo video here

View the Event

Presented by

Subscribe to the ThinkND podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Google.

Featured Speakers: 

  • Betsy Cornwell, Author
  • Lisa Caulfield, Director of the Notre Dame Global Center at Kylemore Abbey, University of Notre Dame

View Event

Raclin Murphy Museum Christmas Art

Please peruse the Nativity scene look book created from artifacts from the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art’s collection on campus for your enjoyment. In keeping with the theme of Christmas and textile, we have selected ten works of art created on or from unique textures so that you can get a virtual glimpse of these treasures from the Raclin Murphy Museum.  

View the Christmas Images

Jul. 2, 2014; Snite Museum of Art Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame

Prepare for Next Week

  • Listen to these Three Movements from the album O Emmanuel:
    • O Sapientia (arrangement of Gregorian chant)
    • Radix (arrangement of Advent hymn Lo, How a Rose Er Blooming)
    • Oriens (Jazz composition for choir and trio with improvisation)
  • Listen to these two Movements from Arturo Sandoval’s Christmas at Notre Dame:

back to top