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 can activate the holidays as a time of reflection and renewal as we move into the new year and next chapter of our lives.
Experience the Episode
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Featured Speakers:
- Betsy Cornwell, Author
- Lisa Caulfield, Director of the Notre Dame Global Center at Kylemore Abbey, University of Notre Dame
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.”
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.”
Read the first two chapters as free preview online here.
Celebrate Mass at Kylemore Abbey
The Benedictine Nuns Celebratory Mass at Kylemore Abbey. On behalf of the Benedictine community of Kylemore Abbey you are cordially invited to join them for Mass live via Webcam from the Monastic Church at Kylemore. Please click the link above to see their calendar.
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.
"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 one may be feeling during the holiday season. We hope this song brings you a sense of solace and warmth.
Victorian Christmas Cards
Nowadays Christmas cards are filled full of images we all associate with Christmas: robins, snow, and Santa Claus. But back in the Victorian era, Christmas cards were very different. Kylemore Abbey manager Eithne O’ Halloran tells us more.