9,202 words
There is an elective affinity — a relationship of reciprocal attraction and mutual reinforcement — between a) John Locke’s argument that a child’s mind initially resembles an “empty cabinet” or a “white paper void of all characters” which can be shaped by controlling the education impressed upon the child’s mind, and b) the origins of a literature specifically written for children in the 1700s in England. (more…)
2,950 words
Spencer J. Quinn is one of Counter-Currents’ most prolific writers. I personally enjoy reading his articles on topics such as forgotten figures in history, music, and current political issues. In addition to writing articles, Spencer is the author of several books. His love of wisdom is evidenced by his avatar, Thucydides. (more…)
2,813 words
50 Classic Tales: The Western Folk and Fairy Tale Tradition is a collection of classic European folk stories published by The White People’s Press which offers not only the stories themselves, but the vital ethno-cultural context from which they sprang.
In this volume’s invaluable Introduction, translator Paul Marlais outlines a brief history of the folk tale within the proto-European and Indo-European traditions, which stretch back into the misty remembrances of pre-history. He underscores the value of these stories as entertainment, morality fables, and cultural artifacts. (more…)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
3,554 words
I recently visited De Smet, South Dakota. It’s a small town east of central South Dakota named for a black-robed Christian missionary to the Indians. There are many such towns across the North American prairie; what makes this one special is that it is the town where Laura Ingalls Wilder launched her teaching career at the age of 16. Wilder went on to immortalize De Smet, South Dakota, and her family in a series of semi-fictionalized books. (more…)
2,199 words
“The White Witch? Who is she?”
“Why, it is she that has got all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!”
— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Students of the subject are well aware that the tradition of ancient pre-Christian rites and ceremonies lingered on in the East long after they had been banished by the more practical genius of the West.
— Jessie Weston, From Ritual to Romance (more…)
N. C. Wyeth
N. C. Wyeth
2,062 words
Newell Convers Wyeth, or N. C. Wyeth, was one of America’s greatest artists and illustrators. Over the course of his lifetime, he created over 3,000 paintings and illustrated over 100 books, including several Scribner Classics. His son, Andrew Wyeth, and grandson, Jamie Wyeth, also became prominent artists.
Wyeth was born in 1882 and grew up on a farm in Needham, Massachusetts. His childhood was an active one, and he often went hunting and fishing with his brothers. (more…)
4,065 words
Extraordinary! There are three—maybe four—Pinocchio films now in development or newly released. They all promise to reveal dark, hitherto unexplored aspects of the famous marionette’s saga. One is a Robert Downey Jr. project that’s been hemming and hawing since about 2012. Initially Downey was planning to play both Geppetto and the title role. Now he’s older, so he’ll just play Geppetto. A new live-action Pinocchio premiered last month in Italy. (more…)
1,687 words
Habits of mind break hard. When these habits are formed in childhood, they have a way of sticking with a person throughout his life. They structure his thinking and his perspective, and often take effort and discipline to overcome. (more…)
1,567 words
Ash Donaldson
Blut and Boden: A Fairy Tale for Children of European Descent
CreateSpace, 2018
Mythology has always been the tie that binds. Familiar stories from long ago featuring archetypal characters and illustrating universal themes, as well as those specific to a particular race, nation, or tribe, provide common reference points among extended kin. (more…)