NEW RELEASE: Fairy Films: Wee Folk on the Big Screen

I've looked at that blog title above, and I just can't believe what I'm reading.

It's true: Fairy Films—the essay collection that languished in development hell for the better part of three years—is finally available for purchase.

I had sat on the idea for a while before pursuing it in the early days of the pandemic. I've long been fascinated by the durability of fairy folklore—how many words, motifs, and ideas have remained in use long after we decided that such beliefs were 'foolish.'

With that in mind, I rounded up some close friends (and some new ones!) to take a look at the world of cinema, and how fairy motifs continue to arise in our most popular contemporary art form, both subtlety and overtly. It resulted in a collection of essays spanning the gamut from thoughtful, scholarly treatises to more casual, lighthearted romps through beloved favorites. There are lots of things to enjoy in here: firsthand experiences, analyses of filmmaking techniques, and deep dives into folklore.

One of the true highlights of the collection are excerpts from a previously-unpublished interview with visionary artist Brian Froud, who helped define modern cinematic conceptions surrounding fairies.

For the first time, I'm proud to present a complete list of all essays in the order that they appear in the book:

THROUGH A CRYSTAL DARKLY: CULTURAL,
EXPERIENTIAL AND ONTOLOGICAL 
REFLECTIONS ON FAERIE - Dr. Jack Hunter

“I AM—WE ARE”: DECODING THE FAERIE MOTIFS
 OF ALEX VAN WARMERDAM’S BORGMAN - Joshua Cutchin

“MORE WIND PLEASE!”: THE MAGIC, MYTH, AND
MYSTERY OF TWIN PEAKS - Mark Anthony Wyatt

HANDMAIDENS OF THE ETERNAL: CONSCIOUSNESS 
AND DEATH IN PHOTOGRAPHING FAIRIES - Dr. Neil Rushton

YOU ARE NOT MY SON! REVEALING THE 
CHANGELING IN THE HOLE IN THE GROUND - Susan Demeter

YOU CAN’T SPELL FRANK-N-FURTER WITHOUT F-A-E: 
FAIRY LORE OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - Patrick Dugan

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: A FAERIE STORY OF LIMINALITY AND INDIVIDUATION - Dr. David Floyd

SCARY FAIRIES: BOGEYMEN OF YORE - Allison Jornlin

DUNE: THE FAERIE DUST MUST FLOW! - James P. Nettles

WALT AND THE FAIRIES, 1922-1960 - Dr. Simon Young

DEEP: AN EXAMINATION OF THE FAERIE THEMES 
IN TAKASHI SHIMIZU’S FILM MAREBITO - Wren Collier

If you're interested, you can pick up your copy at the link above or right here as a physical book or eBook.