Fairy Tale Review: The Blue Issue Donna Tartt

Okay, let's talk about something utterly delightful and ever-so-slightly bonkers: Fairy Tale Review's "The Blue Issue" and why thinking about it makes me want to swan dive into a vat of ultramarine paint. Yes, paint. Because that's the level of intense feeling we're dealing with here.

Fairy Tale Review, for those who haven't stumbled into its enchanting clutches, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a journal dedicated to, well, fairy tales! But not in the Disney princess, saccharine-sweet kind of way. We're talking fairy tales reimagined, twisted, interrogated, and generally given a glorious, modern makeover.

So, What's So Special About "The Blue Issue"?

Imagine every shade of blue you can conjure. Sky blue, deep sea indigo, the electric blue of a jay's feather, the melancholic blue of a rainy Tuesday. "The Blue Issue" takes that spectrum and just runs with it. The stories, poems, and art inside aren’t just blue-themed in a superficial "everything's wearing denim" kind of way. They delve into the emotional depths of the color. Think about the phrase "feeling blue." This issue wrestles with sadness, longing, and the vast, unknowable mysteries of the human experience, all filtered through the lens of folklore and fantasy.

Blue Like…What Exactly?

Think of it like this: you know how sometimes you listen to a song and it just gets you? It understands exactly what you're feeling, even if you can't articulate it? That's "The Blue Issue." It's like the literary equivalent of listening to a particularly poignant jazz solo while staring out at the ocean. It's moody, evocative, and surprisingly comforting.

You might encounter a reimagining of Bluebeard, but instead of focusing on the horror, it explores the wife's curiosity and her desire for knowledge, even if it comes at a price. Or perhaps a poem about selkies, those mythical creatures who can shift between human and seal form, grappling with their identity and the push and pull of two worlds. The best part? You don't need to be a fairy tale expert to appreciate it. The stories are crafted with such skill and artistry that they resonate on a purely emotional level.

Donna Tartt: Because Why Not?

Now, where does Donna Tartt come into this? You might be scratching your head, wondering what the author of The Secret History and The Goldfinch has to do with fairy tales. And that's a valid question! But hear me out.

Tartt, in my humble opinion, is a master of atmosphere. She creates these incredibly immersive worlds, full of secrets, shadows, and a pervasive sense of unease. While she doesn't write traditional fairy tales, her novels often have a fairytale-esque quality to them. They’re full of archetypal characters, heightened emotions, and moral ambiguities.

Think about the way she uses color in her books. The golden light that bathes the Dutch Masters in The Goldfinch, the somber greens and browns of Hampden College in The Secret History. Color isn’t just decoration; it’s a mood, a metaphor, a character in itself.

If Donna Tartt were to guest-edit a future issue of Fairy Tale Review, specifically one focusing on, say, the color grey (a delightfully gloomy prospect!), I'm convinced she would bring that same atmospheric intensity, that same ability to make color speak volumes. She'd probably have some profound thoughts about the morality of gnomes too.

So, while Donna Tartt isn't directly involved in "The Blue Issue," thinking about her work alongside it highlights the power of color, atmosphere, and reimagining familiar narratives. It's about finding the magic in the mundane, the darkness in the light, and the blue in everything else. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a box of blueberries and a copy of The Little Mermaid. For research purposes, of course.