The Penelopiad and the Power of Changing Perspective
Being a lifelong fantasy lover, the strange creatures and tales from ancient mythology were enough to reel me in to the world of Classics, and ultimately lead me to major in it at university. When I was little, I had a fixation on fairies, elves and magic animals – not unlike a lot of kids, you may point out – but I took it to the extreme. I must’ve irritated my Mother with the amount of letters I wrote to garden fairies. I would take my special writing paper, embellished with flowers, and write in my finest handwriting an imploring and curious letter, before sticking it in the dirt at the bottom of the tallest tree in my garden with a stick. I even left plastic rings attached to the letters for the fairies to use as tiaras, as if they wouldn’t have already had tiny delicate crowns made from leaves and petals. I don’t think they would’ve appreciated a bit of plastic junk from a free kids magazine, but hey, it’s the thought that counts. Anyway, these childhood obsessions moved from...
