Hamilton author releases book that challenges ableism in classic fairy tales
- Craig Clark
- 10 Feb 2020
The First Unitarian Church is hosting a book launch this Wednesday for the release of Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability and Making Space by Hamilton-based author Amanda Leduc.
Disfigured challenges the ableism of classic fairy tales and shows news ways to celebrate every type of body. Leduc explores the norms of fairy tales that usually have a happy ending if you have two legs. And since fairy tales are the structural foundation of many parts of our culture, how can a person with a disability ever think they’ll have a happy ending?
Well hello lovely books 🤩 #HamOnt launch for Disfigured by @AmandaLeduc is next week! Wednesday, February 12. Event details: https://t.co/SBqhBn9aLq pic.twitter.com/LNVJeqzttM
— Epic Books (@epic_books) February 7, 2020
The book examines how fairy tales have affected our expectations of disability and points to a new world where disability is no longer a punishment of impediment. Leduc tries to make sense of fairy tale cliches and looks at them through a 21st century disabled lens.
From the original fairy tales like Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson to more modern representations such as Disney and Angela Carter, disability is examined in how it is represented in archetypal fairy tales.
Disfigured connects the fight for disability justice to the growth of modern, magical stories, and argues for increased acceptance that helps us to see the magic inherent in all bodies.
Leduc’s essays and stories have appeared in publications across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. She is the author of the novels The Miracles of Ordinary Men and the upcoming book The Centaur’s Wife. Leduc has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton.
The event will be moderated by Sarah Jama, the co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario.
Join Leduc as she talks about her latest project on Wednesday, February 12th at 7 pm. The launch will take place at the First Unitarian Church and admission is free.
Lead photo courtesy of @epicbookshamilton.
Comments 0
There are no comments
Add comment