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Author
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Comment
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janeyolen
Unregistered User
(10/4/02 12:38:24 pm)
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Title
My friend Barbara Diamond Goldin remembers the title of that story as "The Rabbi and the Inquisitor" and we are still looking for a book to send you to.
Jane
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janeyolen
Unregistered User
(10/4/02 12:44:18 pm)
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Do you know. . .?
I meant to ask you if you know the following book:
Fair Is Fair
World Folktales of Justice
By Sharon Creeden
August House: Hard Back, $19.95
ISBN: 0-87483-400-7
Trade Paper Back, $12.95
ISBN: 0-87483-477-5
From the catalog copy:
. . .thirty world folktales of justice about wise judges, clever lawyers, and deceitful tricksters, from places as diverse as ancient Greece, Morocco, Germany, China, and Ireland. Some date back to pre-biblical days while others come from the American colonies. Each of these folktales sheds light on how our predecessors from various cultures dealt with criminal behavior, and Sharon Creeden follows most of them with commentary on how the same legal issues are handled by contemporary American law. American Folklore Society Aesop Award winner; Storytelling World Honor, Storytelling Anthology; Storytelling World Honor, “Tellable” Adult Stories
Jane
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Gail
Unregistered User
(10/4/02 2:56:02 pm)
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Creeden's book
I know the book and have used it quite often in my storytelling classes. Sharon Creeden is a (former?) judge who has matched folktales with modern American court cases in her discussions in the book. Quite a treat! Gail
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(10/5/02 3:11:32 am)
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mea culpa
Gail--I actually love the book and own it, was wondering if Clarissa had seen it. (Though as I reread my post, that wasn't clear.) It's an unusual format and very helpful for storytellers (and story lovers.)
Jane
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Karen
Unregistered User
(10/7/02 1:21:41 am)
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To clarify
Dear CPE,
'Academic disease' was no special term, just a bad joke- referring to the notion of 'over-analysis' which seems to run through this thread. The implication seems to be that over-analysis is an infection or a species of fungi which spreads a moss over the eyes. Oedipus was mentioned at one point too- so this over-analytic mind saw the suggestion that over-analysis leads to blindness.
I'm not sure over-analysis is something to be feared. I don't paint but I imagine that painting isn't so very different to writing in this respect. Some people are very self-conscious about their own poetic/artistic processes and will theorise about them endlessly while others are not, preferring a more intuitive approach. I don't think either one necessarily makes better or poorer art- so long as you appreciate what you can and can't do within the limits of the piece. Indeed, I would argue that sometimes 'over-analysis' can make you more aware of those limits.
Karen
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Jess
Unregistered User
(10/7/02 12:58:02 pm)
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Academic disease
Karen,
But in the case of the Sphinyx, over-analysis of the story that
allowed Oedipus to get the right answer to the riddle.) It was later
self-analysis which led him to blindness. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Jess
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(10/11/02 4:00:18 am)
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Variant
I found a Japanese variant of the Rabbi and Inquisitor story, called "A Dispute in Sign Language" in Heather Forest's WISDOM TALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD (August House.) It is a Zen tale about a one-eyed monk and the would-be student who comes to speak with him.
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(10/11/02 4:33:08 am)
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Found the Jewish tale
Aha! A good day for finding things when not looking. "The Silent Duel" in Josepha Sherman's RACHEL THE CLEVER & OTHER JEWISH FOLK TALES (August House) though this is not where I first came upon the story so will look further some other not-looking day.
Jane
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