The Great and Auspicious Library of Living Tales.

Cave men stick figures etched on limestone walls. Hieroglyphs. The oral tradition of Africa and beyond. The need to record, to ponder, to share. To tell stories has always been at the heart of humanity. It is the one constant that we can rely on. No matter where we hail from, our politics, gender, personal beliefs, stories are part of who we are.

Tahir Shah expresses this idea far better than I ever could,

“Stories are a communal currency of humanity.”

And now in this modern era, stories have become a commodity. Branding and marketers relying on the power of a narrative to sell their wares. Now more than ever, they need to give the consumer something to feel not just to buy. A concept to invest in that keeps them returning to the store

Fascinated by words and invigorated by their power to destroy or create, I have often wondered as I read or watch a movie, or even just wandering down the street –what it the backstory? Who are these people? Who could they be? Literature has a penchant for one dimension, particularly where the female is concerned. Either demon or damsel. Rarely anything in between – Jane Eyre and the madwoman in the attic. Given voice finally by Jean Rhys. A story of complexity and heartache, far more than Bronte would have ever had us believe.

Stories old and new allow us to understand ourselves and others.

And so mulling over the above, I started to think of other stories. The cross-overs. The disparate strands of narrative with seemingly no connection at all. Except for humanity. And sometimes lack thereof.

And so there it was. My silly idea to write what might be. What could and perhaps what is if I chose it my heart for it to be. “The Library of Great and Auspicious Tales.” It’s whimsical and frivolous and a fanciful concoction. For sure. But a few gracious souls have humoured me in my endevours. The ‘collection’ so far is below. If you would like to add to t it, please feel free to add your link below (An understatement right there, I'd be made up if you did!). There are no rules, just a story of two (or more) characters meeting in a mystical, peculiar library and sharing the power of their own story. Connecting somehow. Despite it all. Or because of it.

The first, a meeting of minds and spirit. A-moral in a world that made them so, Frankenstein & Caliban.

A meeting across the trenches, there is so much more than unites us than divides us. A collab piece with the brilliant Mark Gagnon:

The Artist and his muse, Da Vinci meets the smile:

And from the great Scot himself, Paul Stewart, a disconcerting, but wonderful merging of horror:

Two Shakespearian villains compare tactics. One clearly more adept at villainy than than the other:

A silent observer amongst the tales a beautiful contibution by Amber Annabelle

Also, check out her fantastic, 'Set me a Challenge' prompt!

Another visitor or potential inhabit of the library by the very talented Mark Gagnon