The following is an interview with author Alan Kessler regarding the release of the illustrated short story collection, Beyond Grimm: Stories & Rhymes from the Dark Corners of Fairyland, with Rootstock Publishing. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Kessler about his shared creative process of bringing the stories and characters to life on the page, what readers may take away from the stories’ themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Beyond Grimm! What can you tell us about the genesis behind this project, and how would you describe its overall premise?
Alan Kessler: Thank you, Barbra, for this interview and the chance to answer questions about my new book for the readers of Fanbase Press. One night, and for no reason, such is the nature of the unconscious, I dreamt about Little Red Riding Hood. Unlike Poe who didn’t change a word of a poem fully formed in his dream, later appropriately called, The Dream, I awoke remembering only fragmented images. From that, I wrote the first story in Beyond Grimm, Little Red. I had fun severely twisting the original plot so decided to write other retellings of known fairy tales, adding childhood rhymes. The result, Beyond Grimm—not for children–a compilation of horror and fantasy that pays homage to the oral origin of fairytales, the blood-soaked tales that through their unsettling nature heightened by a single voice speaking at night in the glow of a communal fire, definitely kept the listeners’ attention. I hope my book does the same.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Kali Kahn to bring these stories to life on the page?
AK: Kali is a very talented young woman. I sent her summaries of the stories, and she used them to create fantastic illustrations visually enhancing the plot lines and consistently capturing the mood of the stories. Her art in the book can have a sly, macabre side. In Lamp Chop, my rhyme about Mary’s murderous little lamb, Kali drew an incredible sweet looking lamb with patches of dried blood in its wool. Kali’s art for Beyond Grimm doesn’t need my stories to give her work value. What she drew is standalone excellent.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums and genres. How do you feel that these stories may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that they might inspire?
AK: I’m a novelist who primarily writes horror but the darkness in my books serves, I hope, a deeper purpose. For me, dark writing is a delivery mechanism for plots that leave a reader with something to think about. For all their nightmarish qualities, fairy tales are often cautionary stories about the consequences of overstepping moral boundaries. While some of the stories in Beyond Grimm are, admittedly, light-hearted in a demented way, others have a message embedded in their twists and turns. A few examples. Did my Jack, after chopping down the bean stock, get what he deserved? The Beyond Grimm ending for him is much different than the traditional one. In my story, The Farm, what happens when Chicken Little, a pig and wolf, run the mechanized processing of meat? And in the Survivalist, who actually survives winter: the fiddle playing grasshopper on a leaf or the industrious ant who wants to eat her?
BD: What makes Rootstock Publishing the perfect publishing partner for this collection?
AK: I’ve been published by two small presses (no author buy-in), self-published, and now, living in Vermont, I wanted a quality local publisher. Not only did Samantha and her staff bring to market a professionally edited book with a striking cover, but she also has the connections to help me with its promotion. I don’t want to imply that Rootstock publishes only Vermont authors or that its promotional services aren’t national. I’m only stating what worked for me. It’s convenient having your publisher in the next town over.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AK: I’m writing more short stories.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Beyond Grimm and your other work?
AK: An open invitation! Visit my website, kesslernightshade.com, where you can read the first story in Beyond Grimm for free! Also, prepublication reviews from real readers are available here.
The publisher’s link for the book is here.
Thank you again, Barbra. Much appreciated!
