The Apple Seed

Today’s episode is all about elves and their roles in folklore. Elves, trolls, goblins -- whatever you call them, they are fascinating. They are a mainstay of Scandinavian folklore and culture. In fact, in some parts of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, there are tunnels built under highways so that the elves can cross in safety. In fact, a 2007 survey revealed that over 54 percent of Icelanders believe in elves. Throughout time, elves have been associated with various aspects of both the foul and the fair. In British and Irish lore, they are associated with disease and mischief, often portrayed as foul creatures who frequently steal children or places curses on households. Even today, it is not uncommon to see protection symbols carved into trees and barns to ward off evil elves. However, in Scandinavian tradition, elves are often associated with good luck, bringing those who help them in their tasks great rewards.

You may be familiar with Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles, a series that blends classic fairy tales with sci-fi and super hero conventions: at the center of the books is a character named Cinder, in whom you are sure to see shades of Cinderella, except that she’s a cyborg. Cinder and her friends , many of whom are also these terrific super hero takes on classic fairy tale characters like Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel, battle for their happily-ever-afters against terrifying and imaginative odds. It’s a series that has been optioned by Netflix for film, which is super exciting.

Marissa Meyer is also the author of the Renegades trilogy, about teen superheroes and villains working to redefine for themselves what is right and wrong in a world wholly corrupted by adults, with tons of girl superheroes for teen readers to celebrate. 

On today’s episode, we celebrate the recent release of Archenemies, the second book in what will be the Renegades trilogy. It’s a deliciously cryptic title as it may refer to the decidedly uneasy relationship between the series protagonists, Nova and Adrian.

We’ll spend the hour in conversation with Marissa Meyer, and we’ll also hear the terrific story “The Teacher in the Patriotic Bathing Suit” by Bil Lepp.

Tellers and Stories on BYU Radio.

From the Thanksgiving feast to black Friday shopping, each family has their way of ushering in the holidays. Today’s episode is all about Thanksgiving, and features stories from Ron Fredrickson, Dolores Hydock, Laura J. Bobrow, Tim Lowry and a song by Susan Reed. Make great stories part of your holiday tradition with today's episode of The Apple Seed.

Today's episode features the work of Steve Sanfield. Steve was the founder (and for many years artistic director) of the Sierra Storytelling Festival in Nevada City, California. He was also a beloved storyteller himself. Many of the recordings Steve left behind after his passing in 2015 have been curated and compiled by Sanfield's long-time colleague Angela Lloyd into a new collection called "To Life: The Stories of Steve Sanfield." Today, we talk with Angela, who is an accomplished storyteller herself, about Steve's work and the impat it had on the storytelling community. And, of couse, we'll bring you plenty of stories too; listen for "True Love," "Hitting the Bull's Eye," and "Bit by Bit." We'll also bring you a couple of Chelm stories -- stories about the fabled town of fools from the Jewish storytelling tradition.

Today we talk with the acclaimed essayist Anne Fadiman (Author of terrific books like Ex Libris, and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Join us as Anne helps us explore the world of remembering loved ones, through her book "The Wine-Lover's Daughter," a memoir of her relationship with her father, Clifton Fadiman, whose obituary in the New York Times called an "essayist, critic, editor, and indefatigable anthologist whose encyclopedic knowledge made him a mainstay of Information Pease and otherpopular radio programs of the lae 1930's, 40's, and 50's. Anne’s memoir sees her relationship with her father not so much through the window of his work as an essayist, critic, and editor, but, rather, through the eyes of what some people called his first love: fine wine. It’s a particular connoisseurship about which Anne was, herself, only lukewarm. And yet it held a place at the center of their relationship, and at the center of Anne’s memoir.

We have another Saturday Round Up for you! It’s filled with episodes that we featured throughout the week in case you might have missed the show or if you want to hear one of these stories again. This week we had episodes about frogs, charity and we even spoke to one of our fellow storytelling friends, Rachel Ann Harding.

Charity is an attribute of a selfless, loving person. It is the ability to give freely for the sake of others. But charity can also be a solution to a problem or the gateway to forgiveness. In today’s stories, characters will demonstrate charity for all kinds of people and reap the benefits of that charitable action. You’ll hear about a town rallying around a family in need, a Douglas Fir tree protecting a mouse from a storm, a song from the perspective of the homeless population, brothers competing to see who is the most charitable, and Kare Strong, Josh Goforth, Laura K. Deal, Allison Downey, Sarah Malone, and Donald Davis are featured in this episode.

Tellers and Stories on BYU Radio

Today’s episode is all about frogs. Slippery, slimy and somehow endearing, everybody has something to say about these croaking creatures. Featuring stories by Doug Elliot, Len Cabral, Jay O’Callahan, Margaret Reed MacDonald, Tim Lowry, Brian “Fox” Ellis, and Donna L. Washington.