Three Wise Men

 'Tis the season to be reading. Tonight's reading suggestion for Yuletide: Three Wise Men, by Carol Ann Duffy. Illustrations by Julia Klenovsky. It is of course her annual Christmas poem. A poem that is in fact a dream like tale. Or rather, three tales, told by three people (the Three Wise Men of the title), to a Traveler, on the twelfth night of Christmas. The Traveller (and the reader) has to decide which tale is true. There's wassail, miracle soup, there's also the Twelve Days of Christmas, told with the sincerity of a true story. I enjoyed it, although maybe not as much as her last two ones. But then again, maybe it is too fresh in my mind. But it's still a quality tale in verse and, well, I also happen to have purchased a signed copy. Which is always nice.

Christmas Eve at the Moon Under Water

'Tis the season to be reading. Today's reading suggestion (and the very first this Season): Christmas Eve at the Moon Under Water. Poem by Carol Ann Duffy, illustrations by Margaux Carpentier. Reading her poetry is now a personal Christmas literary tradition. It's a dreamlike and surreal narrative poem where animals and humans mix during a singing contest. In an English pub. Time and space converge to the Moon Under Water. Sacred and profane elements of the season too, with the Nativity story and its characters making an improbable appearance. Carol Ann Duffy's writing is so genuinely seasonal.

Advent Street

'Tis the season to be reading. Today's reading suggestion is Advent Street, by Carol Ann Duffy. Illustrations by Yelena Bryksenkova. Duffy write a poem like this every year for Christmas. I seldom read poetry, but reading her work has become a new Christmas tradition for me. This one is particular as the protagonist is actually the reader, as it is written using the second person. So whoever reads this is renting on Advent Street after a break up and explores the street and its inhabitants one December night. It's a lovely melancholic piece, where a lingering pain is treated but never fully cured by moments of festive happiness. It might sound dreary, but it is actually quite heartwarming.

Wolfie, poetry and Carol Ann Duffy

Something really strange happened tonight, during Wolfie's bedtime. As I offered him to read one story before, he pointed to Frost Fair, the most recent seasonal poem/story (I guess story in verse) of Carol Ann Duffy. I don't read much poetry, but around Christmastime I do like to read Duffy and it was by my bedside. Not sure why this caught his eyes and not another book, but strange as it may seem, I actually read it all to him, and stranger still, he did not seem bored once. In fact, he was fascinated by the illustrations. So anyway, he fell asleep quickly after that. I am still amazed by what happened.

Good King Wenceslas looked out...

As it is a tradition on Vraie Fiction to avoid this consumerist day that is Boxing Day, I am uploading Good King Wenceslas again. We are, after all, on the Feast of Stephen. One of my favorite Christmas carols, a tale in a song, as efficient as it is atmospheric. I also discovered last year another take on the story I really enjoyed, in a poem form by Carol Ann Duffy. You can read it here. Ladt year I bought the poem for myself, beautifully illustrated by Stuart Kolakovic. I could not find a version of the song I really loved, but this one will do.