Once upon a Time There Was Truth

Jack Zipes is professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota. He has edited more than twenty collections of fairy tales and many books about fairy tales and children’s stories. He also translates tales, including The Wounded Storyteller: The Traumatic Tales of E. T. A. Hoffmann. He lives in Minneapolis, MN.

“Zipes, an accomplished scholar of fairy tales, explores the genre’s enduring appeal and its social functions in this erudite essay collection.”—New Yorker“[Zipes] combines precise text analysis and historical fact as a means of investigation. Like all good storytellers, he leaves space for the reader to form their own connections from these interwoven narratives.”—Elizabeth Garner, Spectator“Sparkling with insights into fairy tales’ marvelous fulfillment of hopes for a better world, this fascinating book reminds us why we need fairy tales—and the work of Jack Zipes.”—Ann Schmiesing, author of The Brothers Grimm: A Biography“Zipes reveals how fairy tales, often seen as escapist, do serious cultural work for us. They not only mirror and magnify real-life conflicts but also model resistance and resilience, showing us a way out of the woods.”—Maria Tatar, author of The Heroine with 1001 Faces“This book shimmers with wishes and a desire for knowledge. Zipes reinforces the indispensable contribution fairy tales offer to humanity. This volume aims an uncynical arrow at hope.”—Kate Bernheimer, editor of My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me