{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Storytelling, Folklore, and the Power of Place with Kelly Jarvis","description":"In this warm and engaging episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast, Jed Doherty welcomes back author and folklorist Kelly Jarvis to celebrate her new gothic historical romance, Sea and Stars. Kelly begins by sharing the real-life \u201cfairy tale\u201d behind her own Belle-inspired library, a promise made by her high school boyfriend\u2014now husband\u2014that beautifully echoes the romance at the heart of her work. From there, the conversation flows into the power of books in our lives. Jed recalls a Reading With Your Kids conversation about how books in the home are a top predictor of a child\u2019s future success, and Kelly, who teaches children\u2019s literature at Central Connecticut State University, reinforces how simply surrounding kids with books can transform their literacy skills. Kelly then opens the door to the world of Sea and Stars, a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in 1847, beginning on the wild, mystical Isle of Skye and crossing the ocean to Mystic, Connecticut. Listeners meet Arabella Porter, a courageous healer gifted with a touch of fairy magic, and James Alden, a wealthy, secretive shipyard owner whose metaphorical \u201cbeastliness\u201d comes from a dark past at sea. Jed and Kelly talk about folklore, landscape as character, and the courage it takes to leave home, as well as Kelly\u2019s deep belief that storytelling is what makes us human, even in an age of AI. She also hints at more fairy tale\u2013inspired romances to come and invites listeners to learn more at KellyJarvisWriter.com. ","author_name":"Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/558800","html":"