If you have kids in your classroom or your car and haven’t listened to an episode (or 20) of Adam Gidwitz’s “Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest” podcast, you are missing out! Adam, a Newbery Medal winner, has a sharp wit and unforgettable voice. A natural storyteller, he found his writing style when he was a teacher, writing to entertain his students.
As a young adult, Adam hunted for the truth. He searched in philosophy and religion, but eventually found literature to be the ultimate source of the small truths this world can provide. His first successes as an author came from books like “A Tale Dark and Grimm” and “The Inquisitor's Tale.” Now, Adam is getting ready to release a new novel with a monstrous setting that tells a particularly hard truth: bad people are still human, with endless motivations.
In this episode, we discuss Adam’s approach to telling this new story, how he found his unique voice, and why he believes fiction is the best vehicle for learning about the world.
Grimmly Ever After is the title of Adam’s reading (and listening) challenge. In it, he pairs original fairy tales with his own retellings of them on his podcast or in one of his books. This challenge is a unique opportunity for kids to compare and contrast older and more modern versions of the same tales.
Listen to the full episode, “Truth From Fiction: Adam Gidwitz on Plato, the Devil, and the BFG,” on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review, subscribe, and share with someone who will enjoy it.
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Xo
Jordan