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Youth's Magic Horn: Seven Stories
Stories of young people in transition.
127 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1978
3 people want to read
About the author
Jan Wahl
151 books11 followersJan Wahl was an American author best known for his imaginative and influential children’s books, which combined wit, warmth and a deep respect for young readers. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Wahl showed artistic promise early, performing piano on children’s radio programs and appearing on stage alongside legendary magician Harry Blackstone Sr. He studied at Cornell University, where he took classes with Vladimir Nabokov, and continued his education in Europe as a Fulbright scholar before completing graduate studies in the United States.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 18, 2024
I found this book while cleaning our book shelves, thought it belonged to one of the grown sons, no one claimed it. I thought it might be interesting once I started reading it. What I didn't totally understand it is that these are seven different, unrelated stories. As I read each story, I couldn't figure out why none of them related to each other. I read on though because I was determined to finish the book. It wasn't until the last story that I was able to get a synopsis of it: seven stories about youth transitioning somehow in their lives; this was published in 1978 so I don't mean transitioning by today's terms (sexual orientation). I mean in their lives, what shaped them into the personalities they formed, the persons they were becoming.
I cannot say I enjoyed the book exactly. I do believe the writing is very good. It did have me wondering about the next story, what it might be about. I found most of the stories to be strange, odd youths, "olden days of yore", what was expected of them. Maybe I enjoyed it more than I realize.
I cannot say I enjoyed the book exactly. I do believe the writing is very good. It did have me wondering about the next story, what it might be about. I found most of the stories to be strange, odd youths, "olden days of yore", what was expected of them. Maybe I enjoyed it more than I realize.
Displaying 1 of 1 review