Tipsy Scholars Ottawa

I regularly lecture on fairy tales and folklore at Tipsy Scholars events in Ottawa. Tipsy Scholars hosts engaging, thought-provoking lectures by experts, professors, and storytellers in Ottawa bars.

Tricks, Treats, and Turnips: The Origins of Halloween Traditions

October 28, 2026

Details and tickets to come…

The Women Who Defined Fairy Tales (and History Forgot)

June 17, 2026

A Who’s Who of the fairy tale literary salons of 1690s Paris. At the center is the Queen Bee, Madame d’Aulnoy, a woman with a mysterious past who coined the term “fairy tale.” Surrounding her are accomplished women writers celebrated at court, crowned by the Académie Française, and entangled in scandals from political intrigue to accusations of lesbianism.

In the background is Charles Perrault, who dismissed fairy tales as unworthy of serious literature, yet lives on as Mother Goose, while the women who shaped the genre are largely forgotten. This talk brings the Salonnières back into focus, giving them and their work their fair due as the true creators of the literary fairy tale.

I am available and excited to lecture and storytell about fairy tales, their tellers, and folklore at your event. Contact me to talk about creating something engaging for your audience!