Once Upon A Place

Author: Holly Bellebuono, Product Type: Paperback, Published: 03/08/2025
Forests, Caverns & Other Places of Transformation in Myths, Fairy Tales & Film by Holly Bellebuono | Jack Zipes Paperback, 208 pages Published March 2025 Once Upon a Place explores narratives from modern film, famous fairy tales, and ancient mythology to define the five core locations that shape every story: the Cavern, the Deep, the Vessel, the Forest, and the Labyrinth. Popularized by Joseph Campbell, the hero's journey features narrative stages along which a person matures and transforms. But where heroes transform is just as important as what they do to get there. Holly Bellebuono shows you how the location of each hero's journey step is intimately tied to the challenges faced, setting the tone for the entire adventure. To illustrate each location, Bellebuono shares fifteen original adaptations - such as the tales of Persephone, Gilgamesh, Cerridwen, and Alice - to explore how the "sense of place" drives the adventure and outcome. From Innana's descent into the Cavern to Snow White entering the Forest, this book offers powerful wisdom about personal growth, life's purpose, and the origins of creativity.