Ari Berk (born March 7, 1967) is an American writer, folklorist, artist, and scholar of literature, iconography, and comparative myth. Berk holds degrees in Ancient History (B.A.), American Indian Studies (M.A.), and Comparative Literature and Culture (Ph.D.) from

Humboldt State University California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt also known as Cal Poly Humboldt, Humboldt or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California or California State Polytechnic Universi ...

and

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

respectively. His dissertation was directed by

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

winner

N. Scott Momaday Navarre Scott Momaday (born February 27, 1934) is a Kiowa novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. His novel ''House Made of Dawn'' was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969, and is considered the first major work of the Native ...

and Berk was appointed to the committee that developed the first American Indian Studies doctoral program in the United States.Berk, Ari. "Curriculum Vitae." http://ariberk.com/cv.html Berk is the author of numerous books for children and adults. He collaborated with fairy artist

Brian Froud Brian Froud (born 1947) is an English fantasy illustrator and conceptual designer. He is most widely known for his 1978 book ''Faeries (book), Faeries'' with Alan Lee (illustrator), Alan Lee, and as the conceptual designer of the Jim Henson fil ...

on '' The Runes of Elfland'' and '' Goblins!'', and was one of the authors of the '' Lady Cottington'' series, along with

Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...

, and others. Berk began his interactive ''Secret History'' children's mythology series in the mid-2000s with '' The Secret History of Giants'', and followed this volume with '' The Secret History of Mermaids and Merfolk'', and '' The Secret History of Hobgoblins''. '' The Secret History of Giants'' won both a 2008 Recommended

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

and a 2009 Notable Award from

The National Council of Teachers of English The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a United States professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Since 1911, NCTE has provided a forum ...

. He is a professor of English at

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

and teaches

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, American Indian studies, and

medieval literature Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (that is, the one thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of t ...

. Berk is the former editor of the Folksroots section of

Realms of Fantasy ''Realms of Fantasy'' was a professional bimonthly fantasy speculative fiction magazine published by Sovereign Media, then Tir Na Nog Press, and Damnation Books, which specialized in fantasy fiction (including some horror), related nonfiction (wit ...

magazine. He also sits on the board of directors of the

Mythic Imagination Institute The Mythic Imagination Institute is a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, whose purpose is to encourage a creative response to life, both individual and collective, through storytelling and mythology: "Every life is a story, and a sto ...

. Born and raised in California, he now lives in Michigan with his wife and son.

Awards

* '' The Secret History of Giants'': Recommended Award 2008,

.Parents' Choice Award. "Parents' Choice." http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=25810&award=xx&from=Candlewick+Press * '' The Secret History of Giants'': Notable Award 2009,

.Children's Literature Assembly. "Notables." http://www.childrensliteratureassembly.org/notables/NCBLA09.pdf * '' William Shakespeare: His Life and Times'': Children's Choice Award 2010,

School Library Association The School Library Association (SLA) is an independent organization in the United Kingdom which promotes libraries and literacy in schools. The SLA was founded in 1937 and is based at Kembrey Park in north-eastern Swindon. It is a charity registe ...

.School Library Association. "Book Awards Information." http://www.sla.org.uk/information-book-award.php

Bibliography

Books

* ''Undertaken Trilogy: Lych Way'' (2014), Simon & Schuster * ''Undertaken Trilogy: Mistle Child'' (2013), Simon & Schuster * ''Undertaken Trilogy: Death Watch'' (2011), Simon & Schuster * ''Nightsong'' (2012), Simon and Schuster * ''The Secret History of Hobgoblins'' (2010), Templar Books * ''William Shakespeare: His Life and Times'' (2010), Templar Books * ''The Secret History of Mermaids and Merfolk'' (2009), Templar Books * ''How To Be A Viking'' (2008), Templar Books * ''Coyote Speaks'' (2008), Abrams Books * ''The Secret History of Giants'' (2008), Templar Books * ''Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters'' (2005), Abrams Books * ''Goblins!'' (2004), Abrams Books * ''The Runes of Elfland'' (2003), Abrams Books

Magazine articles

* ''Back Over the Wall - Charles Vess Revisits the World of Stardust'' (2007), Realms of Fantasy * ''The Lore of Simple Things - Milk, Honey, and Bread in Myth and Legend'' (2005), Realms of Fantasy * ''The Dance of the Labryrinth'' (2004), Realms of Fantasy * ''The Song of the Sampo - Mystery and the Numinous in the Kalevala'' (2004), Realms of Fantasy * ''Where the White Stag Runs - Boundary and Transformation in Deer Myths'' (2003), Realms of Fantasy * ''Penance, Power and Pursuit - On the Trail of the Wild Hunt'' (2002), Realms of Fantasy * ''A Rune With A View: An Introduction To The Visionary Alphabet of the Northern World'' (2002), Realms of Fantasy * ''Of Travels and Travails - Imagination, Landscape and Narrative'' (2001), Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Poems

* ''Anatomy, Winter Finds the World on Fire, Rings, A Rune of Loss, Night Thoughts'' (2007), Creative Journal VII * ''Night Thoughts: Sheherazade'' (2001), Endicott Studio Online Journal * ''Anatomies'' (2001), The Quest for the Green Man * ''Bag of Medicine and Wind'' (1999), Endicott Studio Online Journal * ''Paserik Burial'' (1998), Endicott Studio Online Journal

Screenplays

* '' Lanval'' (2009), Shared Legends Project

Short stories

* '' Missing Limb'' (2009), Ravens In The Library

References

External links

Ari Berk's Official Web Site

The Undertaken Trilogy
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Berk, Ari 1967 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American children's writers American columnists American fantasy writers American folklorists American male novelists American male screenwriters California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt alumni University of Arizona alumni Novelists from Michigan American male short story writers 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Michigan Screenwriters from Arizona 21st-century American screenwriters