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Your Questions

Question 86: Karen Blixen and Scheherazade?

I've read the opinion that Karen Blixen was a latter-day Scheherazade. Does she mention Scheherazade in any of her writings?

A. She ends "The Deluge at Norderney" with this sentence: "At that moment in her story, Scheherazade saw the sun rise, and discretely fell silent"(Seven Gothic Tales, p. 78).

In "Night Walk" Pizzuti claims to be related to Scheherazade (Carnival and other Entertainments, p. 329).

The answer to your question is made easy by using the index in Understanding Isak Dinesen by Susan Brantly. She points out, "In both the Arabian Nights and the Decameron, the storytellers are spinning their tales in order to keep death at bay" (page 18). This also occurs in "The Deluge at Norderney" by Isak Dinesen.

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Supported misspellings: karen blixon, karin, isaac, isak dineson, isak denison, dinison, dinisen, denesen, coolsong, donaldson