“What I do is a continuation of what people have been doing for thousands of years, which is sharing stories, sharing knowledge… and when they look at it in this global context, it makes us feel connected. That’s what we all want.”- Kaylnn Bayron
Growing up, I was never told fairytales that made me wish I were a long lost princess or a fated hero. I was given legends from my grandmother that were meant to be warnings, to be kept close to my chest and whispered to my younger cousins around campfires at night. Tales of the devil and La Llorona that existed for centuries were passed down to me from my grandmother and her siblings who told me of the restless nights in Ciudad Juárez, where they could hear the wailing woman from the centuries old folktale by the river at midnight. Their story is an addition to the stories their grandmothers told them; that story is even older than we know, one that can actually be traced back to older stories about an Aztec goddess, Cihuacoatl, and even religious interpretations of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Mexican Catholicism.
Can two things be true at once, and how does one story give birth to new renditions that can be so familiar yet incredibly distant? This Third Thursday, the Writers’ League of Texas was joined by three imaginative authors who guide us through their versions of beloved classics: Kalynn Bayron (This Poison Heart, Cinderella is Dead, My Dear Henry), Gabe Cole Novoa (Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix), and Vaishnavi Patel (Kaikeyi, Goddess of the River, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion). WLT’s Lore Arnold guided authors with a series of questions that inquired about the challenges, reader expectations, and rewards of reimagining tales with so much history and discourses to mold as their own.
Playing the part of Dr. Frankenstein with her creations is Kalynn Bayron, whose works not only reimagine dark classics like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein, but also diversify the narrative by adding black and queer characters for depth. Although this addition to the story may be unfamiliar to some, it is what draws new readers and makes these stories more accessible to people within these communities. It draws attention to the fact that despite the lack of representation, black and queer people existed during these periods and haven’t been discussed enough within these classic spaces. Bayron expresses that her goal isn’t to replace the original novels, but to have a conversation about how they can attract new readers who finally see their reflection within these pages. Retellings are crucial in this way because people crave familiarity. When they see something that breathes with modernity yet holds details of the past, they continue the tradition of storytelling and recieving. “What I do is a continuation of what people have been doing for thousands of years, which is sharing stories, sharing knowledge… and when they look at it in this global context, it makes us feel connected. That’s what we all want,” Bayron explained.
Vaishnavi Patel bridges the gap between South Asian culture, religion, and the misrepresentation of women in alternative historical settings. Patel spotlights women on the sidelines of Indian epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Her immense research and love for these stories are evident in her wish to get to know women who were villainized in one version and beloved in the next. Patel’s novel, Kaikeyi, even brought her closer to her religion and cultural heritage because she was able to confront the elements of these stories that made her uncomfortable and retell them in her voice. Patel realized how even the stories we know as originals have been retold for thousands of years, losing and gaining some notable aspects that make these stories whole. She was troubled by the treatment of women in the Hindu Epics, and it made her feel distanced from these stories that were so prominent for her growing up. Patel said, “…realizing that I could have my interpretation of these stories and that they could coexist, that I could reclaim and rewrite the parts that were so troubling brought me really close to the actual epics and my culture… and I hope there are readers who have a similar reaction to it.” She feels the need to retell stories because they “are often repositories of cultural knowledge and religious knowledge” and guide us to understanding the past and each other. Patel says that every detail and element in her retelling was carefully placed and didn’t alter the original plot, just who was telling it. However, all authors expressed that the original plots served as outlines they could play with and return to when they needed a reminder of what they wanted their retelling to convey. There is comfort in knowing so many stories have been retold and authors like Patel are continuing this tradition by confronting portrayals that are underrepresented.
Reimagining the well-read classic Pride & Prejudice from the unique perspective of marginalized characters grappling with their own identities is Gabe Cole Novoa. Novoa said he related to the Austen classic because of his childhood, “I was raised in a home full of girls with very strict expectations of what a woman should be like, and that never really sat right with me.” In his reimagining, Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix, Novoa draws on his experience as a Latinx transmasculine individual and how his changes to the main protagonists’ sexuality and identity fundamentally transform the story. He found that a lot of the groundwork had been laid out for him, and grasping critical moments from the 2005 film and the original story that were still relevant in pop culture today helped him figure out the type of story he wanted to tell. Identifying where the stories and protagonists were altered was vital to writing this reimagining. Delving into the original helped Novoa appreciate and develop an intimacy with the classic that he admits wasn’t there until he could see himself within the story. He finds pride in giving the trans and queer community “the same warm feeling classics readers have felt for centuries.” Like Bayron and Patel, it wasn’t about replacing the story for Novoa, but making stories feel more relatable to young marginalized people today. “The queer and trans communities deserve these romances that will sweep us off our feet, too,” said Novoa.
Retellings are necessary for every generation because they teach us what has changed, and guide us to what needs to be touched by the next generation. Readers finding themselves within stories are essential to growing interest in literature, history, and culture; however, there will be times where not every reader will relate or understand why these stories have been changed. It is vital to note that not everything will be for you, but perspective is what helps reimaginings come to life because they become the skeleton of the stories our children will learn, and at least by then, they will have seen themselves in the stories where most of us previously were ghosts.
“…it’s not an act of charity because we belong there.” – Kaylnn Bayron
Continue to support our authors by purchasing their latest releases like Patel’s Ten Incarnations of Rebellion and Novoa’s Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix. Be on the lookout for Bayron’s Make Me a Monster, out September 30, 2025.
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For more insight into writing and publishing, please join the Writers’ League of Texas for August Third Thursday: “Take Two: Writing, Publishing, & Promoting Sophomore Books”