In Daniel Mallory Ortberg's Version, The Little Mermaid Inhales Souls

SCOTT SIMON: "The Merry Spinster" is one of the most anticipated books of the spring. Daniel Mallory Ortberg, co-creator of The Toast, an important website for feminist writing, has recast some classic tales, including "The Little Mermaid," "The Velveteen Rabbit," "Beauty And The Beast," even parts of the Old Testament to make them resonate with new takes on romantic love, property rights, abusive relationships, gender roles and the unsparing lack of sentimentality of the stuffed animals we hold dear...