Hi, We're Sara and Brittany!

We’re folklorists, teachers, and writers, and together we're the founders of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic! We teach online courses that celebrate traditional tales and everyday magic. Our goal is to re-enchant daily life, one story at a time.


Myths, legends, and especially fairy tales are our passion. We both earned our PhDs from The Ohio State University in 2018 and we love sharing our knowledge and exploring their still-present magic with our students. In October 2019, our school won the Dorothy Howard Award from the American Folklore Society’s Education Section, recognizing our excellence and our commitment to sharing folklore with a global audience!


After teaching courses on folklore, fairy tales, British literature, speculative fiction, and more at OSU, we decided to expand our classroom. We set out to find the people whose hearts beat in time to old tales – people who believe in the power of story. Now, students from five continents gather in our virtual classroom to share stories and fellowship, to be seen and to learn.

More About Us!

Join Our Magical Community!

Step through the wardrobe, taste the pomegranate seeds, jump in the fairy ring?

WANT TO GET TO KNOW US? START HERE!

What Our Amazing Students Say

  • The magic of folklore and fairy tales is as vital to our everyday lives as the food we take for sustenance. Brittany Warman and Sara Cleto feed our souls abundantly with their significant scholarship and personal passion for the tales we all think we know. With a forthright love of their subject, these two teachers illuminate the dark corners of stories with the luminescence of knowledge and inspiration. For anyone who seeks enchantment through learning, the Carterhaugh School provides a perfect compass."

    Deborah Sage Kentucky, USA
  • “I’ve but one disappointment in this course: that this amazing journey through the world of fairy isn’t never-ending! I confess I’ve grown addicted to the arrival of your well-crafted magics twice each week, not to mention the stimulating discourse it triggers in the private group. When I signed up I expected interesting content, but the conversations and friendships formed through the private group page were an unexpected delight – one I’m deeply grateful for."

    Laura Saba New York, USA

From The Blog

  • Gigglegate

    June 25, 2024

    First, thank you for all the lovely, hilarious messages you sent in response to last week’s post on tech fails and perfectionism. There were so many, and you told us…

  • Abandoning Perfectionism

    June 18, 2024

    Did you know that we’re (recovering? ish?) perfectionists? Honestly, we’re not sure anyone could get through (or even WANT to get through) graduate school if they don’t have at least…

  • The June 2024 Carterhaugh Events Roundup

    June 11, 2024

    Here’s a list of all the events and publications that we can link you to in the coming weeks–including into July! Events June 17 at 6:45 pm ET Smithsonian Associates:…

  • The 2024 Carterhaugh School Summer Reading Challenge Begins TODAY!!

    June 1, 2024

    It’s that time, y’all. Welcome to the 2024 Carterhaugh School Summer Reading Challenge! We absolutely loved running this challenge last summer, so we’ve decided to bring it back. Let us…