Seanchai Library

  • THE DICKENS PROJECT: An Urchin's View

    This year, THE DICKENS PROJECT invites residents to participate in a new way: become an urchin in Dickens' London!

    Charles Dickens, ever a champion of children, wrote stories about those who were poor and unprotected, left in the hands of the manipulative and cruel.  His child characters are often triumphant, finding ways to build lives of purpose and sometimes even happiness in a difficult time. 

    Enjoy this story, created at Urchins in Dickens' London just this week.

    ***

    Kit Becomes an Urchin

    By Aoife Lorefield

    Kit shivered in the fog. Another hungry morning. She’d slept, sort of, in the empty wagon after supping on a badly bruised apple and a bit of bread she’d grabbed before a dog could. Food all around her and she hadn’t a farthing for it, nor anything else.

    Sad thing was, she’d always wanted to see London.

    Her brother George, the one who’d gone to sea, came home once with stories about throngs of people, shops full of fancy goods, and ships with masts taller than trees. She’d dreamt of it all in the long nights and longed for that life.

    Now Mum and Dad were gone. Her and Henry had been left to the parish and after six months of that, she’d thought she’d rather die. She’d run to London and maybe she would die, here. If she couldn’t find food or a place to stay or something, anyway.

    Sounds of laughter made her shrink back against the wagon. It was far too early for market folk and she was certain she didn’t want thieves to find her. She crawled under the wagon and peered through the thick fog.

     

    The laughter came again, closer this time. It sounded like kids. What could they be doing?

    The small figures took shape in the fog. A tiny red-haired girl, her thin arms blue with cold, holding a basket with some green stuff in it. A boy, also a carrot top and almost as thin, in a green cap pulled low over his forehead. A blonde boy in a top hat. That looked ace, that did. Wonder where he got that one. A tiny little girl in a red hat.

    Kit watched as the children strolled, skipped, and danced through the market stalls. This was not the fancy market where the toffs went, not this one. This was where the mums from Camden Town came for a bit of meat and greens, or the scriveners and clerks scrounged for the coins to pay for another used book, or cabbies might stop for a cup of hot soup.

    One of the boys picked up three books and juggled them, making the youngest laugh.

    “Put ‘em back, Jo,” an older girl said sternly. “We can’t sell them so there’s no point, eh?”

    The boy Jo shrugged but did as she said.

    Instead he started juggling apples from the basket right next to her wagon. The youngest gathered around him like they’d seen this before, and it seems they had. Every few passes, he’d toss an apple to one child, who’s catch and bite into it, smiling.

    Kit was so entranced, she didn’t notice the other boy until it was too late. There he was, crouched down in front of her wagon, looking right at her.

    “Coooo, mates,” he called out. “Lookee what I found.”

    He reached in to grab her arm and she shrank back, afraid. The older girl, the one who’d told Jo to put the books back, grabbed Jo’s shoulder and pulled him back.

    “You’re scaring her, Jo,” she said, her voice stern again. “Stop it or I’ll box your ears.”

    She grabbed his ear and twisted it as she spoke and he howled.

    “I wasn’t doin’ anyfing!” he said.

    Jo ran off and the girl crouched down instead.

    “Look here,” she said, “we’re safe, mostly, and you look all alone. Come out now, let me see you.”

    There didn’t seem much choice. She couldn’t stay as she was much longer. Kit slid across the frozen ground, out from under the wagon, and stood up.

    “Are you thieves, then?” she asked the girl, trying to sound casual about the question, like she knew all about thieves and London and everything.

    The girl looked around the market at the children combing through the stalls and smiled.

    “Maybe sometimes,” she said. “We’re the ones the fine ladies and gents call urchins, don’t you know. The kids no one cares about.”

    Kit nodded, her eyes wide. In her life, right now, that’s what she was. A kid no one cared about.

    The girl put a hand on her shoulder, this time kindly.

    “You better come along with us,” she said. “We watch out for each other. We know places to find food and safe places to stay and a few ways to get by.”

    The girl turned and started to walk away. The kids were at the far end of the market now, disappearing into the fog.

    The girl turned back and waved. “Come along!” she said.

    So Kit did. She guessed she was a urchin now. Time to find out how that worked, and whether she could get by too in the big dirty city that was London.

    ***

     What was it like to be a child in Victoria's England? Become an urchin and find out!

    The Urchins in Dickens' London is a game that combines elements of the SL hunt, free form (and optional) role play, and an invitation to create (and share) your story.

    Begin by getting a copy of the Urchins hud, available at the Dickens Project landing point. Inside the package, you'll find instructions on how to get started.

    You can also find more on the special Urchins Webpages on the Seanchai Library Website. THE DICKENS PROJECT, produced by Seanchai Library, is open on LEA Region 7 through December 30th. with plenty of events, stories, things to explore and engage. Information on all features are available at the landing point.

    https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/128/131/22

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  • A Storyteller's Notebook: May 2018

    This Month Featuring: The Poe You Really Should Get to Know, on LEA 18

    American author Edgar Allan Poe is most often thought of as the "Master of the Macabre" for such works as "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Cask of Amontillado," and the poem "The Raven" in a very fertile writing career that lasted two decades before his untimely death at the age of forty.  What many people overlook is that, in the canon of Poe, tales of horror and mystery claim only one part of his complete works.  Of over five dozen poems and sixty-six short stories, less than half of these deserve the moniker "macabre."  The other side of Poe, the one that laughs, is currently being celebrated on Linden Endowment for the Arts Region 18 in an installation created by Daark Gothly, Mazie Halpern, and Cienega Soon.

    In addition to "The Premature Burial" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Edgar Allan Poe wrote satire, fantasy, and essays.  The LEA 18 project celebrates one of the latter, his essay "The Philosophy of Furniture" first published in the May 1840 issue of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was later re-published in the Broadway Journal on May 3, 1845 as "House of Furniture."

    On the surface, the essay is a theoretical analysis of interior design. Beneath the surface lingers the keen wit and satirically raised eyebrow that we most commonly associate with the commentaries of Poe's contemporary, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain).  Follies are exposed, and fads ridiculed.  Poe travels globe eviscerating the "styles" of the Italians, French, Chinese, Scots, Dutch, Spanish, and Russians, while lauding the superiority of the English decorative sensibilities.  The new world is not left unscathed, and Poe expresses his extreme offense at the American "well furnished apartment," and continues on to the "Hottentots" and the "Kickapoos." Poe rounds out the decorative tour by asserting the details and extolling the qualities of what he considers a "perfect room."

    The creators of The Philosophy of Furniture, which is currently open on LEA 18 through the end of this current Artist in Residence cycle (the end of June), have combined a masterful understanding of their subject with a light, whimsical hand that is perfectly tuned to the humor of this essay.  LEA 18 is fully realized fun, exploration, and the opportunity to get to know a great author just a little better.

    All the information you need to thoroughly enjoy the creation is available at the landing point (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA18/171/199/22). Follow along with the text, or listen to audio of the essay being read.  Take the tour to each of the nationalities touched on in the work, all featured in an open, abstracted landscape of words and visual references to the Poe canon.  The tour will lead you, finally, to Poe's Perfect Room and some prizes for successfully traversing the entire scope of the story.

     But there's no need to end your visit there!  Grab a 19th Century Penny Farthing Bicycle and zoom along the interweaving network of pathways, exploring more of Poe's words and thoughts.  You'll discover lush venues for music, dance, and spoken word.  While no events were listed at the landing point, and it does not seem that the creators planned and organized spoken word events themselves, their open invitation to anyone to present readings of Poe's work is clearly posted with the rest of the build's information.  If you are interested, and would like to be listed on the TPOF Event Board, contact Daark Gothly.

    This is really a fine example of a multi-disciplinary creation, and I only wish I had known about it sooner.  If you are reading this, and you love Poe, don't wait. Go now! The Philosophy of Furniture on LEA 18 will disappear into the virtual mists in just a few weeks.

    In Other News

    HuwTrefor Carr is a gifted actor and storyteller.  I first was introduced to his work when he joined Seanchai Library at last year's LoveFest benefiting Innsmouth.  He does not present regularly in-world, to my knowledge, but his skill with a story is unquestionable.  He recently added another offering to his The Black Dog Chronicles YouTube Channel. The new piece, "Scary Stories - The Face in the Mirror" is an inspired rendering of the late Welsh writer, Denys Val Baker's, chilling tale.  A deft hand with character, tone, pacing, and dialect, Carr's work is a study in how it should be done.

    Check out "Scary Stories - The Face in the Mirror" on YouTube and judge for yourself.

    Tea Time at Baker Street, one of Seanchai Library's mainstay Sunday afternoon offerings, will be returning, beginning June 2nd, with A Study in Scarlet, as the Tea Time crew approach their second complete circuit of the Sherlock Holmes canon of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The 1887 adventure introduces Holmes and Watson to each other, firmly establishing them as roomies in the soon to be familiar apartments at 221B Baker Street.

    Written in two parts, the first takes place in the story's 1881 "present," establishing Dr. Watson as the narrator and chronicler of Holmes' further exploits, and introducing the case. Part II: "The Country of the Saints" explores the story behind the crime, leading back over three decades to a group of Utah pioneers, a man and woman in love, and a terrible crime of power.

    A Study in Scarlet will be presented in four one hour installments, beginning June 2nd, at 1:30pm slt in the Fireside Room at Seanchai Library's Main Branch on Holly Kai.  The sessions are presented live in voice.

    ***

    Know of a cool spoken word venue or related project?  Send me a notecard (Caledonia Skytower) with the basics and a landmark, and I will be happy to check them out as a possible feature.

    This Month's Quote:  I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.

    ~ Edgar Allan Poe

     

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  • Bookings open for Le Cirque De Nuit 2018

    Magic sparkles across the skies above Idle Rogue as the beloved production, Le Cirque de Nuit awakens for 2018.

    Basing their work on Erin Morgenstern’s novel, The Night Circus, dance entertainers, Idle Rogue Productions lead enchanted audiences back into a steampunk circus that is traditionally performed over the Easter break, this year on March 30 and 31 and April 1 at 7pm , with an additional matinee performance on March 31 at 3pm.

    The 2018 Production is directed by Blaze DeVivre with the assistance of Sho Kyong.

    Morgenstern’s story, set in the 19th century and traversing Europe and the US, is an intrigue that sees a natural-born magician pitted in ruthless competition against a highly trained illusionist. The arena for their battle is a traveling circus, and each bout adds more dazzling illusion to the wildly popular but always enigmatic Night Circus.

     Using the novel’s setting as a background to their own stories, Idle Rogue’s production features dance acts with steampunk, illusion and circus themes, each built, as is the Idle Rogue tradition, by the dancer performing it. True to the novel, the Circus acts, props and costumes are created in black and white.

     Dance acts are interspersed with viewings of art installations constructed in blazing colour and this year’s prestigious roll call sees installations by ToySoldier ThorNoma FaltaExhibitionista Nirvana, Candace Kuhn & Tozh Taurog, Gloriana Maertens, Crap MarinerVoodoo Shilton, Gamma Infinity and Maar Volous.

     This year’s production includes a special guest appearance by Seanchai Library, who will provide pre-show entertainment with readings from The Night Circus by Cale Skytower, whose story-telling skills are unmatched in Second Life, adding a literary lustre we think our audiences will thoroughly enjoy.

     Bookings:

     Bookings for the 2018 season of Le Cirque De Nuit open on March 22nd at 4:00pm. From that hour onward, you will be able to IM Saturday Melody inworld to add your name to the allocation list, time stamps will ensure bookings are processed fairly. Leave a message indicating your first and second performance preferences and the names of those in your booking. Be sure to check the Autoresponse message that will be generated when you open Saturday’s IM for updated details for any scheduling changes.

     Please note: Idle Rogue’s fan group – Guerilla Burlesque Exclusive – receive first and best preference to all shows on Idle Rogue. This affects bookings as follows:

     March 30 – 7pm performance – Guerilla Burlesque Exclusive only

    March 31 – 3pm performance – 20 seats for exclusive group, 20 seats for general admission

    March 31 – 7pm performance – 20 seats for exclusive group, 20 seats for general admission

    April 1 – 7pm performance – 20 seats for exclusive group, 20 seats for general admission

    The sim will be locked to all but those whose names are on the access list at each show, unless the seat limit of 40 guests total is not filled, at which time the sim will be opened for general audience intake. Please allow for the Linden Lab limitation of 10% of the avatar limit (5-10 avatars)held for premium memberships. While we will do everything within our capacity to ensure you can access the sim on the night you have booked, please note this arrangement is a courtesy only and no obligation is implied.

     All performances will include an after-party event featuring steampunk and electro-swing tunes and an opportunity to meet with the cast and crew. No admission is charged to Le Cirque de Nuit, but you are encouraged to consider tipping the production to affray individual and group expenses. When you are attending any animated show in Second Life, please reduce your impact on the sim’s resources by removing scripted huds and devices, and face and body lighting.

     

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     Reprinted by permission from the Idle Rogue Blog

    http://idlerogue.org/2018/03/22/bookings-open-for-le-cirque-de-nuit-2018/

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  • A Storyteller's Notebook: March 2018

     

    This Month Featuring: A STORY THAT BEGAN A DECADE AGO

    This month's column is very personal.  Like Bilbo Baggins, his heir Frodo, and many other fine characters in literature, journeys are begun that lead to places wholly unexpected, teach singular lessons that might not have encountered otherwise, and leave the traveler looking back in amazement with the life-defining clarity of hindsight.  That's certainly the story of Seanchai Library, celebrating its ten years of live story presentation this month.  Not surprisingly, it is also my journey.

    Sometime in July of 2008 my corporeal self had a nasty bout of food poisoning.  Having slept too much, she was trying to keep awake so her circadian rhythms would stop doing the mambo. She decided to keep her mind focused by creating a new avatar account, and named her after a music track that was popular that summer, recorded by the group Celtic Thunder. Yes, Caledonia Skytower began life as an alt created out of sick boredom, and named after a guy group hit. 

    Having already visited the West of Ireland on an exploration jag that involved dropping names of countries we always wanted to visit into Search, (Boy!  Was THAT dangerous!)  we had been to WOI and had noticed how friendly the people were, and how much fun they were having.  On that hot, miserable day the destiny of Caledonia was to be a social presence in the West of Ireland, and have some fun.  A not-so-noob account opened, a strafing run on a favorite mega-freebie store, and then heading to a remote corner of WOI to unpack.  Well, it seemed remote enough at the time.

     Hardly had the shoes been sorted when the IM box lit up and a Shandon Loring welcomed Caledonia to the West of Ireland and said he was with "the Library." They read stories every night at 7pm, and would Cale like to come sometime?  This sounded interesting enough, and not nearly as threatening as some of virtual experiences had been, so we said we'd check it out.  Shandon turned out to be a green tortoise with a snap brim hat, who'd spotted Cale and her boxes from a hill up behind the supposedly remote stretch of shore where we'd retreated.  So the next night Caledonia went to the West of Ireland Library and CulturalCenter and that, as they say, was that.

    Ten years later is hard to imagine that time when it was all so new, before stories truly became the focus of my life through Seanchai Library.  I had always been involved in storytelling, after a fashion, but in Second Life I first experienced losing myself in a tale as I was telling it.  The logistics of presenting stories and literature in voice require that a good presenter must listen, listen, listen to do justice to the language and the literature. When its good, it is a transportive experience for audience and storyteller.  Imagine that?  Transporting yourself and others who aren't even in the same town you are in, sometimes not on the same continent much less the same room, all with the power of your voice.

    I marvel at the thousands of hours of programming Seanchai has made available over the last decade, the authors I most likely never would have encountered directly otherwise: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Kate DiCamillo, and so many more.  I cannot help but appreciate the deeper relationship I now have with the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Louis Stevenson, and of course J.R.R.Tolkien. Just the tip of the iceberg. It does not even begin to articulate the effects that a near daily immersion in literature have on a life, or the subsequent stories authored as a result of bathing one's being in language.

    At the end of 2012, Seanchai founder Derry McMahon retired from guiding the library. I took over as Lead Staff and have continued to steward Seanchai Library on whatever path it is destined to follow, along with Shandon who has taken on so many different shapes over the years that I cannot even begin to count them.  We've built new relationships, maintained some fine old ones, succeeded, failed, and tripped over our own good intentions as many times as we emerged triumphant. We've never done it alone.  There has always been an enthusiastic cadre of  volunteer staff, various affiliates, and loyal community that made all the time it takes to plan and maintain Seanchai Library worth it.

    Seanchai is celebrating - right now. It began on the 15th and will continue through the 25th.  As I look back and contemplate that journey, I remember the many people who are celebrating as well: the families who have listen to stories through computer speakers, the mother and daughter on different continents who spend time together by logging in and coming to listen, the young differently-abled man who finds comfort and acceptance through our stories, the now-married couple who met and connected as regulars through our sessions, and many more for whom Seanchai Library has been focus point, and a familiar place to gather, regardless of what was going on in other realms of their lives.  And the friends ... so many, and so dear.  Some have stayed for the entire journey, some come and go, and some we will sadly never see again on this side.

    In the end, the Library is not about me, or about any of them, or about books.  Seanchai Library is about a community connected by the singular and ancient act of stories shared aloud, for a remarkable ten years in virtual worlds. 

    Seanchai Library, and I, invite you to join us for some memorable events during the Volume 10 celebration - music, a light-hearted quest and, of course, stories.

    Saturday, March 17th       ~ 11:30 am: Corwyn Allen & Wald Schridde Play Celtic Music, Live! at  Ceiliúradh Glen on Holly Kai  (in homage to Glens na hEirean in the old West of Ireland Estate)
    Followed at 1pm by . . .
        The Storyteller's Path with Caledonia Skytower at  Ceiliúradh Glen broadcast on Fantasy Faire Radio

    Sunday, March 18th 
         ~12:30 pm: Prelude to A Bagpipe Challenge with Caledonia Skytower at  Ceiliúradh Glen 
    Followed from 1-4pm by . . .
        BEYOND LOUD: A Bagpipe Challenge - music with Elrik Merlin, Gabrielle Riel, and Ktahdn Vesivino at  Ceiliúradh Glen broadcast on Radio Riel Main Stream

    Monday, March 19th 
         @7 pm: Sci-Fi By Command with Gyro Muggins - A Science Fiction Encore selected by the Seanchai Library Community at our home Library on Holly Kai.

    Tuesday, March 20th 
         @7 pm: Stories Go Round - A buffet of short stories and poems shared by the Seanchai Staff at our home Library on Holly Kai.

    Wednesday, March 21st
         @6:30 pm: Dracula! - An encore presentation of a classic from our past.  Arrive at the Library on Holly Kai early to teleport to the special setting for the event!

    Thursday, March 22nd 

        @7pm: The Architect of Newgrange - Part 2 with Shandon Loring. Arrive at the Library on Holly Kai early to teleport to the special setting for the event!

    Saturday, March 24th

       @ 2pm: War of the Worlds at Holly Kai Park's Art Hill.

    Sunday, March 25th 


        @1pm: The Storyteller's Sandbox hosted by Dubhna Rhiadra with Seanchai Library Friends from around the Spoken Word Community at Ceiliúradh Glen on Holly Kai.

    This same information and even more, plus the teleport links to the various venues can be found at http://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/p/volume.html

    Know of a cool spoken word venue or project?  Send me a notecard (Caledonia Skytower) with the basics and a landmark, and I will be happy to check them out as a possible feature.

    This Month's Quote:  "If you're going to have a story, have a big story, or none at all."  ~ Joseph Campbell

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  • A Storyteller's Notebook: October 2017

    This Month Featuring: GOT GHOST STORY?

    In the last week or more of this month, the grid will be overflowing with opportunities to get your ghost story thrills from among the most talented storytellers in Second Life.  We'll cover some of those events farther down in this month's column so, rest assured, if you are having problems with your socks and need them scared off, we have you covered.

    There are also an abundance of narrative builds at this time of year.  What is that?  A "narrative" build is a commonly used term for regions or other created environments which are based on a story formed by their creator. "Back story" would be another commonly used term for using a story narrative to direct your building choices and visual design decisions.  Sometimes these narratives are clearly evident, and sometimes they are more covert. I have observed that there is a coherence and sense to narrative builds that don't always exist in less structured creations.

    There are artists, such as Cica Ghost, who always use strong narrative in their work. The Linden Endowment for the Arts regions are seeing installations with more and more evident stories attached.  Other artists such as Eleseren Brianna and Ceakay Ballyhoo have continued this approach by incorporating spoken word elements in their work and collaborating with writers.  MadPea, that purveyor of in-world gaming experiences, has been putting out the word lately for voice artists to audition for them, leading one to believe that voiced audio may become more of a part of their work.  

    This year's Octoberville build has a story-in-local-chat feature in it that is quite fun.  It is, in part, in support of their hunt, and in part just a further augmentation of the overall experience. Characters throughout the region will offer snippets of their own personal stories in local chat once you are in proximity to them.  "Much of the text that come from the characters, etc is directly related to the story (the hunt) and pushes it by giving you quests sometimes or just hints about secrets of the sim," shared Master Kaos, one of the co-creators of Octoberville. "In a way its kind of like a choose your own adventure book. It will unfold however you go about doing it. In my head, all of these characters have much longer stories that you only get snippets of in Octoberville," Kaos added.

    "The smell of dead leaves fill the air. You're not sure if it is the howling wind and trees or if you are really hearing voices… voices that beckon you to the campfire. As you approach the warm, crackling campfire, you hear the voices once again... they call to you. It appears to be coming from a statue of a tall man holding a book."

    Octoberville 2017http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Topaz/236/87/37

    This year's Designing Worlds Halloween Special (releasing October 30th) was also shot in Octoberville, so be sure and tune in to see the episode, this year's spooky story, plus interviews with the creators of Octoberville.  You can find Designing Worlds episodes right here on SLArtist.   

    Here are some special events above and beyond regularly scheduled story sessions between now and the day itself.  All times listed are SLT.

    THURSDAY, October 26th at 7pm: TRUE GHOST STORIES ~ Seanchai Library leader Shandon Loring brings his weekly Thursday story session to the great campfire at Octoberville, live on stream.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Topaz/236/87/37

    SATURDAY, October 28th at Noon: TALES OF THE HAUNTING SEASON at Innsmouth ~ Seanchai Library and friends bring Lovecraft and Lovecraftian tales to the Innsmouth Opera House, in the spirit of the season, live in voice. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Innsmouth/87/82/47

    SATURDAY, October 28th at 3:30pm: VICTORIAN GHOST STORIES at the Timeportal ~ Frankenstein, Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde - so many great works of gothic fiction written during the Victorian era.  Seanchai Library and Friends will share some selections in this 90 minute session, live in voice.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Time%20Portal/201/223/1927

    SUNDAY, October 29th from Noon - 2pm: The 2nd Annual GREAT BOO! ~ Seanchai Library presents its annual celebration of ghosts, ghouls, and things that shriek in the night at "Haunted Holly Kai," live in voice.  Following at 2pm, DJ Joy Canadeo will spin tunes for spooky frolics amidst the pumpkins and mists.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holly%20Kai%20Estates/169/111/2015

    SUNDAY, October 29th at 3pm: A NIGHT IN THE CASTLE ~ Spooky Tales by Moon Aerandir presented in voice by Siric Freenote at the Dungeon Fortress at Avilion Nexus.  Teleport from the main landing point available in the half hour before the event. Medieval dress required. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Avilion%20Nexus/128/128/251

    SUNDAY, October 29th at 6pm: Selections from THE GRAVEYARD BOOK ~ In a Magicland tradition, Caledionia Skytower presents selected adventures from Neil Gaiman's 2009 Newbery Medal and Carnegie Medal-winning book.  Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him. Presented live in voice at the Golden Horseshoe in MagiclandPark.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bracket/180/56/31

    TUESDAY, October 31st at NOON - HALLOWE'EN at Graveyard Dungeon ~ The Poet Laureate of Ce Soir Arts RUSSELL EPONYM will present a darkly beautiful programme of readings from the more mysterious and sinister of classic poets like Poe, Burns, Donne, and Herrick as well as more contemporary works. Spooky music and a Thought for the Day that's perfect for Hallowe'en will fill the hour with magic, live in stream! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ce%20Soir/72/188/17

    TUESDAY, October 31st at 1:30 pm - Selections from THE GRAVEYARD BOOK ~ "Rattle his bones, Over the stones, It’s only a pauper, Who Nobody owns"  – Traditional Nursery Rhyme. Caledonia Skytower shares more selections from Neil Gaiman's award-winning adventure, live in voice. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ce%20Soir/72/188/17

    TUESDAY, October 31st at 2:30 pm - I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM ~ ÆonWoodford follows Caledonia with a stunning post-apocalyptic tale by Harlan Ellison. This sci-fi treasure is one of the most frightening, spine-chilling stories ever written, live in voice. Come visit the crypts and be prepared to screech in horror...if you can! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ce%20Soir/72/188/17

    TUESDAY, October 31st at 7 pm - HALLOWEEN AT HOGWARTS ~ What could be more normal than Halloween night at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?  Well, if you are Harry Potter and a fully grown mountain troll is involved, there might be a whole lot more than butter beer in the cards.  Caledonia Skytower, live in voice. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holly%20Kai%20Estates/215/44/27

    TUESDAY, October 31st at 8:30pm: HALLOWEEN LATE NIGHT - Ghost Stories ~ Seanchai Library Chief Storyteller, Shandon Loring, brings masterful tales of haunts and spooks to Haunted Holly Kai, in a special late night session, live in voice. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holly%20Kai%20Estates/169/111/2015

                           ("Haunted Holly Kai" high above Holly Kai Park on the Blake Sea)

    Know of a cool spoken word venue or project?  Send me a notecard (Caledonia Skytower) with the basics and a landmark, and I will be happy to check them out as a possible feature.

    This Month's Quote:  “When the dance was at an end, Ichabod was attracted to a knot of the sager folks, who, with Old Van Tassel, sat smoking at one end of the hall, gossiping over former times, and drawing out long stories.  Quite naturally these tales were succeeded by stories of ghosts and apparitions, the neighborhood being rich in legendary treasures of that kind."

    ― Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

    All Images in this column shot at Octoberville in Second life, except as marked.  All shots by Caledonia Skytower

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