SUNDAY 31 Jan @ 1pm: Beowulf! with Shandon Loring


This performance will be at Fruit Islands! ONCE upon a time, in the far north of what is now called Europe, there was a kingdom known as Geatsland. It was a harsh country, with high mountains and narrow valleys, and a long seacoast with many harbors and inlets, and the men who lived there were famous for their bravery, on both sea and land. They were tall like the trees of their forests, and each man had the strength of ten. There were foes, too, to be dealt with. The great caves along the coast were inhabited by all manner of evil monsters that lived partly in the sea and partly upon the land, huge serpents with scales of brass.

In the Old English epic poem Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, battles three antagonists: Grendel, Grendel's mother, and later, after Beowulf has become king, a final battle with an unnamed dragon.

Join us for a very special and exciting presentation of Beowulf presented in Live Voice by Shandon Loring. If you have not experienced Beowulf before, it is time you did. If you have, it was not like this. You don't dare miss this one!
Grendel’s coming, Grendel comes… And you can’t run!

SUNDAY: 31 Jan @ 3pm: A Tribute to Robert Burns!


Robert Burns(also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard)was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a "light" Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these pieces, his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt.

Join Corwyn Allen and Caledonia Skytower as they tackle his prose and poetry (some in the Scots dialect), and Marian Dragovar and Derry McMahon as they execute a few highland dances. Please note, all readings in voice, and you will not be forced to eat haggis!

WEDNESDAY 27 Jan @ 7pm: Around the World in 80 Days!


Tonight, Onyx Plutonian brings us: Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days"!

Jules Verne’s career as a novelist began in 1863, when he struck a new vein in fiction—stories that combined popular science and exploration. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days—and he is determined not to lose. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, the reserved Englishman immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his hot- blooded French manservant, Passepartout. Traveling by train, steamship, sailboat, sledge, and even elephant, they must overcome storms, kidnappings, natural disasters, Sioux attacks, and the dogged Inspector Fix of Scotland Yard to win the extraordinary wager. Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, Around the World in Eighty Days gripped audiences upon its publication and remains hugely popular to this day. Part 1 tonight, read in voice.

This book is available thru Project Gutenberg at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/103/103-h/103-h.htm

Tues, Jan 26, 7 pm SLT • Brigid, Saint & Goddess


Brigid is one of Ireland's most beloved saints, with links to the pagan past going back to the earliest written records. Since next week is Imbolc, one of the four great fire festivals of ancient Ireland, and Brigid's sacred day, tonight I'll share stories, legends, and traditions that span her long history.

Goddess of poetry, smithcraft and healing; protectress of children, animals, and women in childbirth; friend of Mary, Mother of God and foster mother of Christ; abbess of Kildare; keeper of the sacred flame ... come hear about Brigid, the Bright One.

Presenting live in voice, chat in voice or text ... all welcome!

MONDAY, January 25th at 7:00pm: Part II of "The Cricket in Times Square"

Chester the Cricket's adventure continues as he learns more and more about "The Big Apple" and a world much, much more diverse than his rural Connecticut home was.

He lives in a new ornate cricket cage, eats Chinese food, has a dinner party with friends Tucker and Harry. It is the big city life, but will country bread Chester ever really be able to embrace the fast life? Or will he, as Sai Fong has foreseen, full fill some sort of great destiny?

Good Luck is coming your way. Be Ready!

George Selden's Newbery honor-winning novel will be read live in voice.

This Week at the WOI Library January 25 - 31

Recovered from the Holidays? Finally feel like your New Year has direction? Time for a good story then, and there are plenty of them this week . . .

All Stories read live in voice. All times are SLT.

Monday, January 25 at 7:00pm: Part II of "The Cricket in Times Square" with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, January 26 at 7:00pm: Saint Brigid with Aoife Lorefield

Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00pm: Part I: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne with Onyx Plutonian

Thursday, January at 28 7:00pm: Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost with WOI Seanchai, Shandon Loring

Sunday, January 31 at 3:00pm: A Tribute to Robert Burns with the WOI Storytellers and Guest Corwyn Allen

And here are some other WOI Storytelling events taking place across the Grid to benefit Project Children:

Wednesday, January 27 at 6:00pm: Tales of Boats and Ships with Marion Dragovar at Second Life New England

Sunday, January 31 at 1:00pm: Beowulf with Shandon Loring at The Fruit Islands

Sunday, January 31 at 6:00pm: Mardi Gras Stories with Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park


Stories all read Live in VOICE. IM the Storytellers for Landmarks to readings not taking place at the WOI Library, OR at the Library click on the Celtic Cross Window Ornament or the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks.

WEDNESDAY: 20 Jan @ 7pm: Marian Dragovar and the "Little People"

Fairies and Pixies and Brownies - Oh My! Discover a world of curiosities; fairy queens, mischievous brownies, pixies, sylvan elves and magic. Miss Marian Dragovar tells an assortment of tales about the wee folk, sure to be a feast for your imagination.

Stories live in voice and to benefit Project Children.

Tues, Jan 19, 7 pm SLT • OPEN MIC • Satire!


Irish satire reaches right back to the earliest bards, whose role it was to rip the face off leaders not doing their jobs ... sound familiar? Irish satire can be savage, gentle, and everything in between, and includes literary giants like Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde as well as modern writers like Brian O'Nolan (aka Flann O'Brien and Myles na gCopaleen), and shows up in prose, poetry, plays and journalism.

Tonight we'll celebrate this Irish tradition with an open mic ... so bring your own satiric efforts, or your personal favorites, to read yourself in voice or pass along to me in a notecard. Savage wit welcome, but do keep in mind our PG standards ... let's see if we can cut close to the bone without spilling too much blood!

As always, live reading in voice, chat in voice or text ... all welcome

MONDAY, January 18th at 7:00pm: Part I: "The Cricket In Times Square"

Join Caledonia for this gem of a Newbery Honor Book written by the late George Selden.

After Chester, a cricket, arrives in Times Square subway station via a picnic basket from his native Connecticut, he takes up residence in Belini's newsstand. There, the tiny creature is lucky enough to make three good friends: a little boy named Mario, a fast-talking Broadway mouse named Tucker, and his pal harry the Cat. Throughout their escapades and their ups and downs in the bustle of New York City, together they somehow manage to bring success to the almost bankrupt newsstand.

For More about this book:
www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440415633&view=tg

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cricket_in_Times_Square

Or find the book at:
www.amazon.com/Cricket-Times-Square-George-Selden/dp/0440415632

Read live in voice.

This Week at the WOI Library: January 18 - 24

Crickets, and Pixies, and Satire, Oh My! And Treasure to Boot . . .

All Stories read live in voice. All times are SLT.

Monday, January 18 at 7:00pm: Part I of "The Cricket in Times Square" with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00pm: Open Mic: "Satire" with Aoife Lorefield

Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00pm: Stories of the Little People with Marian Dragovar

Thursday, January at 21 7:00pm: Captain Kidd's Treasure Tales with WOI Seanchai, Shandon Loring

And here are some other WOI Storytelling events taking place across the Grid to benefit Project Children:

Tuesday, January 19 at 5:00pm: the WOI Storytellers at Bayou Noir with more stories to share!


Stories all read Live in VOICE. IM the Storytellers for Landmarks to readings not taking place at the WOI Library, OR at the Library click on the Celtic Cross Window Ornament or the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks.

SUNDAY, January 17 @ 6pm: Caledonia in Magicland with Pooh Bear!

Caledonia will be in Magicland with assorted adventures of that loveable "Bear of very little brain" - Winnie-the-Pooh. Also present will, no doubt, be his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood: Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore, Tigger and of course, Christopher Robin.

Selected adventures will be presented from Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, and from David Benedictus' Return to the Hundred Acre Wood which was approved by the A.A. Milne Estate. there will also be a "Hunny Pot Treasure Hunt" in Magicland for the weekend only. If this turns out to be fun, there could be more "Pooh Bear Weekends" in the future at Magicland.

Read live in voice with donations benefiting Project Children

SUNDAY 17 Jan @ 3pm: Beatrix Potter and Friends

Join Caledonia Skytower and Marian Dragovar, along with Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and many of your old friends for letters from Miss Potter, stories about her (she was a very talented woman), and some of the beloved tales from childhood. Embrace your inner bunny, come as a furry to the Art Sculpture Garden in Fruit Islands for a fun hour.

From an article about Miss Potter: Beatrix Potter may be best known as the creator of charming characters like Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle and Hunca Munca, but, as is true in most lives, she was in reality many other things, as well. A product of Victorian times, she far surpassed societal expectations of women of her era and class. She was an accomplished botanical illustrator, a sheep breeder and farmer, a wife, and a conservationist greatly devoted to her home, the Lake District of England. (Read the rest here: http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/beatrix_potter.aspx )

For more great info:


and


SUNDAY 17 Jan @ 1pm: Dubhna Rhiadra the Welsh Storyteller!

Our friend Dubhna Rhiadra joins us from 'across the pond' with tales of the ancient Celtic Saints.
Will it be St. David and the Dove? St. George slaying the dragon? These are not pious preachy stories but intriguing tales of men and women who played a very important role in the history of the peoples of the British Isles.

Stories in voice to benefit Project Children.

WEDNESDAY 13 Jan @ 7pm: Crap Mariner and 100 Word Stories!


Our buddy Crap Mariner returns with his 100 Word Stories. Always irreverent, usually funny, often thought provoking, and definately unlike any of our other presenters.
Read more from Crap on his blog: http://firstlife.isfullofcrap.com/ or from the 100 Word Stories site itself: http://podcasting.isfullofcrap.com/

Tues, Jan 12, 7 pm SLT • Writers on Writing


Soon or late, readers wonder about writers ... who are these magical people creating these amazing worlds and how on earth do they do it? Then, perhaps, comes the thought ... how could I learn to do it too?

Tonight I'll share readings from writers about writing ... the whys, the hows, the joys and challenges. With so many to choose from, I'm going for personal favorites including Anne Lemott, Natalie Goldberg, Ursula K. LeGuin, Stephen King ... hmmmm ... and a few surprises, she says, as she continues pulling books down from her shelves ...

Reading in voice, chat in voice or text, all welcome!

MONDAY January 11 at 7pm: The Conclusion of "The Magician's Elephant"

In the conclusion, come find out how Peter Augustus Duchene's faith in the fortuneteller's prediction is rewarded (or not!) and whether he and his sister Adele are united. THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT is a story of how the power of belief can transform not just one life, but the lives of many. A perfect story for the New Year!

If you missed Part II last week, Caledonia will be reading it again at 6pm Sunday night at Magicland Park. Come see what you missed, then come to the WOI Library Monday night to see how it all comes together.

What if?
Why not?
Could it be?

Read live in voice.


You can also learn more about the book, it's author, and participate in the national book discussions at www.themagicianselephant.com

SUNDAY 10 Jan @ 3pm: Fairy Tale Remix at Fruit Islands


Join Marian Dragovar and Derry McMahon for updated, remixed and possibly fractured fairy tales!! Always fun!! We'll be at the Grotto in Fig on Fruit Islands. Stories in voice, to benefit Project Children.

WOI Library Events January 10 - 17

From Writers on Writing to Pooh Bear! Another great week of stories . . .

All Stories read live in voice. All times are SLT.

Sunday, January 10 at 1:00pm: Opening of the New Exhibit: Irish Traditional Musical Instruments with presentations featuring Elder Priestman and Rosslyn Guardian.

Monday, January 11 at 7:00pm: Part III (the conclusion) of "The Magician's Elephant" with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00pm: Writers on Writing with Aoife Lorefield

Wednesday, January 13 at 7:00pm: More 100 Word Stories with Special Guest Crap Mariner

Thursday, January at 14 7:00pm: Tales Beside the Fire: Fine Irish Folkales with WOI Seanchai, Shandon Loring

Sunday, January 17 at 1:00pm: Welsh Folktales with Special Guest Dubhna Rhiadra.

And here are some other WOI Storytelling events taking place across the Grid to benefit Project Children:

Sunday, January 10 at 3:00pm: Fairy/Folktale Remix with the WOI Storytellers at the Fruit Islands

Sunday, January 10 at 6:00pm: Selected Chapters from "The Magician's Elephant" with Caledonia Skytower in Magicland Park.

Sunday, January 17 at 3:00pm: Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter with the WOI Storytellers at the Fruit Islands

Sunday, January 17 at 6:00pm: Adventures with Pooh Bear! with Caledonia Skytower in Magicland Park.

Stories all read Live in VOICE. IM the Storytellers for Landmarks to readings not taking place at the WOI Library, OR at the Library click on the Celtic Cross Window Ornament or the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks.

SUNDAY 10 Jan @ 1pm: New Exhibit Opening and Musical Entertainment!


Traditional Tunes: The Musical Instruments of Ireland, our new exhibit, will be opened today with our friend Rosslyn Guardian bringing a new story, and playing her harp for us in both worlds! Learn more about Irish traditional instruments, a bit of the history of Irish music, and how the old tunes are being kept alive today.

WEDNESDAY 6 Jan @ 7pm: Sherlock Holmes' The Adventure of the Three Students


Join our newest storyteller, Onyx Plutonian, as he embarks on this new hobby with a not-oft told tale from the book 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes'.
"The Adventure of the Three Students" is about a professor at a top university who seeks Holmes' help with a possible case of cheating in a valuable scholarship exam. Always mysterious, always engaging, always fun to guess the ending with a Holmes mystery.

Tues, Jan 5, 7 pm SLT • Andrea Barrett


With the advent of a new year, I'm introducing a new author ... new to my readings, and another of my favorites, whose writing combines the precision of science with the longings that visit every human heart.

Andrea Barrett (born November 16, 1954) is an American writer. Her Ship Fever collection of novella and short stories won the National Book Award 1996. Barrett received a MacArthur Fellowship 2001, and her book Servants of the Map was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She writes historical fiction, often set in scientific fields, and features women characters. Tonight, I'll read her short story, Rare Birds, with another story in the wings if time permits ... Reading in voice, chat in voice or text ... All are welcome!

MONDAY January 4 at 7pm: Part II of The Magician's Elephant

Caledonia continues reading from Kate DiCamillo's newest novel.

She lives! Peter Augustus Duchene knows his little sister Adele must truly live, because the fortuneteller's assertion that an elephant would enter the previously elephant-less society of Baltese has come true. The elephant shall lead him to her!

Come hear how Peter's faith and belief in the extraordinary leads to his own transformation, and changes the lives of the diverse group of people who are drawn together by the elephant - an elephant that was conjured up by a magician and came crashing through the roof of Baltese's opera house.

Read live in voice.

Find out more about Ms. DiCamillo and her work (including a delightful essay on how she started out as an author) at http://www.katedicamillo.com/

Or join the nationwide Book Group Discussion at http://www.theMagiciansElephant.com

WOI LIBRARY EVENTS for the Week of January 4 - 10

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And here we are ready to start this new year & decade right with more stories and great reads to share and recommend . . .

All Stories read live in voice. All times are SLT.

Monday, January 4 at 7:00pm: Part II of "The Magician's Elephant" with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, January 5 at 7:00pm: Andrea Barret's Short Story "Rare Bird" with Aoife Lorefield

Wednesday, January 6 at 7:00pm: Sherlock Holmes: "The Adventure of the Three Students" with Special Guest Onyx Plutonian

Thursday, January 7 at 7:00pm: IRELAND - An Epic Novel of History & Storytelling with WOI Seanchai, Shandon Loring

Sunday, January 10 at 1:00pm: Opening of the New Exhibit: Irish Traditional Musical Instruments with presentations featuring Elder Priestman and Rosslyn Guardian.

And here are some other WOI Storytelling events taking place across the Grid to benefit Project Children:

Sunday, January 10 at 3:00pm: Fairy/Folktale Remix with the WOI Storytellers at the Fruit Islands

Sunday, January 10 at 6:00pm: Selected Chapters from "The Magician's Elephant" with Caledonia Skytower in Magicland Park.

Stories all read Live in VOICE. IM the Storytellers for Landmarks to readings not taking place at the WOI Library, OR at the Library click on the Celtic Cross Window Ornament or the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks.

NEW! Blog Link Inside the WOI Library

Brand spanking new for the New Year is this delightful little "doo-hickee" in the library located right by the door above the Alexandrian Library Subscriber Kiosk. It is a sign which provides a link to this very Blog from right inside the library! Click on the sign, and you will get a blue dialogue box on your screen asking if you'd like to be connected. Clicking in the affirmative will open your computer's browser and it will bring you RIGHT HERE!

You can check schedules this way, immediately participate in our blog polls, and also look for links that are sometimes included in blog postings to more references or resources for a particular author or subject. We think this is a potentially cool addition to the library's operations. Give it a click and let us know if you agree!

More About Copyright - International Implications


At a recent workshop held by the Librarians of Second Life at Info Island on the issue of copyright by Dru Zuretti of the Copyright Clearance Center (www.copyright.com) of Danvers, MA. Ms. Zuretti covered a wide scope of the basics of Title 17 statutes and how they may apply to Second Life content and usage.

International copyright issues were touched upon in this presentation and it was pointed out that, in general, copyright infringements are governed by the laws of the country in which the allegedly infringing activity occurs. This was reinforced by some internet sleuthing which revealed statements which suggested that the litigation is pursued internationally, for the most part, only when substantial market damage is being perpetrated on the right holder – i.e. someone is making a lot of money passing off someone else’s work as their own.

The Berne Convention (from Wikipedia) “The Berne Convention was developed at the instigation of Victor Hugo (in 1886) of the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale. Thus it was influenced by the French "right of the author" (droit d'auteur), which contrasts with the Anglo-Saxon concept of "copyright" which only dealt with economic concerns. Under the Convention, copyrights for creative works are automatically in force upon their creation without being asserted or declared. An author need not "register" or "apply for" a copyright in countries adhering to the Convention. As soon as a work is "fixed", that is, written or recorded on some physical medium, its author is automatically entitled to all copyrights in the work and to any derivative works, unless and until the author explicitly disclaims them or until the copyright expires. Foreign authors are given the same rights and privileges to copyrighted material as domestic authors in any country that signed the Convention . . .

“. . . The World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty was adopted in 1996 to address the issues raised by information technology and the Internet, which were not addressed by the Berne Convention.”

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See the entire entry of the above Wikipedia article complete with its embedded links at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention_for_the_Protection_of_Literary_and_Artistic_Works

WIPO and the Berne Convention . . . the 1996 WIPO World Copyright Treaty:

http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/wct/

http://www.copyright.gov/wipo/treaty1.html