THURSDAY July 31st at 7pm: SMOKE & MIRRORS with Shandon Loring


Fictions, illusions, and imaginative twists on old legends and frightening glimpses into the impossible combine to form tonight's stories and poems from Neil Gaiman. Each skirts the edges of a puncture in reality through which something dark and mysterious peeks. Then it moves on and the apparition is hidden away again, but not forgotten.

DON'T FORGET!  This week at 9:00pm SLT: SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT - more great Sci-Fi with FinnyZ!



WEDNESDAY July 30th at 7pm: DOUGLAS ADAMS' SHORTS

Douglas Adams short stories and other drivel are not so very different from the feel and mind wedginess of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is not really so odd, though one wonders if he ever actually planned what he was talking about at the time or if it magically appeared from an itsy tiny singularity inside the mind of this mad genius.

Tonight we will dip are collective toes into such soupy morsels as:
Young Zaphod Plays It Safe
The Private Life of Genghis Khan
Festive Hangover Cures
Dongly Things
Future Perfect
Riding the Rays
A Pedant's Guide to Significant Events of the Millennium
What Does Caledonia Keep in That Kitchen Cabinet Over the Stove
How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet
International Driving Laws
Unfinished Business of the Century

Don't forget your towels!

TUESDAY, July 29th at 7pm: THROW BACK THE ROCKET MAN (Encore Presentation)

In the far future, a world remarkably similar to our own, but which appears to be in the throes of de-evolution, an investigator is sent to check a religious group known as “The Cult of the Friends”, who have been gathered in the one spot for four years, in expectation of the Rapture. Instead, they received something else entirely: a rocket carrying a man from the past.
Once hailed as a hero, and harbinger of the Rapture, the rocket man not finds himself reviled, the cult wanting him and his ship gone Unfortunately, he has nowhere to go, his ship no longer being capable of flight, and he is stranded on a hostile world he should know, but does not.  What he brings from the stars is humbling, and thought-provoking.
Kayden and Caledonia reprise their presentation of THROW BACK THE ROCKET MAN from Dreams and Snippets, a 2013 collection of short stories by Iain McCracken (perhaps better known in Second Life as Avatar Repertory Theatre co-founder, Sodovan Torok).  The presentation will last slightly longer than the standard hour - 1:20.
Live in Voice.

MONDAY, July 28th at 7PM: FAR FROM HOME

“Golden Dream: A Fuzzy Odyssey”
by Ardath Mahar

You are two feet tall, covered in golden hair except for face, fingers and toes.  It feels like everything in the world wants to eat you.  The old ones say "Help will come from the stars! Someday"  Perhaps it will, but danger comes from everywhere.

Gyro Muggins, Live in voice.
Part 1 of 3

THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library

We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life
... and other virtual worlds
 CELEBRATING GREAT STORIES IN VIRTUAL WORLDS SINCE 2008!


Events at Seanchai Library this week - all stories told in open voice, all times SLT:

Sunday, July 27th at 4 pm -  CVL FUNdraiser Variety Show with Gina Gracemount!
Derry will be DJing the event, starting at 4pm and featuring various fun-filled, amusing offerings from throughout CVL-Land.  Our Caledonia will be presenting "A Wave in Search of A Perfect Surfer" at around 5:10pm, and Gina Gracemount will be live and rockin' at 5:30pm.  The event is across the sim from Seanchai, at the same location the Blues Brothers Concert was held.

Monday, July 28th at 7 pm -  FAR FROM HOME, a new series of Sci-Fi stories with Gyro Muggins.  THIS WEEK: "Golden Dream" begins

Tuesday, July 29th at 7 pm - THROW BACK THE ROCKET MAN  with Kayden Oconnell and Caledonia Skytower (Will be a little longer than usual sessions - 1:20 probably)

Wednesday, July 30th at  7 pm  DOUGLAS ADAMS' SHORTS with Shandon Loring

Thursday, July 31st at:  
  • 7 pm  -  Selections from Neil Gaiman's SMOKE & MIRRORS with Shandon Loring
  • 9 pm  -  SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT
_________________________________

All stories in voice and take place at Seanchai Libray on Imagination Island, unless otherwise noted. Schedule subject to change, because that is just how life is sometimes.  

All sessions at the Seanchai Library are offered free to Second Life (c) Residents.  Guests are welcome to join us in donating to our featured charity Our featured charity for July-August is WildAid (http://wildaid.org)  WildAid's mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes They operate six different programs focusing on elephants, rhinos, sharks, tigers, marine protection, and climate change.

Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

FRIDAY, July 25th at 6PM: "O For a Fiery Gloom and Thee" at Seanchai in Kitely



"O For a Fiery Gloom and Thee" presented at Rivendell Terrace above the Elven Forest at the Seanchai Library http://www.kitely.com/search?q=seanchai
grid.kitely.com:8002:Seanchai

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.


A poet meets a knight by a woodland lake. The knight says he had met a beautiful, wild-looking woman, decked with flowers. She spoke a language he did not understand, she made love with him, and they slept. When he awoke the woman was gone and the knight was alone on the cold hillside. The woman was "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" - "the beautiful woman without mercy". Tonight will be this story in poem form from John B. Keats, and a story inspired by the poem from Brian Stableford. Followed by Keats poem LAMIA.

When we're through you may wonder... who really possesses loves' power - if anyone. 


This world is public and open to all Kitely and Hypergrid residents. Guests are encouraged to wander freely about the property exploring and discovering. So drop by any time!


Ask Shandon Loring for a Group Invite to receive all notices from the Seanchai Library - and to gain access to our additional story-themed worlds in Kitely.

THURSDAY July 24th at 7pm: THE SEA HAG - from the merfolk realm

A tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and the purity of love - set in the world of the merfolk.
From the book 'Silver Birch, Blood Moon' come stories erotic, compelling, witty, and altogether extraordinary. Laying bare our innermost demons and desires - imaginatively transforming our youthful fantasies into things darker, slyer, and more delightfully subversive.

PRESENTED IN LIVE VOICE

THURSDAY, July 24th at 4pm: FREDA IN PROGRESS

"Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations."
~ Oliver Goldsmith, Irish novelist & playwright, 1730-1774

Life is a journey, and we are each of us an ever-evolving creation: a work in progress.  Join us in the Fireside Room as author Freda Frostbite (aka Stephanie Mesler) shares her poetry and prose in progress, and those things inspiring her in her literary quest.

Presented live in voice.

WEDNESDAY, July 23rd at 7pm: CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH - Legendary American Women in Folktales

So, we've heard from the men-folk, but what about the ladies?  Ladies abound in American folktales.  As the character Aunt Nancy says in one memorable tale of this wonderful collection:

" Let me tell you that when a woman starts out to be trickish she can beat a man every time, 'cause her mind works a heap faster.  She sees all 'round and over and underneath and on both sides of a thing . . . Meanwhile, a man's just tryin' to stare plumb through it!'

A collection of legends from different areas of the country featuring fifteen of America's little-known heroines, such as Molly Cotton-Tail, Brer Rabbit's clever sister. By the author of The Talking Eggs, Robert D. San Souci.

Caledonia Skytower, live in voice.

TUESDAY, July 22nd at 7pm: MIRACLES ~ A TRIO OF ISLAND TALES

Caledonia (aka author Judith Cullen) reads selections from her newest collection of micro-fiction.

"Belief is crucial to life.  If there is a through-line to most of my work, it is the need for all of us to believe in something beyond ourselves.

"Belief is woven into all three of the stories in this collection. These stories are fictionalizations of Tongan history and family stories shared by my collaborator, Ilaisaane Filikitonga Tome.  She is a native born Tongan: an amazing Polynesian kingdom in the South Pacific known for the friendliness of its people, an exceptionally high literacy rate, and for devoutly faithful Christians. The power of her stories is moving and undeniable.  You may or may not share her belief system, and that does not really matter.  It is hard to hear her stories and not recognize the essential power of them."

Click Here to learn more about MIRACLES ... and Tonga

Click Here to see the book trailer and learn more about King Tupou I

Presented Live in Voice.

MONDAY, July 21st at 7PM: SPACE WARS Continues!

“The Colonel's Tiger”
by Hal Colebatch
with permission from Larry Niven


The ancient ragged remains of a "deformed tiger" shot in British India may provide a clue concerning an insane hoax. The crew of a starship from Earth claim they have been attacked by hostile aliens. Everyone knows no technological society can be hostile.

Gyro Muggins, Live in voice.
Conclusion

THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library

We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life
... and other virtual worlds
 CELEBRATING GREAT STORIES IN VIRTUAL WORLDS SINCE 2008!


Events at Seanchai Library this week - all stories told in open voice, all times SLT:

Monday, July 21st at 7 pm -  SPACE WARS, with Gyro Muggins.  THIS WEEK: "Fortress Ship" & " The Colonel's Tiger" Concludes

Tuesday, July 22nd  at 7 pm - Selections from MIRACLES: A TRIO OF ISLAND TALES  with (and by) Caledonia Skytower

Wednesday, July 23rd at  7 pm  CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH: American Women in Folklore with Caledonia Skytower

Thursday, July 24th at:  
  • 4 pm  -  FREDA IN PROGRESS with Freda Frostbite
  • 7 pm  -  THE SEA HAG with Shandon Loring
_______________________________
Join us for this outreach session:
Sunday, July 20th at 6:00 pm - MAGICLAND STORYTIME -  TALL TALES with Caledonia Skytower at the Golden Horseshoe in Magicland Park
_________________________________

All stories in voice and take place at Seanchai Libray on Imagination Island, unless otherwise noted. Schedule subject to change, because that is just how life is sometimes.  

All sessions at the Seanchai Library are offered free to Second Life (c) Residents.  Guests are welcome to join us in donating to our featured charity Our featured charity for July-August is WildAid (http://wildaid.org)  WildAid's mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes They operate six different programs focusing on elephants, rhinos, sharks, tigers, marine protection, and climate change.

Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.


Project Children says "Thank You!"
Once again, virtual activity with real world impact!  Thank you one and all!

FRIDAY, July 18th at 6pm in Kitely: TALES FROM THE CANTINA -Star Wars Legends

In a far corner of the universe, on the small desert planet of Tatooine, there is a dark, nic-i-tain-filled cantina where you can down your favorite intoxicant while listening to the best jazz riffs in the universe. But beware your fellow denizens of this pangalactic watering hole, for they are cutthroats and cutpurses, assassins and troopers, humans and aliens, gangsters and thieves....
JOIN US IN THE CANTINA ON SPACEWORLD IN KITELY

grid.kitely.com:8002:Inis Eirc




THURSDAY July 17th at 7pm: SHARK LIFE! from author Peter Benchley

Sharks come from a wing of the dark castle where our nightmares live—deep water beyond our sight and understanding—and so they stimulate our fears and fantasies and imaginations. Shark attacks on human beings generate a tremendous amount of media coverage, partly because they occur so rarely, but mostly because people are, and always have been, simultaneously intrigued and terrified by sharks. Tonights story session brings light to the truth about sharks with high adventure and real information from master storyteller Peter Benchley - author of Jaws, The Deep, Beast, and many more.

PRESENTED IN LIVE VOICE
ASIN: B00GO8G2YU

STICK AROUND FOR 9PM'S SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT ~ Finn Zeddmore this week with  "The Contemporary Foxwife" by Yoon Ha Lee plus more great late night Sci-Fi!

WEDNESDAY, July 16th at 7PM: "OLD WOMAN" - Meet the Cailleach!

The Cailleach ... mean-tempered and "past her use-by date"? Wise and worth talking to? Magically powerful? Aoife's been fascinated by this character weaving her way through Celtic tales, and now brings her into SL with tales and poems. Come meet the Cailleach! Who knows what might happen?

Aoife live in voice.


***
Cailleach on Location!

In Ireland she is also associated with craggy, prominent mountains and outcroppings, such as Hag's Head (IrishCeann Caillí, meaning "hag's head") the southernmost tip of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.  The megalithic tombs at Loughcrew in County Meath are situated atop Slieve na Calliagh (Irish:Sliabh na Caillí, meaning "the hag's mountain") and include a kerbstone known as "the hag's chair".  Cairn T on Slieve na Calliagh is a classic passage tomb, in which the rays of the equinox sunrise shine down the passageway and illuminate an inner chamber filled with megalithic stonecarvings.

In Scotland legend has it that the Cailleach was tired from a long day herding deer. Atop Ben Cruachan she fell asleep on her watch and a well she was tending overflowed, running down from the highlands and flooding the valleys below, forming first ariver and then the loch.The overflowing well is a common motif in local Gaelic creation tales - as seen in the goddess Boann's similar creation of the River Boyne in Ireland. Other connections to the region include her above-mentioned strong ties with the fierce whirlpool in the Gulf of Corryvreckan.

TUESDAY, July 8th at 7pm: More STORIES From the OZLAND GALLERY

SPECIAL EDITION: "Christmas in July." Inspired by a monthly featured work of art, the OZLAND PICTURES have been creating original stories inspired by these works in a weekly SL event for the last four years. Come along as Llola Lane and other Ozland denizens share their art-inspired stories.  Maybe YOU want to be involved?  Come and find out!

http://ozlandbard.blogspot.com/

Presented live in voice.

MONDAY, July 14th at 7PM: SPACE WARS Continues!


“The Colonel's Tiger”
by Hal Colebatch
with permission from Larry Niven


The ancient ragged remains of a "deformed tiger" shot in British India may provide a clue concerning an insane hoax. The crew of a starship from Earth claim they have been attacked by hostile aliens. Everyone knows no technological society can be hostile.

Gyro Muggins, Live in voice. Part 3 of 4

SUNDAY @ Noon: ALOHA! THE BLUES BROTHERS at Imagination Island

BREAK OUT YOUR FLOWER LEIS AND GET THOSE FRUITY UMBRELLA DRINKS POURING!

Seanchai Library and Lightning Productions are presenting a special benefit concert for the Community Virtual Library - providing information and resources for Second Life residents.

Sunday, July 13th at Noon on Imagination Island
Jake and Elwood are on a mission: to spread the gospel of blues and raise money for the good works of the CVL.  Special guest Aretha Franklin joins in the fun!

Accompanied by some of the finest blues musicians, Elwood and Jake will keep you laughing and tapping your feet to some great blues songs including "I Cant Turn You Loose," "Flip Flop Fly,"  "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."

The Landmark to the CVL Event Space is available at the library.  Look for Jake & Elwood on the BIG poster and click to get it.

FROM THE LEADS' DESKS ~ Why Kitely? What about Second Life?

Welcome back to our desks!

Seanchai Library on Imagination Island in Second Life.
Let’s begin this second installment by making one thing absolutely clear: we are not abandoning Seanchai operations in Second Life.  We do not plan to.  Second Life (SL) is the largest virtual reality platform in existence, and there’s quite a ways to go before any of the other grids will overtake it. Linden Labs, whatever you might think of them, are the industry leaders.  We have built up, over the past six years, a solid program, a network of connections and relationships, and a track record of success.  Why on earth would we abandon that?  It would be suicidal foolishness. 

In Second Life, we operate successfully on a shoe string.  Because our program creates traffic, we live rent-free at our 850m square parcel on Imagination Island.  We have never paid rent.  Individual storytellers and presenters cover any expense of costumes, sets, props, upload fees, etc.  That is part of our “donation” towards the featured charity, in addition to our time and talent.  If we had to move operations, there are several places on the grid that have already said they would happily host us under the same terms we already exist.  It is a formula that works.

On the other hand, it has its limits.  As we continue to explore creating increasingly immersive story experiences – an opportunity in what we do that several of us are very interested in – we run into immediate limits in Second Life.  Those restrictions are, to be blunt, money and prims.  A build like last year’s Dickens’ Project takes nearly 3800 prims (incomplete, by the way) and the space to manage them, none of which comes cheap in SL.  To date, we have not been able to break into the Linden Endowment for the Arts or other similar organizations where we could showcase a broader experience.  They do not see us as “artists” but as merely “readers.”  We don’t fit into their rubric.

What do we mean by “increasingly immersive”?  Most of what we now produce in SL is fairly presentational:  people sit in rows of seats inside of an environment and we stand (or sit) before them and present the literature.  That is certainly one way of bringing stories to life, and one that we have been very successful with.  But could there be another means of becoming transported into the story without shifting completely over to role play?  Imagine you were wandering through the different environments visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol while listening to the original text, presented live.  Imagine exploring an ancient Irish tower house while listening to Gaelic folk tales.  Imagine poking around 221B Baker Street while listening to a Sherlock Holmes adventure. As long as the environment engages you within voice range of the speaker, you can wander, explore, sit and experience the literature just as you do in a more traditional audience-performer setting.

Another consideration for us is that operations in SL are about as big as they can stand to be.  Scheduling, supervising, hosting, promoting are all necessary parts of what we do which take a ton of volunteer hours behind-the-scenes every week.  We are about as scheduled as we can afford to be without the necessity of a full-time person to run the program, and be compensated for it.  That would push the entire business model on its ear.  We don’t want to do that. 

Enter the Kitely Grid.  Suddenly we can have space and prims for a fraction of what it would cost us in SL.  Add to that the recent entry of Kitely onto the OS Hypergrid, and the opportunity to access new audiences expands.  It is not a simple or clean comparison.  As we are learning now in our “shakedown cruise” phase, promoting and producing in this new grid is very different than in SL.  But using what we already know from the last six years, we are rapidly making progress in this new endeavor, and have created a home world that (as Shandon and I like to say) reflects our “greatest hits” of the past six years.

As an example of the differential, when preparing for our recent presentation to Book-It Repertory Theater, we did the math.  To try and do the “Pride & Prejudice” Project in Second Life would cost us over $1000 just for the land and tier.  It would limit us to three months of the build being live to the public – all construction would have to happen in sections off site or in sandboxes – and we would only have one sim and 15,000 prims.  In Kitely, the project would require a mere $153 to cover the land for six months.  In that case, we are talking about a four-sim megaregion with 100,000 prims, which we would pay roughly $50 a month for when it is public, and drastically less when it is not (i.e. when we are building and testing).  With the Hypergrid extending access, the economics of this are incredibly clear.

The Seanchai Home World in Kitely
 As it happens, we are sorry to announce that the Book-It project will not be happening this year.  An unanticipated transition in leadership, tied with their anniversary celebration, has rendered this opportunity untimely.  Not all good ideas are timely ones.  But the door is not closed on this entirely, and we hope to be able to revisit it with them in the future.  In the mean time, there are other projects in Kitely we are now pursuing, and we hope to tell you more about those very soon.

What we envision for the Seanchai Library in Kitely and in Second Life are two different things.  They are experiences which, we feel, should compliment each other not duplicate.  So unless the bottom falls out of Second Life (always possible, but not immediately likely) do not look for us to be leaving unless we find that our presence there no longer has validity or effectiveness.  We invite you to consider joining us in Kitely to further explore and experiment with what is possible for the immersive presentation of live literature in a virtual setting.  It is still all about the stories – how they inspire and inform our lives.

Literally Yours,
~ Caledonia & Shandon

THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library

We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life
... and other virtual worlds
 CELEBRATING GREAT STORIES IN VIRTUAL WORLDS SINCE 2008!


Events at Seanchai Library this week - all stories told in open voice, all times SLT (Pacific Time):

SPECIAL!  Sunday, July 13th at NOON -  ALOHA!  THE BLUES BROTHERS at Imagination Island!  Grab your lei and bring your umbrella drink . . . Jake and Elwood are on a "mission from God" to spread the gospel of blues, and help the CVL raise funds to keep Imagination Island alive, well, and providing resources and inspiration here in Second Life.

Monday, July 14th at 7 pm -  SPACE WARS, with Gyro Muggins.  THIS WEEK: "The Colonel's Tiger" Continues

Tuesday, July 15th  at 7 pm - More Stories from THE OZLAND GALLERY with Llola Lane

Wednesday, July 16th at  7 pm  "OLD WOMAN" - Cailleach Tales with Aoife Niphredil

Thursday, July 17th at:  
  • 7 pm  -  SHARK MYTHS & LEGENDS with Shandon Loring
  • 9 pm  -  SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT  with Finn Zeddmore
_________________________________

All stories in voice and take place at Seanchai Libray on Imagination Island, unless otherwise noted. Schedule subject to change, because that is just how life is sometimes.  

All sessions at the Seanchai Library are offered free to Second Life (c) Residents.  Guests are welcome to join us in donating to our featured charity Our featured charity for July-August is WildAid (http://wildaid.org)  WildAid's mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes They operate six different programs focusing on elephants, rhinos, sharks, tigers, marine protection, and climate change.

Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

FRIDAY, July 11th at 6pm in Kitely: Outlaws & Legends of the West

“Outlaws & Legend of the West”

True Tales of Gunslingers, Desperados and Lawmen. 
Most of these folks did not live to an old age, and those that did were probably in jail! Their escapades were daring and reckless and many paid the ultimate price in the end. These are tales of an exciting and dangerous era in America's history. Whilst the events that took place are primarily true, your storyteller might take a certain amount of creative license regarding what may, or may not, have been spoken by these characters.

Come by early for some themed Freebie Shopping... and even rustle yourself a free horse!

JOIN US IN THE SALOON ON WESTWORLD IN KITELY

http://www.kitely.com/search?q=seanchai
grid.kitely.com:8002:Seanchai


THURSDAY July 10th at 7pm: LEGENDS OF THE BRETHREN COURT - Pirates!!

"Before the Black Pearl was cursed, there was a young captain named Jack Sparrow...  An army of shadows has been amassed. This Shadow Army has one goal: to find and kill all the Pirate Lords who rule over the Seven Seas. But the soothsayer Tia Dalma has other plans for the Lords and cannot allow them to be destroyed. With few options at her disposal, she calls upon the one man who can turn the tide—Captain Jack Sparrow.

PRESENTED IN LIVE VOICE

ISBN-13: 978-1423110385


And Tonight at 9pm ~ Seanchai Late Night with more great Science Fiction!

THURSDAY, July 10th at 4pm: More NATIVE AMERICAN ~ FIRST NATION TALES

Time to gather round the fireside in the lower level of the Library and sit back with a cuppa to enjoy more stories of creation, tricksters, mischief and discovery. Native American Tales from the United States, and First Nation Tales from Canada.

Dubhna Rhiadra and Caledonia Skytower, live in voice.

WEDNESDAY, July 9th at 7pm: More TALL TALES - American Legends

"Just because it is a Tall Tale, don't mean it ain't true!"

Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, John Henry and more - legends?  Or were they real people whose large lives have gotten even larger with the telling and retelling of their adventures.  Are they mythical figments of our new world imaginations?  Or are they the dreams and hopes of a young nation, come to life?

Caledonia live in voice with more legendary men and women from American folklore.

TUESDAY, July 8th at 7pm: A DOG'S LIFE Concludes

More praise for A DOG'S PURPOSE

“'A Dog’s Purpose' is the most accurate window into a dog’s mind I have ever encountered. I couldn’t put it down, and once I finished it, I actually felt as if my dog, who had recently passed away, was speaking to me through this book. a triumph, impeccably detailed with intelligence and heart. I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for this book.”
—Dina Zaphiris, Host of 'Petfinder' on Animal Planet

“ This book is a classic. a beautiful, uplifting, tenderly told, frequently funny, and exquisitely moving story....I am awash in the tears of recognition every dog lover will shed when they read this remarkable book.”
—Iris Dart, New York Times bestselling author of "Beaches"

Kayden & Caledonia conclude their selections tonight from this remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A DOG'S PURPOSE touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?

Prsented live in voice.

MONDAY, July 7th at 7PM: SPACE WARS Continues!

“The Colonel's Tiger”
by Hal Colebatch
with permission from Larry Niven


The ancient ragged remains of a "deformed tiger" shot in British India may provide a clue concerning an insane hoax. The crew of a starship from Earth claim they have been attacked by hostile aliens. Everyone knows no technological society can be hostile.

Gyro Muggins, Live in voice. Part 2 of 4

FROM THE LEADS' DESKS ~ Who Are We?

Greetings all! 

Caledonia's Desk at Seanchai Library in Second Life
Shandon and I discuss Seanchai Library quite often: almost constantly, in fact.  We bash ideas around, share perspectives on what is currently in progress, in addition to discussing potential featured charities, and other more mundane details.  Because we are a lead staff of two, and because we are the longest-tenured active storytellers on staff, we thought it might be a good idea to share some of our thoughts on what we do at Seanchai, and where we are going.

The two questions that seem to come up most are:
  • So, what makes you different from all the other language arts groups on the grid?
  • Why Kitely?  What about Second Life?
Let’s address the first question in this post, and the other in a future post.  In many ways, this first response informs and drives the other.

What is Seanchai Library?  We are a virtual library that celebrates literature as a living thing, stories as an active adventure for listeners and readers alike. We have been successfully presenting literature, traditional stories, and other spoken word online for over six years.

We were founded on several basic ideas:
  • Avatars do not read books, people do.  Good literature and great stories are essential parts of the human experience.
  • Live, oral presentation in a virtual environment provide an experience that is intimate, immediate, and very personal.
  • People who connect with a particular story will, and should, seek it out in all of its forms – reading, out loud, on stage, in films, etc.
We often get queries and suggestions that we “get together with” other groups on both the Second Life and Kitely Grid that seem to be doing the same thing that we are.  We almost always look into these recommendations, as one of our strategies over the last six years has been that the best way to build and serve a community is to develop a network of sympathetic, mutually beneficial relationships.  We have even considered more permanent partnerships with some.  The process is always enlightening, and leads to a clearer self-definition.

The metaverse is filled with stories: role play, author tools, in some cases the very nature of virtual creativity is based in the sharing of a narrative.  There are many groups doing many good things across many grids. We honor and respect that work. But we do not all do exactly the same things.  At Seanchai Library, we present a broad base of literary styles and genres, we do not analyze and discuss, some of us are writers but we are not about the writing process, we encourage and enable (when possible) people to connect with the titles and authors we share.

Encourage.  Inspire.  Those are our goals.  From there, our guests, friends, and family can make choices: read, write, discuss, explore, and create.  Certainly the opportunities to do so abound in Second Life and the OS Hypergrid.  Meanwhile, we remain steadfastly doing what we do best: bringing stories of all kinds to life in virtual worlds.  

Literally Yours,
~ Caledonia
Caledonia's new office on the top floor of Fallingwater in the Seanchai Homeworld in Kitely
Next, from The Leads' Desk . . . Why Kitely?  What About Second Life?
Until that post, you might enjoy this video which was part of our recent presentation to Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theater.  This vision is part of the story of  "Why?"




SUNDAY, July 6th at NOON - at Seanchai Library in Kitely


Join the Council of Elrond! 
Come as your favorite character from the LOTR Trilogy. Caledonia shares favorite adventures from J.R.R.Tolkien's epic saga. Teleport from the main landing zone to Willow Island, walk through the White Gate and up the Elven Path. Who knows what fate awaits you there! 

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.” 

http://www.kitely.com/search?q=seanchai
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THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library

We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life
... and other virtual worlds
 CELEBRATING GREAT STORIES IN VIRTUAL WORLDS SINCE 2008!


Events at Seanchai Library this week - all stories told in open voice, all times SLT (Pacific Time):

Sunday, July 6th at Noon in Seanhcai Kitely- Selections from THE LORD OF THE RINGS with Caledonia Skytower at the Rivendell Terrace on Willow Island.

Monday, July 7th at 7 pm -  SPACE WARS, with Gyro Muggins.  THIS WEEK: "The Colonel's Tiger" Continues

Tuesday, July 8th  at 7 pm - The Conclusion of A DOG'S PURPOSE with Kayden Oconnell and Caledonia Skytower

Wednesday, July 9th at  7 pm  More TALL TALES: American Legends with Caledonia Skytower

Thursday, July 10th at:  
  • 4 pm  -  FIRST NATION TALES with Dubhna Rhiadra & Caledonia Skytower
  • 7 pm  -  LEGENDS OF THE BRETHREN COURT Concludes with Shandon Loring
  • 9 pm  -  SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT  with Finn Zeddmore
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All stories in voice and take place at Seanchai Libray on Imagination Island, unless otherwise noted. Schedule subject to change, because that is just how life is sometimes.  

All sessions at the Seanchai Library are offered free to Second Life (c) Residents.  Guests are welcome to join us in donating to our featured charity Our featured charity for July-August is WildAid (http://wildaid.org)  WildAid's mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes They operate six different programs focusing on elephants, rhinos, sharks, tigers, marine protection, and climate change.

Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.