Category: Events

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff of the Seanchai Library SL.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Sunday 21st July, 13:30 – Tea Time At Baker Street

The last tea time visit to 221B Baker Street did not end happily, with Holmes apparently plunging to his death alongside his nemesis, James Moriarty, at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.

Now we move forward three years (in story time) as Caledonia Skytower and Corwyn Allen bring us The Adventure of the Empty House, first published in 1903, ten years after Holmes’ last adventure reached print, and subsequently the first (of 13) stories to appear in the 1905 volume The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

Widower Doctor John Watson attends the murder of a young gambler, the Honorable Ronald Adair. Apparently shot at close range with a revolver, Adair’s room was locked from the inside with the only other exit being a 20-foot drop out of an open window to the street below; not an easy escape route for a murderer. While visiting the crime scene, Watson encounters an old book collector, and is perplexed when the book collector follows him back to his Kensington Practice – until the old man removes his disguise and proves himself to be: Sherlock Holmes!

Thus, Watson is reunited with Holmes and learns some of what has transpired in the three years since the events in Switzerland. He also learns that Holmes is still in danger and has baited a trap in which  he hopes to catch one of Moriarty’s henchmen, who, as it transpires, is also responsible for the murder of Ronald Adair.

Monday 22nd July, 19:00 – Let’s Explore David Sedaris (with Avatars!)

American humourist, comedian, author, playwright and radio contributor David Sedaris is well-known on both sides of the Atlantic (he currently resides in England and has enjoyed a number of BBC radio series in the UK), and has sold over seven million copies worldwide.

Sedaris’ humour is predominantly autobiographical and self-deprecating, and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, and his Greek heritage, as well as touching on his life in France and England, and topics such as drug abuse and obsessive behaviour.  His most recent title is Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, published in April 2013, which went directly to the number one spot in the New York Times bestseller list.

Here Crap Mariner brings his own inimitable style, wit and delivery to Sedaris’ work, in what is bound to be an entertaining evening which, time zones allowing, is not one to be missed.

Tuesday 23rd July, 19:00: Ruffles On My Longjohns (3)

In 1913, American-born Ralph Edwards established a homestead in Bella Coola Valley, British Columbia, and went on to become famous as a conservationist and the “Crusoe of Lonesome Lake”.

In the early 1930s, following his return to Bella Coola, he was joined by his brother Earle, and sister-in-law Isabel, who came straight from the city of Portland, Oregon on what was supposed to be a vacation visit. However, both of them fell in love with the wilds of British Columbia and decided to move there themselves, settling into a farm near Bella Coola.

Ruffles in my Longjohns is Isabel’s autobiographical account of her pioneering life with her husband, far from all the trappings of “civilisation” in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a firsthand account of homesteading, told with wit, whimsy and panache, the tale of “city girl” living on the frontier in a world of hard-bitten men, and how she coped, told in a loving, personal style.

Join Faerie Maven-Pralou as she embarks on the third part of a reading from this inspiring book.

Wednesday 24th July, 19:00: Vacationland

With Kayden Oconnell and Caledonia Skytower.

Thursday 25th July, 19:00: The Beastly Bride: Tales of the Animal People

Another fascinating pick by Shadon Loring brings us this collection of original stories and poems selected by editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, published in 2010 as a part of their “mythic fiction” series for young adult readers.

What do werewolves, vampires, and the Little Mermaid have in common? They are all shapechangers. The Beastly Bride: Tales of the Animal People, brings together works on all of them and more, from authors both established and new.

The volume includes an introduction to the subject of shapechangers and the genre by Terri Windling, and the stories are gathered from all corners of the world – from Finland to India and the Pacific Northwest to the Hamptons of the United States.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and additions to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for July and August is Little Kids Rock. Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff of the Seanchai Library SL.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Monday 15th July, 19:00 – The City and the Stars concludes (2)

In 1948 Arthur C. Clarke saw his first novel, Against the Fall of Night published in the magazine Startling Stories. Later, in 1953, it appeared as a novella in its own right, prior to becoming the basis of a much expanded work, The City and the Stars, published in 1956. Both focus on the same setting and principal character: the City of Diaspar and a young man called Alvin, but they tell individually unique tales – so much so that both remain in circulation,enjoying equal popularity.

One billion years in the future, Diaspar stands amidst the desert of Earth as the last, self-perpetuating city of humankind. Here, the Central Computer watches over people who live multiple lives over thousands of years before they return to storage, only to be “reborn” at a time selected by the Central Computer. Diaspar is utopian: poverty and need have long been eradicated and there is little strife. Life within the city is focused on creativity and art and in the deeper exploration of already well-understood fields. Enclosed, cyclical and ultimately static, Diaspar is both the culmination and twilight of human endeavour.

Join Gyro Muggins as he brings us the final part of a  story which has been hailed as one of Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s best works.

Tuesday 16th July, 19:00: Ruffles On My Longjohns (2)

In 1913, American-born Ralph Edwards established a homestead in Bella Coola Valley, British Columbia, and went on tom become famous as a conservationist and the “Crusoe of Lonesome Lake”.

In the early 1930s, following his return to Bella Coola, he was joined by his brother Earle, and sister-in-law Isabel, who came straight from the city of Portland, Oregon on what was supposed to be a vacation visit. However, both of them fell in love with the wilds of British Columbia and decided to move there themselves, settling into a farm near Bella Coola.

Ruffles in my Longjohns is Isabel’s autobiographical account of her pioneering life with her husband, far from all the trappings of “civilisation” in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a firsthand account of homesteading, told with wit, whimsy and panache, the tale of “city girl” living on the frontier in a world of hard-bitten men, and how she coped, told in a loving, personal style.

Join Faerie Maven-Pralou as she embarks on the second part of a reading from this inspiring book.

Wednesday 17th July, 19:00: Ain’t It Great to be Minnesotan?

With Kayden Oconnell

Thursday 18th July, 19:00: Pirates Aboard! Forty Cases of Piracy

Forget the romantic / Hollywood notion of pirates and buccaneers daring the high seas in wooden hulls and under the canvas of sail; this is an unflinching look at piracy in the world today.

We’re all familiar with tales of ship-taking in regions such as Somalia, where coasters and cargo ships are routinely hijacked by pirates. However, the biggest threat presented by pirates around the world is that presented to blue water sailors. In this volume, Klaus Hympendahl interviews the survivors of forty cases of piracy, some of them quite brutal in natures,  and exposes the danger faced by sailors around the world today. Victims recount not only their own experiences at the hands of the pirates but also provide insight into how others facing similar situation can do by way of preventive measures to avoid being captured by pirates and how to deal with stress, aggression, and fear when faced with a confrontation.

Hympendahl also examines those regions of the world where blue water piracy is both at its most dangerous, including the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Ecuador,  Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela and parts of Brazil.

Join Shandon Loring as he delves into Hympendahl’s work.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and additions to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for July and August is Little Kids Rock. Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff of the Seanchai Library SL.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Sunday 7th July, 18:00: Charlotte’s Web  – Part 2

Caledonia Skytower continues reading E. B. White’s (of Stuart Little fame) children’s classic, originally illustrated by Garth Williams.

First published in 1952, Charlotte’s Web weaves a story of friendship, hardships, joy and tears. When her farmer father is about to slaughter the runt of a litter of pigs, Fern Arable intercedes and saves the tiny pig, calling it Wilbur. A bond forms between child a pig, but when Wilbur becomes too big to remain with his mother and is shipped off to the farm owned by Fern’s uncle, he is left shunned by the other animals and – with Christmas approaching – once again facing slaughter.

Then he is befriended by Charlotte A. Cavatica, a spider living in the rafters of the barn where Wilbur is kept.Charlotte hatches a plan in order to save him from death, and Wilbur finds himself the centre of new and strange attention…

Join Caledonia at Magicland Park. as she resumes her reading of this tale of friendship, hardship and the miracles which can be found in the simplest of things.

Monday 8th July, 19:00 – The City and the Stars concludes

In 1948 Arthur C. Clarke saw his first novel, Against the Fall of Night published in the magazine Startling Stories. Later, in 1953, it appeared as a novella in its own right, prior to becoming the basis of a much expanded work, The City and the Stars, published in 1956. Both focus on the same setting and principal character: the City of Diaspar and a young man called Alvin, but they tell individually unique tales – so much so that both remain in circulation,enjoying equal popularity.

One billion years in the future, Diaspar stands amidst the desert of Earth as the last, self-perpetuating city of humankind. Here, the Central Computer watches over people who live multiple lives over thousands of years before they return to storage, only to be “reborn” at a time selected by the Central Computer. Diaspar is utopian: poverty and need have long been eradicated and there is little strife. Life within the city is focused on creativity and art and in the deeper exploration of already well-understood fields. Enclosed, cyclical and ultimately static, Diaspar is both the culmination and twilight of human endeavour.

Join Gyro Muggins as he brings us the conclusion of the story which has been hailed as one of Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s best works.

Tuesday 9th July, 19:00: Ruffles On My Longjohns

In 1913, American-born Ralph Edwards established a homestead in Bella Coola Valley, British Columbia, and went on tom become famous as a conservationist and the “Crusoe of Lonesome Lake”.

In the early 1930s, following his return to Bella Coola, he was joined by his brother Earle, and sister-in-law Isabel, who came straight from the city of Portland, Oregon on what was supposed to be a vacation visit. However, both of them fell in love with the wilds of British Columbia and decided to move there themselves, settling into a farm near Bella Coola.

Ruffles in my Longjohns is Isabel’s autobiographical account of her pioneering life with her husband, far from all the trappings of “civilisation” in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a firsthand account of homesteading, told with wit, whimsy and panache, the tale of “city girl” living on the frontier in a world of hard-bitten men, and how she coped, told in a loving, personal style.

Join Faerie Maven-Pralou as she embarks on the first part of a reading from this inspiring book.

Wednesday 10th July, 19:00: Currently Dark

Please check the Seanchai Library blog for updates.

Thursday 11th July, 19:00: Folklore of Lake Atitlan ~ Guatemala

“This collection of folklore offers a rich and lively panorama of Mayan mythic heritage. Here are everyday tales of village life; legends of witches, shamans, spiritualists, tricksters, and devils; fables of naguales, or persons who can change into animal forms; ribald stories of love and life; cautionary tales of strange and menacing neighbors and of the danger lurking within the human heart.

“These legends narrate origin and creation stories, explain the natural world, and reinforce cultural beliefs and values such as honesty, industriousness, sharing, fairness, and cleverness. Whether tragic or comic, fantastic or earthy, whimsical or profound, these tales capture the mystery, fragility, and power of the Mayan world.”

Join Shandon Loring as he reads from this fascinating book on Thursday 11th July.

—–

Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and additions to the week’s schedule.  Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library in this blog