Tag: Seanchai Library

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.

Sunday, March 8th

11:00: Seanchai Kitely: Ireland – Land of the Poets

With Caledonia Skytower and Shandon Loring at Seanchai Library’s Celtic world (grid.kitely.com:8002/InisArcain)

13:30: Seanchai SL: Tea Time at Baker Street

Caledonia, Kaydon OConnell and Corwyn Allen reconvene at the rooms of 221B Baker Street to this week read the story of The Man With the Twisted Lip, which first appeared in The Strand Magazine in December 1891.

Whilst assisting a friend of Mrs Watson but recovering her husband, an opium addict, from a den in the East End of London, Watson is surprised to see Holmes, in disguise, also in the den, attempting to obtain information relating to a case.

It seems a respectable businessman Mr. Neville St. Clair has vanished, and his wife is convinced she she him at an upper floor window of the opium den. But when the police raid the place, Mrs. St Clair in their company, all they find is a dishevelled beggar known locally as Hugh Boone.

However, when a toy her husband had said he would buy for their son, together with some of St. Clair’s clothes in the room, a wider search is carried out, and St. Clair coat, loaded with small change is found in the Thames just below the den, foul play is suspected, and Boone is arrested.

Holmes is initially convinced St Clair has been murdered, although no body is found and Boone reveals nothing. But then Mrs. St Clair receives a letter from her husband, and the mystery deepens.

Monday, March 9th

06:00: The Emerald Atlas

Cata Charisma continues his reading of John Stephens’ The emerald Atlas, the first volume in his fantasy trilogy for young adults, The Books of Beginning.

Having been passed from pillar to post through orphanages, three siblings, Kate, Emma, and Michael, find themselves lodged at the home of one Dr. Stanislaus Pym. Kate, the eldest of the three is driven by a promise made by her mother, that if Kate protects her younger sister and brother, then their family will be one day reunited.

But in their explorations of Dr. Pym’s house the three of them find their way into the basement, where they come across a mysterious door and a equally mysterious emerald-covered booth, entirely without text. When an old photograph touches the blank pages of the book, however, the three are immediately transported to the time and place depicted in the photograph. Her they find themselves in a realm populated by witches, henchmen, giants, dwarves and more – and one Dr. Stanislaus Pym, a good deal younger than when they last saw him in his house…

19:00: Starswarm

Starswarm Station is a remote research station established to study strange alien life. The planet on which it is located is the home of the starswarm, intelligent plants living under the planet’s shallow lakes and seas, and roaming bands of centaur-like creatures dubbed “haters”.

The station is also home to Kip, a teenage boy living under the guardianship of his “uncle”. However, as Kip begins to discover, he has another guardian: Gwen, an AI system his mother had been working on, prior to her death, and which communicates with Kip via a small implant placed inside his brain at birth.

Gwen knows far more about the planet and the lifeforms it harbours than Kip could imagine. It also knows a lot about the company that runs the station and, for all intents and purposes, “owns” the planet on which it sits.

Slowly, Gwen reveals these various truths to Kip, including his own destiny. But in doing so, it puts Kip, and potentially the entire station, at risk.

Join Gyro Muggins as he commences a reading of Jerry Pournelle’s 1998 novel intended for teenage readers but which offers an interesting look at subjects such as neural nets and living computer systems.

Tuesday March 10th, 19:00: Saint Patrick and Friends

With Caedmon Sharkfin.

Wednesday March 11th, 19:00: Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish

Caledonia Skytower reads selections from Morgan Llywelyn’s 1984 historical fantasy novel depicting a hypothetical 4th century migration of Galicians to Ireland, led by Amergin the bard.

Thursday March 12th, 19:00: Celtic Myths and Magick

With Shandon Loring.

—–

Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / early March is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library’s main Kitely World Page
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.

Sunday, March 1st

11:00: Seanchai Kitely: Bard: The Odyssey of the the Irish

Caledonia Skytower reads selections from Morgan Llywelyn’s 1984 historical fantasy novel depicting a hypothetical 4th century migration of Galicians to Ireland, led by Amergin the bard.

13:30: Seanchai SL: Tea Time at Baker Street

Caledonia, Kaydon OConnell and Corwyn Allen reconvene at the rooms of 221B Baker Street to this week read the story of The Five Orange Pips, which first appeared in The Strand Magazine in November 1891.

In 1887, John Openshaw, a young gentleman brings to Holmes and Watson a strange tale concerning his uncle, Elias Openshaw and his father, Joseph Openshaw, which goes back several years.

Having lived as a plantation owner in Florida and then served on the side of the Confederate States during the American Civil War, Elias Openshaw had returned to England and settled at an estate in Sussex.

After a few years, he invited his unmarried nephew to join him, offering him the run of the estate with the exception of one locked room, in which Openshaw the elder kept his travelling trunks. Other than this, there is nothing really out of the ordinary.

Until, in 1883,  a strange letter containing five orange pips arrives. It sends Elias Openshaw in a frenzied downwards spiral of increasingly erratic behaviour, until he is found dead in the garden pond, having apparently drowned after a drunken fall. Then, a year later, having inherited Elias’ estate, John’s father, Joseph, receives an identical letter. Five days later, he is found dead, apparently the victim of a fall into a local quarry while visiting a friend.

And now, in September 1887, John Openshaw himself has received a letter, again containing five orange pips, and has turned to Holmes for help….

18:00: Magicland Park SL:  Leprechauns, Witches & Gold, OH MY!

With Caledonia Skytower.

Monday, March 2nd

06:00: The Emerald Atlas

Cata Charisma continues his reading of John Stephens’ The emerald Atlas, the first volume in his fantasy trilogy for young adults, The Books of Beginning.

Having been passed from pillar to post through orphanages, three siblings, Kate, Emma, and Michael, find themselves lodged at the home of one Dr. Stanislaus Pym. Kate, the eldest of the three is driven by a promise made by her mother, that if Kate protects her younger sister and brother, then their family will be one day reunited.

But in their explorations of Dr. Pym’s house the three of them find their way into the basement, where they come across a mysterious door and a equally mysterious emerald-covered booth, entirely without text. When an old photograph touches the blank pages of the book, however, the three are immediately transported to the time and place depicted in the photograph. Her they find themselves in a realm populated by witches, henchmen, giants, dwarves and more – and one Dr. Stanislaus Pym, a good deal younger than when they last saw him in his house…

19:00: Starswarm

Starswarm Station is a remote research station established to study strange alien life. The planet on which it is located is the home of the starswarm, intelligent plants living under the planet’s shallow lakes and seas, and roaming bands of centaur-like creatures dubbed “haters”.

The station is also home to Kip, a teenage boy living under the guardianship of his “uncle”. However, as Kip begins to discover, he has another guardian: Gwen, an AI system his mother had been working on, prior to her death, and which communicates with Kip via a small implant placed inside his brain at birth.

Gwen knows far more about the planet and the lifeforms it harbours than Kip could imagine. It also knows a lot about the company that runs the station and, for all intents and purposes, “owns” the planet on which it sits.

Slowly, Gwen reveals these various truths to Kip, including his own destiny. But in doing so, it puts Kip, and potentially the entire station, at risk.

Join Gyro Muggins as he commences a reading of Jerry Pournelle’s 1998 novel intended for teenage readers but which offers an interesting look at subjects such as neural nets and living computer systems.

Tuesday March 3rd, 19:00: Ireland: More from the Land of Poets

With Caledonia Skytower and Kayden OConnell.

Wednesday March 4th, 19:00: The Quiet Man

Released in 1952, John Ford’s The Quiet Man is regarded as a classic Irish-American romantic comedy / drama. Starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara (and assorted members of their RL families!) and Barry Fitzgerald, it is a popular choice among critics and film-lovers.

The screenplay for the film was drawn in a large part from a short story of the same name originally published in 1933 in the Saturday Evening Post, and penned by Irish author, Maurice Welsh. Together with a number of other short stories by Walsh, The Quiet Man was gathered into a single volume of his short stories, The Quiet Man and Other Stories, which dealt with many recurring characters living in rural Ireland of the 1920s, and set against the backdrop of the civil unrest which affected the country at that time, while examining the complexities and occasional intrigues of life, love and Irish traditions.

Join Caledonia Skytower as she reads Walsh’s original tale of The Quiet Man, Paddy Bawn Enright..

Thursday March 5th

19:00: Celtic Myths and Magick

With Shandon Loring.

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

With Finn Zeddmore.

Saturday March 7th, Seanchai Kitely: The Faery Handbag

Shandon Loring reads Kelly Link’s 2005 winner of 2005 the Hugo Award for Best Novelette.

Genevieve has a somewhat eccentric grandmother, Zofia, who claims to have a community of faeries, about whom she often tells the strangest tales. The faeries are also, apparently, responsible for all sorts of mischief, such has hiding her library books when they are due to be returned, so they become overdue. Then Jake, Genevieve’s boyfriend, decides to steal the bag and see if it really does contain faeries….

—–

Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / February is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library’s main Kitely World Page
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.

Monday February 23rd

06:00: The Emerald Atlas

Cata Charisma continues his reading of John Stephens’ The emerald Atlas, the first volume in his fantasy trilogy for young adults, The Books of Beginning.

Having been passed from pillar to post through orphanages, three siblings, Kate, Emma, and Michael, find themselves lodged at the home of one Dr. Stanislaus Pym. Kate, the eldest of the three is driven by a promise made by her mother, that if Kate protects her younger sister and brother, then their family will be one day reunited.

But in their explorations of Dr. Pym’s house the three of them find their way into the basement, where they come across a mysterious door and a equally mysterious emerald-covered booth, entirely without text. When an old photograph touches the blank pages of the book, however, the three are immediately transported to the time and place depicted in the photograph. Her they find themselves in a realm populated by witches, henchmen, giants, dwarves and more – and one Dr. Stanislaus Pym, a good deal younger than when they last saw him in his house…

19:00: Starswarm

Starswarm Station is a remote research station established to study strange alien life.  The planet on which it is located is the home of the starswarm, intelligent plants living under the planet’s shallow lakes and seas, and roaming bands of centaur-like creatures dubbed “haters”.

The station is also home to Kip, a teenage boy living under the guardianship of his “uncle”.  However, as Kip begins to discover, he has another guardian: Gwen, an AI system his mother had been working on, prior to her death, and which communicates with Kip via a small implant placed inside his brain at birth.

Gwen knows far more about the planet and the lifeforms it harbours than Kip could imagine. It also knows a lot about the company that runs the station and, for all intents and purposes, “owns” the planet on which it sits.

Slowly, Gwen reveals these various truths to Kip, including his own destiny. But in doing so, it puts Kip, and potentially the entire station, at risk.

Join Gyro Muggins as he commences a reading of Jerry Pournelle’s 1998 novel intended for teenage readers but which offers an interesting look at subjects such as neural nets and living computer systems.

Tuesday February 24th, 19:00: The Cailleach is Back!

Aoifie Lorfield returns with more tales of the old hag, Cailleach Bhéarach of Irish, Scottish and Manx mythology.

Wednesday February 25th, 19:00: Selections from The Islandman

Born in 1856, and a native of the Irish-speaking Great Blasket Island just off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, Tomás Ó Criomhthain heeded encouragement to write about his life and times as a fisherman and crofter on a (then) somewhat remote island.

By doing so, and despite only a moderate education (schooling only occurred within the island’s tiny community if / when a school teacher came over from the “mainland”, and even then, schooling would oft be interrupted when the teacher returned home to take a husband),  he wrote with astonishing richness about ways of life which have long since passed into memory or have been changed forever.

His writings appeared in two books published during his life, published under the anglicised version of his name, Tomas O’Crohan. These were Allagar na h-Inise (Island Cross-Talk), which included his writing from between 1918 and 1923, and An t-Oileánach (The Islandman), from which Caledonia Skytower reads selections.

Thursday February 25th, 19:00: Lost Worlds

Travel back to 1941 and the pages of Fantastic Adventures with Shandon Loring, as he reads P.F. Costello’s short story, People of the Pyramids. 

It started, as all good adventures often do, in Cairo’s bazaar, when Neal Kirby is encouraged, somewhat reluctantly, into a shop if trinkets and curios. Once inside, he discovers a knife of great beauty. But he’s not the only one with an interest in it; the beautiful Jane Manners appears to be able to lay claim to it.

Only she, in turn, appears to be in the clutches of the cold, calculating Max Zaraf, the man who had ostensibly offered to help finance her attempts to complete her late father’s work, but who now seems to be in control of things, much to her distress. So when she manages to pass Kirby a plea for help, who is he to refuse?

He may not have a fedora, a bull whip or an encyclopaedic knowledge of archaeology, but when it comes to ancient mysteries deep in the desert, untrustworthy businessmen lusting after power, and the rescue of a young, beautiful woman, Neal Kirby proves he’s every bit as capable as people going by the surname of “Jones”!

Saturday February 28th, Seanchai Kitely

09:00 PDT: Voice of the Beach by William Meikle

With Shandon Loring.

15:00 PDT: Explore the Great Gatsby

This special facility, built is a partnership venture with Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of The Great Gatsby draws to a close.

Take the opportunity to tour the locations, drop-in to the Fitzgerald Gallery and listen to selections of the story being read over the stream. Then be sure to attend a special closing  dance at – where else? Jay Gatsby’s mansion.

Saturday February 28th, 12:00 Noon SLT, Second Life: Seanchai 101

Join Caledonia Skytower in this special Seanchai Library workshop, downstairs in the fireside room. Participants in this workshop should come with 100 to 120 words from a piece of literature, preferably written by someone else, not memorized and not prepared in any way.  Please remember that Seanchai is on a moderate sim when choosing your material.

—–

Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / February is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library’s main Kitely World Page
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.

Sunday, February 15th

13:30: Tea-time at Baker Street – the Boscombe Valley Mystery

In 1889, Holmes receives a summons from chief Inspector Lestrade, requesting he travel to Herefordshire to lean assistance in a murder investigation that is perhaps more convoluted than it may initially appear.

On the surface, it appears to be an open and shut case. Charles McCarthy, an Australian expatriate was out walking his dog when, after apparently being stalked by his son, armed with a gun, he is murdered. With two witness who saw McCarthy’s son – James – both following him and then have a heated exchange with him, it seems obvious who is responsible for McCarthy senior’s death.

However, James McCarthy insists that while he and his father did argue, their paths crossed by chance, as he was out hunting, and he certainly didn’t kill his father. The cause of their argument turns out to be Alice Turner, daughter of one John Turner, a good friend to Charles McCarthy.

As Holmes and Watson investigate and interview, so things become more involved, with requests for marriage, secret weddings, mysterious references to a rat, past crimes and secrets pasts. All of which eventually lead to blackmail and murder…

Join Caledonia Skytower, Kayden Oconnell and Corwyn Allen as they read this curious case.

18:00: A Pooh Bear Valentine’s Pajama Party!

join Caledonia Skytower for a Winnie-the-Pooh themed time at Magicland Park!

Monday February 16th

06:00: The Emerald Atlas

Cata Charisma continues his reading of John Stephens’ The emerald Atlas, the first volume in his fantasy trilogy for young adults, The Books of Beginning.

Having been passed from pillar to post through orphanages, three siblings, Kate, Emma, and Michael, find themselves lodged at the home of one Dr. Stanislaus Pym. Kate, the eldest of the three is driven by a promise made by her mother, that if Kate protects her younger sister and brother, then their family will be one day reunited.

But in their explorations of Dr. Pym’s house the three of them find their way into the basement, where they come across a mysterious door and a equally mysterious emerald-covered booth, entirely without text. When an old photograph touches the blank pages of the book, however, the three are immediately transported to the time and place depicted in the photograph. Her they find themselves in a realm populated by witches, henchmen, giants, dwarves and more – and one Dr. Stanislaus Pym, a good deal younger than when they last saw him in his house…

19:00 The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be

Gyro Muggins concludes Fredrick Pohl’s The Age of the Pussyfoot.

First published in serial form in1966, they republished as a novel in its own right in 1969, The Age of the Pussyfoot sees us transported to the 26th century along with one Charles Forrester, who has been in a state of cryogenic sleep for some 500 years, after being killed in a fire. His time in suspended animation, together with his revival – now that technology has developed to a point where revival is possible – has been paid for through his insurance, which (presumably through the act of compound interest down the centuries, his on-going medical expenses notwithstanding) has also left him comparatively well-off.

Forrester find the 26th century a place of delight; his spectre-like computer terminal, the Joymaker, puts almost everything – including drugs – at his fingertips. He’s able to take an apartment, still enjoy the delights of 20th century food and enter into a lifestyle of parties and fun, the money from his insurance making him rather wealthy.

Then things start to go a little sideways. First, there is Adne, who appears to be out to trap him into providing for her children; there’s also the mysterious Club, who also seem to be more interested in Forrester’s wealth than him. Add to the list the man from Mars who has taken out a hunting licence allowing him and his friends to track down and even kill Forrester – so long as his revival is paid for – and the future suddenly isn’t so bright a playground. And when his money starts running out, and he’s forced to take a job, he’s also forced to reassess who he can trust and who he can’t, and just what role he is actually to play in humanity’s future…

Tuesday February 17th, 19:00: Two Nights with Neil

Continues with Caedmon Sharkfin.

Wednesday February 18th

12:15: Kitely: Explore The Great Gatsby

Join a Hypergrid Safari outing to Explore The Great Gatsby Online at Kitely, and join Caledonia Skytower. See many of the locations in which this classic American story unfold: the Buchanan’s mansion, Nick caraway’s cottage, the great Gothic edifice of Jay Gatsby’s mansion and, of course, the Valley of Ashes. Discover more about the novel and the recent Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of Simon Levy’s adaptation of the novel for the stage.

All this and more at: grid.kitely.com:8002/EXPLORESeanchai.

19:00: Poetry Out Loud

With Caledonia Skytower.

Thursday February 19th

19:00: The Fiddler of Bayou Teche

Shandon Loring opens the pages of Delia Sherman’s tale of a trickster fiddler in the deep south bayou.

Cadence lives with her adoptive mother, a medicine woman and fiddler in a small loup-garou community. She raises Cadence on tales old and new, many warning her against tricksters and their ways. But after her mother passes away, Cadence finds herself in trouble and facing one of the very tricksters she was warned about. But are the tales she remembers, and the warnings they contain, enough to protect her and provide for her survival?

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

More late-night science-fiction with Finn Zeddmore.

Saturday February 21st, Seanchai Kitely, 09:00 PDT: The Ballad of Tam Lin

With Shandon Loring.

—–

Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / February is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library’s main Kitely World Page
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.

Sunday, February 8th

11:00 PST Kitely: The Great Gatsby Concludes

Corwyn Allen brings a reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnificent 1925 novel to its tragic conclusion at Explore The Great Gatsby in Kitely.

In 1922, Nick Carraway arrives in New York to learn about the bond business. He rents a small cottage in West Egg, home of the newly-rich, only to discover the owner of the huge Gothic mansion next door, the deeply mysterious Jay Gatsby, is prone to throwing lavish parties every weekend, to which in seems everyone comes. Everyone it seems, except Nick’s cousin Daisy, who is married to Tom Buchanan. Together they live across the bay in the more fashion East Egg, where the “old money” resides.

As the days turn, so Nick finds himself caught between tales of love and lust and the divisions of new and old money. On the one side, there is the old money of Tom Buchanan, a man secure in his marriage to Daisy, but not above keeping a mistress in the Valley of Ashes, an industrial area lying between the Eggs and New York city. On the other, there is the mysterious and enigmatic Jay Gatsby, Nick’s new money neighbour, prone to lavish parties and a long-standing love for Daisy Buchanan. So it is that Nick finds himself something of a willing pawn in a complex game of love and deceit, all the time drawn towards Daisy’s friend Jordan Baker.

But as the summer temperatures soar, a trip to New York city with the Buchanans, Jordan, and Gatsby, undertaken within a brittle shell of false bonhomie, evaporates into tragedy.

Note that Explore the Great Gatsby in Kitely will remain open through until March 1st.

13:30 Second Life: Tea-time at Baker Street – A Case of Identity

It is October 1890 and Holmes is engaged by Miss Mary Sutherland, a woman of substantial independent means, thanks to a trust fund established for her some years past. She wishes Holmes to locate her fiancé, one Hosmer Angel, who has vanished from her life quite unexpectedly.

Theirs, it seems, had been a most unusual courtship. Miss Sutherland knows almost nothing about her intended husband, other than he works in a office in the City, that he will only meet with her when her disapproving (and somewhat young) stepfather is absent on business, and that he will only write to her using a typewriter, and will not even sign his name.

Listening to the story, Holmes finds his deductive powers less than tried; it takes him to obtain but one typewritten note to confirm his suspicions on what has happened – and thereby leave him with a further dilemma.

Join Caledonia Skytower, Kayden Oconnell and Corwyn Allen as they read this curious case.

Monday February 9th

06:00: The Emerald Atlas

Cata Charisma launches a new session at Seanchai Library, Second Life, as she starts reading from John Stephens’ The emerald Atlas, the first volume in his fantasy trilogy for young adults, The Books of Beginning.

Having been passed from pillar to post through orphanages, three siblings, Kate, Emma, and Michael, find themselves lodged at the home of one Dr. Stanislaus Pym. Kate, the eldest of the three is driven by a promise made by her mother, that if Kate protects her younger sister and brother, then their family will be one day reunited.

But in their explorations of Dr. Pym’s house the three of them find their way into the basement, where they come across a mysterious door and a equally mysterious emerald-covered booth, entirely without text. When an old photograph touches the blank pages of the book, however, the three are immediately transported to the time and place depicted in the photograph. Her they find themselves in a realm populated by witches, henchmen, giants, dwarves and more – and one Dr. Stanislaus Pym, a good deal younger than when they last saw him in his house…

19:00 The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be

Gyro Muggins continues reading from Fredrick Pohl’s The Age of the Pussyfoot.

First published in serial form in1966, they republished as a novel in its own right in 1969, The Age of the Pussyfoot sees us transported to the 26th century along with one Charles Forrester, who has been in a state of cryogenic sleep for some 500 years, after being killed in a fire. His time in suspended animation, together with his revival – now that technology has developed to a point where revival is possible – has been paid for through his insurance, which (presumably through the act of compound interest down the centuries, his on-going medical expenses notwithstanding) has also left him comparatively well-off.

Forrester find the 26th century a place of delight; his spectre-like computer terminal, the Joymaker, puts almost everything – including drugs – at his fingertips. He’s able to take an apartment, still enjoy the delights of 20th century food and enter into a lifestyle of parties and fun, the money from his insurance making him rather wealthy.

Then things start to go a little sideways. First, there is Adne, who appears to be out to trap him into providing for her children; there’s also the mysterious Club, who also seem to be more interested in Forrester’s wealth than him. Add to the list the man from Mars who has taken out a hunting licence allowing him and his friends to track down and even kill Forrester – so long as his revival is paid for – and the future suddenly isn’t so bright a playground. And when his money starts running out, and he’s forced to take a job, he’s also forced to reassess who he can trust and who he can’t, and just what role he is actually to play in humanity’s future…

Tuesday February 10th, 19:00: Two Nights with Neil

With Caedmon Sharkfin.

Wednesday February 11th,19:00: Beggars Day Book Two: The Caged King

Caledonia Skytower continues reading MJ McGalliard’s second novel, and the sequel to Beggar’s Day Book One: The Beggar Prince.

The Kingdom of Galaway has a law that every ruler must work a year and a day as a commoner; thus were readers introduced, through the first volume, to the kingdom and some of its notable inhabitants, including King Willy, Prince Larry, the scheming Percy, desperate to see himself on the throne, and the chicken-stealing crone Cruith.

Now, in the second volume, Vikings, hidden illnesses, ancient family squabbles and unplanned pregnancy are but a few of the changes in Galaway. Cruith is part of a conspiracy, Willy invents a new wagon, apples seem to be in the mix, while everything seems to revolve around a baby horse. And I haven’t even mentioned King Monaghan.

Intrigued? Then why not hop over to Seanchai library to hear this entertaining tale which, incidentally, is illustrated by one Judith Cullen – aka Caledonia Skytower!

Thursday February 12th: Wonders of the Invisible World

Shandon Loring opens the pages of Patricia A. McKillip’s opulent collection of stories deeply rooted in fairy tale and mythology – and yet with something of a nod towards real historical events in places.

Through these pages one can meet princesses enamoured of dead suitors, a knight who falls in love with an official of exotic lineage, a wizard seduced in his youth by the Faerie Queen, and fortune’s fool, who steals into the present instead of the future.

And the nod towards the real world? That comes in the form of a – dare I say it – bewitching tale of a time-travelling angel who, arriving in the late 1600s, is forbidden from intervening in Reverend Cotton Mather’s religious ravings which were to play such an influential role in the Salem witch trials (and which, incidentally, gave rise to his own book of the same name, written in 1693).

Bewitching, bittersweet, and deeply intoxicating, this collection draws elements from the fables of history and re-creates them in startlingly magical ways.  – Publisher.

Saturday February 14th, Seanchai Kitely, 09:00 PDT: Avatar: a love story

With Shandon Loring.

—–

Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / February is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.

Related Links

• Seanchai Library (SL) blog
• Seanchai Library (SL) SLurl
• Seanchai Library’s main Kitely World Page
• Seanchai Library in this blog

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.

Sunday, February 1st, 13:30: Tea-time at Baker Street

This week, Caledonia Skytower, Corwyn Allen and Kayden Oconnell sit down to relate the story Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the second in his list of “top twelve” Holmes stories: The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, which first appeared in The Strand Magazine in August 1891, the story itself being set in October of the previous year.

When Jabez Wilson finds his pawnbroker business struggling in its usual evening trade, he heeds the advice of his recently-hired assistant, Vincent Spaulding, and responds to a rather specific job advert requiring that successful applicant must be male, prepared to work afternoons only and sport … red hair.

Apparently in possession of precisely the right shade of red hair, as well as finding the afternoon work agreeable to his need to take care of his own business in the evenings, Wilson finds himself hired by one Duncan Ross, apparently in charge of the “Red-Headed League”, and given the task of – copying out the contents of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Understanding the work is related to a will of some sort, Wilson finds himself gaining something of an education as he spends several weeks carefully copying out all the “A” entries from the Encyclopædia. However, before he can start on the “B” entries, he arrives at work to find the office of the Red-Headed League closed, and the League itself apparently dissolved. Unable to ascertain what has happened, and feeling somewhat upset over the loss of his £4 a week income from the work, Wilson turns to a bemused Holmes and Watson for help in finding out what has happened to Mr. Duncan Ross and his esteemed league.

Monday February 2nd, 19:00 The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be

Gyro Muggins continues reading from Fredrick Pohl’s The Age of the Pussyfoot.

First published in serial form in1966, they republished as a novel in its own right in 1969, The Age of the Pussyfoot sees us transported to the 26th century along with one Charles Forrester, who has been in a state of cryogenic sleep for some 500 years, after being killed in a fire. His time in suspended animation, together with his revival – now that technology has developed to a point where revival is possible – has been paid for through his insurance, which (presumably through the act of compound interest down the centuries, his on-going medical expenses notwithstanding) has also left him comparatively well-off.

Forrester find the 26th century a place of delight; his spectre-like computer terminal, the Joymaker, puts almost everything – including drugs – at his fingertips. He’s able to take an apartment, still enjoy the delights of 20th century food and enter into a lifestyle of parties and fun, the money from his insurance making him rather wealthy.

Then things start to go a little sideways. First, there is Adne, who appears to be out to trap him into providing for her children; there’s also the mysterious Club, who also seem to be more interested in Forrester’s wealth than him. Add to the list the man from Mars who has taken out a hunting licence allowing him and his friends to track down and even kill Forrester – so long as his revival is paid for – and the future suddenly isn’t so bright a playground. And when his money starts running out, and he’s forced to take a job, he’s also forced to reassess who he can trust and who he can’t, and just what role he is actually to play in humanity’s future…

Tuesday February 3rd, 19:00: A Walk in the Woods

By his own admission, Bill Bryson isn’t the world’s greatest adventurer. This being the case, you’d think he’d have serious misgivings about undertaking this particular “walk in the woods”, as he disarmingly calls it: taking the 3,500 kilometre (2,200 mile) Appalachian Trail – a journey which would take five months to complete.

Travelling with his good friend “Stephen Katz”, the book is both a humorous guide to the trail and a set of serious and insightful comments / discussion on the trail’s history as it winds its way from Georgia (where Bryson was living at the time the book was written in 1998), to Maine. These discussions cover a broad range of subject including the sociology, ecology, trees, plants, animals and people of the states through which the trail passes (Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine).

Join Kayden Oconnell as he continues in Bryson’s footsteps through the pages of this classic.

Wednesday February 3rd,19:00: Beggars Day Book Two: The Caged King

Caledonia Skytower continues reading MJ McGalliard’s second novel, and the sequel to Beggar’s Day Book One: The Beggar Prince.

The Kingdom of Galaway has a law that every ruler must work a year and a day as a commoner; thus were readers introduced, through the first volume, to the kingdom and some of its notable inhabitants, including King Willy, Prince Larry, the scheming Percy, desperate to see himself on the throne, and the chicken-stealing crone Cruith.

Now, in the second volume, Vikings, hidden illnesses, ancient family squabbles and unplanned pregnancy are but a few of the changes in Galaway. Cruith is part of a conspiracy, Willy invents a new wagon, apples seem to be in the mix, while everything seems to revolve around a baby horse. And I haven’t even mentioned King Monaghan.

Intrigued? Then why not hop over to Seanchai library to hear this entertaining tale which, incidentally, is illustrated by one Judith Cullen – aka Caledonia Skytower!

Thursday February 5th

19:00: Tales of Adventure

With Shandon Loring.

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

With finn Zeddmore.

Saturday February 7th, Seanchai Kitely, 09:00 PDT: The Wooing of Etain

Tochmarc Étaíne, “The Wooing of Étaín” is a text from the early Irish Mythological Cycle, dating from around the 8th or 9th century, and with some cross-over into other Irish folk mythologies, such as the cycles of the Kings and the Ulster Cycles.

Now regarded as containing three tales within it, Tochmarc Étaíne recounted the live and loves of the beautiful Étaín, born of the Ulaid, king Ailill, who is courted by Midir of the Tuatha Dé Danann – much to the displeasure of his current wife, who turns to witchcraft. Thus begins a tale of loves won and lost of rebirths across time, in a tale thought to have been one of the source texts for the Middle English narrative poem Sir Orfeo.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / February is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.

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