THE WEEK THAT WAS . . .

From Top to Bottom: Selections from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Caledonia (9.27); "We Read Banned Books!" with Derry McMahon & Bear Silvershade (9.28); Part II: A Single Shard with Gina Pralou (9.29); A Tour of Irish Haunts with Shandon Loring (9.30)

Thursday September 29th at 7pm: A TOUR OF REAL IRISH HAUNTS

There is a strong and ancient tradition of ghostly appearances in Ireland. The country is full of old castles with secret rooms, and while some stories are obvious figments of lively imaginations, there are other tales that cannot easily be explained away. Join us tonight and listen to spooky goings-on and decide for yourself.

WEDNESDAY 29 Sept @ 7pm: "A Single Shard" (pt 2) with Gina Pralou

Linda Sue Park does a fabulous job of taking this traditional Korean story module as a catalyst for a well-developed tale of triumph of a boy who shouldn't have overcome the odds but did. Placing the protagonist boy in 12th century Korea was a shrewd move, as it was the era when Korean art was deemed to be in its apex, especially its pottery. As we follow Tree Ear, the hero of the book, trying to overcome many obstacles to become the master potter, we also become aware of the rich culture and tradition of an exotic land. Story in voice.

TUESDAY 28 Sept @ 7pm: We Read Banned Books!

Almost since the first use of the printing press, some persons have felt the need to ban certain books because they did not meet the level of acceptability their own judgemental mind fixed for different topics. Determined individuals always want to squelch that which they deem improper.

Join us today for selected readings from a few books which have been banned in the past. Possible for inclusion tonight are: "Farenheit 451", "The Diary of Anne Frank", "Moll Flanders" by Daniel DeFoe, "Ulysses" by James Joyce, and others. (In fact a book was banned in my own county library this past summer, if I can find it I will read part of it. DMc)

MONDAY, September 27th at 7pm: Selections from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

It's National Banned Book Week at the Community Virtual Library, and the Seanchai Library is doing its part!

Caledonia starts off the week with Mark Twain's Great American Novel (1884-85) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  This classic is noted for its colorful descriptions of people and places along the Mississippi River, and is told first person in young Huck's own narrative voice. Satirizing a Southern antebellum society that was already out of date when the book was published, Huckleberry Finn is an often scathing look at entrenched attitudes, particularly racism. It was criticized upon release because of its coarse language and became even more controversial in the 20th century because of its perceived use of racial stereotypes and because of the frequent use of the racial slur "Nigger."  That very thing is what got the book banned at a large school district near Caledonia's RL home in the Pacific Northwestern U.S.

Join Caledonia as Huck wrestles with the intrusion of an unwanted, drunken father into his life by escaping to the Mississippi River in search of a better, more tolerable life.  Presented Live in Voice. 

'Twas a Grand-Grand Opening!

Great snaps courtesy of Bear Silvershade and Crap Mariner from today's Opening Celebration of the new Seanchai Library (formerly the Old West of Ireland Library) at Info Island International.  Thanks to all who came and celebrated this new chapter with us.

To view more from Crap's Photo Stream . . .CLICK HERE

Crap catches sunset over the new Library site at Info Island International

The First Story told in the new library (as was the case in the former library) by Chief Seanchai Shandon Loring

The view of a full house for the Celebration from over the lake/loch. (tee hee)

Stories Old and New.  A familiar building in a brand new siting, with the same great, enthusiastic, and supportive audience.

THIS WEEK at The Seanchai Library: Septembr 26 - October 3

Welcome to our new home on Info Island International . . . AND it is National Banned Book Week!  Take a look at these great stories this week:

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

Sunday, September 26 at 3:00pm: THE GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION!

Monday, September 27 at 7:00pm: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (a banned book!) with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, September 28 at 7:00pm: Favorite Banned Books with Derry McMahon & Bear Silvershade

Wednesday, September 29 at 7:00pm: Part II:  A Single Shard with Gina Pralou

Thursday, September 30 at 7:00pm: A Tour of Real Irish Haunts with Seanchai Shandon Loring

Also . . . MORE WOI Storytellers across the Grid

Sunday, September 26 at 6pm: More Swiss Family Robinson with Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park.


Stories all read Live in VOICE. Click on the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk at the WOI Library for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks for events happening "off-campus."

SUNDAY 26 Sept @ 3pm: Seanchai Library Grand Opening Celebration

Welcome to our new home!

Join us as we inaugurate our new space - The Seanchai Library - at Info International Island. "We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life."

Our chief Seanchai (which means 'storyteller' in Irish), Shandon Loring, will offer the first story! We will also hear from: Aoife Lorefield, Bear Silvershade, Caledonia Skytower, Dubhna Rhiadra, Elegia Underwood, Marian Dragovar, and Derry McMahon. All stories in the Seanchai Library are always offered in voice.

Please join our new group; search 'seanchai' under search/groups in world, and join. (By the way, you pronounce it "shanna-key".)

We present stories of all kinds, Monday-Thursday @ 7pm, and on weekends at different times, check back to this blog for more information. We look forward to having you join us!

The Week That Was . . . the Final Week in West of Ireland

 

 

 From Top:   The Faery Returns and Other Princess Tales from Gail Carson Levine (9.20  w/Caledonia), Mr. Darcy's Diary (9-21 w/ Miss Marion), A SUMMER OF SHERLOCK: The Adventure of the Final Problem (9-22 w/ Caledonia), Johhny Appleseed and Other American Folktales (9-23 w/ Shandon).

THURSDAY, September 23rd at 7pm: Johnny Appleseed and Other Tales of American Folklore -- FINAL PRESENTATION AT WOI

Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees everywhere! He was born John Chapman in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts. For 49 years he took on a personal mission: He helped people plant apple trees so they could eat apples. He made cider, jelly, and juice from the apples. The seeds grew into vast orchards of trees.

Join our Chief Storyteller, Shandon Loring, for this celebration of folklore - Presented live in voice.

Tonight is also our final presentation of the West of Ireland Library and Cultural Center. Our program is transplanting to Info Island International, and will open September 26th at the Seanchai Library.

The very first live story presentation at WOI was presented by Shandon over two and a half years ago. It is only fitting that our last one in this location should be as well. Indeed, Shandon will innaugurate stories in our new location, and you are cordially invited to join us on Sunday, September 26th for our Opening Celebration from 3pm to 5pm SLT.

Thank You West of Ireland for letting us plant our seeds, sprout, and grow with your generosity and with your support. We will not forget our roots!

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Lord is good to me.

Oh, here I am 'neath the blue, blue sky
Doing as I please.
Singing with my feathered friends
Humming with the bees.

I wake up every day,
As happy as can be,
Because I know that with His care
My apple trees, they will still be there.
The Lord's been good to me.

WEDNESDAY 22 Sept @ 7pm: "The Final Problem" with Sherlock Holmes and Caledonia Skytower

This story, set in 1891, introduces Holmes' greatest opponent, the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty.

Holmes arrives at Dr. Watson's one evening in a somewhat agitated state and with abraded knuckles. He has apparently escaped three murder attempts that day after a visit from Professor Moriarty, who "visited" and warned him to withdraw from his pursuit of justice against him to avoid any regrettable outcome.

Holmes and Moriarity play cat and mouse, with Watson trying to find them and figure out what is up, until... "The Final Problem" is the final episode of the 'Summer of Sherlock' series.

Story in voice.

TUESDAY 21 Sept @ 7pm: "The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen" with Marian Dragovar

Explore the secrets of Jane Austen's life with Marian as she reads excerpts from novel "The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen" by Syrie James. Chock full of wit and discovery, this piece of speculative history will travel Austen's life as she struggles with writing, relationships, and simply living. Story in voice.

MONDAY, September 20th at 7:00pm: The Fairy Returns and Other Princess Tales

More Adventures from Gail Carson Levine, the author of the Newbery Honor Book Ella Enchanted; New York Times bestsellers Ever and Fairest; ALA Notable Book Dave At Night; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; the six Princess Tales books; the nonfiction book Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly; and a companion to this picture book, Betsy Who Cried Wolf!

The Fairy Returns is a collection of six short stories that will have listeners laughing their way through her hilarious retellings of famous and not-so-famous fairy tales. The high jinks begin in The Fairy's Mistake, which pokes fun at a meddlesome fairy whose plans for good go terribly awry.

Presented Live in Voice Chat.

THIS WEEK at the WOI Library: September 20 - 26

It's our last week at the WOI Library and Cultural Center. We want to thank all of the folks at WOI who allowed an untried idea to be tested and to flourish . . . we will 0nly be a teleport away friends!:

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

Monday, September 20 at 7:00pm: The Fairy Returns and Other Princess Tales with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00pm: The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen with Marian Dragovar

Wednesday, September 22 at 7:00pm: A SUMMER OF SHERLOCK Continues with "The Adventure of the Final Problem" with Caledonia Skytower.

Thursday, September 23 at 7:00pm: Johnny Appleseed and Other American Folktales with Seanchai Shandon Loring

Sunday, September 26 at 3:00pm: THE GRAND OPENING of our new home on Info Island, the SEANCHAI LIBRARY

Also . . . MORE WOI Storytellers across the Grid

Sunday, September 26 at 6pm: More Swiss Family Robinson with Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park.


Stories all read Live in VOICE. Click on the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk at the WOI Library for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks for events happening "off-campus."

SATURDAY 18 Sept @ 2.30pm: Legends of the Lepracauns with Shandon Loring

Legends of the Lepra Chaun - An introduction to the mythic figure and legends. Stories will include 'The Haunted Cellar', 'The Gollan', and 'The Crock of Gold'. All stories in voice.
This story session is part of the WOI "Half Way to St. Patrick's Day" festival...join us for great music, stories and a fashion show!

CHANGES AT THE WOI LIBRARY

Fall has always been a season of changes and forward motion, and the West of Ireland Library will be making a few changes. On September 23rd, we will tell the last story at our current home, the West of Ireland Library and Cultural Center, and will re-open on September 26^th at our new home at Info International Island as the Seanchai Library.

The Community Virtual Library (CVL), a non-profit, 4 sim estate owned and inhabited by a consortium of libraries from the Mid-West, has offered us a nice parcel with plenty of support and in the midst of a library and literary community. All events that are on the calendar remain - we are hoping to make this a fairly seamless transition.

We have all loved the West of Ireland (WOI), and it was the perfect incubator for a library program based on the live presentation of literature in all forms. But not all roads run parallel forever and, as needs and expectations change, new paths of growth and opportunity must be embraced to keep a program dynamic and relevant. While we will miss our friends in WOI, please remember we are only a teleport away. We are grateful to all of those at WOI who supported the creation and experimentation that has been the journey of growth for the program. Many, many thanks!

A landmark to the new site will be forthcoming before September 23^rd.

WHAT DO I DO TO STAY CONNECTED TO LIVE STORIES?

First of all, this blog will remain, though the page will be retitled. The URL will remain the same -- so no worries there!

We have formed a new group, and those wishing notices of events after September 26th will need to join this new group called Seanchai Library. Notices will no longer be sent to Beautiful Minds or Wild Irish Women after September 23^rd. The WOI Library group will remain active a little longer. Please contact Derry McMahon or Caledonia Skytower to be added to the new group, or SEARCH for “Seanchai Library” and join at no cost. We hope you will join us in our new home, beginning with a storytelling event 3-5pm on September 26.

Feel free to email Librarian Derry McMahon with any questions. derrymcmahon@gmail.com

THURSDAY, September 16th at 7:00pm: The Quiet Man

This short story by Maurice Walsh first appeared in the February 11th edition of the Saturday Evening Post in 1933. It is the rocky love story of Shawn Kelvin and Ellen O'Grady, how these two quiet people are brought together, marry, fall in love (yes in that order) and the results of what can happen when someone quiet is pushed hard enough that they make the choice, albeit briefly, not to be.

The story was transformed by filmmaker John Ford into the 1952 film academy award-winning film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaughlin and Barry Fitzgerald. Both the movie and the story are long time favorites of Caledonia, and she is thrilled to present the story tonight, live in voice.

WEDNESDAY 15 Sept @ 7pm: "A Single Shard" (pt 1) with Gina Pralou

In this tale of courage and devotion, a single shard from a celadon vase changes the life of a young boy and his master. In 12th-century Korea, the village of Ch'ulp'o is famous for its pottery. The orphan Tree-ear spends his days foraging for food for himself and Crane-man, a lame straw weaver who has cared for him for many years. Because of his wanderings, Tree-ear is familiar with all of the potters in the village, but he is especially drawn to Min. When he drops a piece Min has made, Tree-ear begins to work for him to pay off his debt, but stays on after the debt is paid because he longs to learn to create beautiful pots himself. Sent to the royal court to show the king's emissary some new pottery, Tree-ear makes a long journey filled with disaster and learns what it means to have true courage. This quiet story is rich in the details of life in Korea during this period. Story in voice.

TUESDAY 14 Sept @ 7pm: Mr. Darcy's Diary with Marian Dragovar

Miss Dragovar has stolen Mr. Darcy's Diary! Come enjoy the spoils as as she reveals Fitzwilliam's secrets over tea. (Jane Austen fans will enjoy this alternative retelling of Pride & Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view; "Mr. Darcy's Diary" by Amanda Grange, as read by Marian Dragovar to benefit War Child)

MONDAY, September 13 at 7:00pm - More from SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

A family washed to shore on a seemingly deserted island in the Pacific, circa 1812. They salvage everything they can from the wreck of the ship that was transporting them to the new colonies in order to build an unexpectedly simple life on the island.

As they are drawn closer together as a family, what new and unexpected challenges do they face?

Author and pastor Johann David Wyss was inspired by Defoe's Robinson Crusoe to create an adventure which would thrill and instruct his children, and the saga of the Swiss Family Robinson was born.

Presented Live in Voice.

THIS WEEK at the WOI Library: September 13 - 19

It's Almost Half-Way to Saint Patrick's Day . . . Look for an important announcement about the WOI at the end of the Week, and lots more great stories through out it:

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

Monday, September 13 at 7:00pm: Swiss Family Robinson with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, Setpember 14 at 7:00pm: Mr. Darcy's Diary with Marian Dragovar

Wednesday, September 15 at 7:00pm: Part I: A Single Shard with Gina Pralou.

Thursday, September 16 at 7:00pm: Great Irish Stories of the Super Natural with Seanchai Shandon Loring

Saturday, September 18 at 2:30pm: Legends of Leprechauns with Seanchai Shandon Loring

Also . . . MORE WOI Storytellers across the Grid

Sunday, September 19 at 3pm: Pirate Stories with the WOI Storytellers at The Fruit Islands.


Stories all read Live in VOICE. Click on the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk at the WOI Library for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks for events happening "off-campus."

Thursday September 9th at 7pm: SHAMROCK & SPEAR

Shamrock & Spear: Tales and Legends from Ireland

Enchanting legends and tales, some romantic, some heroic, some comedic. All sharing the supernatural forces that are never very far away on the Emerald Isle.

WEDNESDAY 8 Sept @ 7pm: "The Musgrave Ritual" with Sherlock Holmes and Bear Silvershade

Sherlock Holmes himself narrates this tale of missing domestic servants, an ancient family ritual, and the riddle that brings all the factors together. Join Bear Silvershade as he shares this story in voice.

TUESDAY 7 Sept @ 7pm: Crap Mariner and 100 Word Stories

From Crap himself:
Now that you've heard the best storytellers in Second Life, how about a break from all that excellence?

It's time once again for some less-than-wholesome and somewhat deranged 100 word stories from the disturbed windup robot Crap Mariner.

This event will be performed in Voice and will use sound loops, so be sure to have both turned on.

Remember: If it sucks, it'll be over quickly.

MONDAY, September 6 at 7:00pm - Swiss Family Robinson

Caledonia shares selections from Johann David Wyss' 1812 classic SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON.

Inspired by Defoe's ROBINSON CRUSOE, the Swiss pastor Wyss wanted to write an adventure from which his own children would learn, as the father in the story teaches important lessons to his children. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON was first published in 1812 ans was translated into English two years later. It was made into a motion picture by Walt Disney in 1960 which starred British Actor John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, and James MacArthur among others.

Presented Live in Voice.

THIS WEEK at the WOI Library: September 6 - 12

September! And time for so many things to start! can you smell the sharpened pencils and new shoes? well, we smell lots of great stories:

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


Sunday, September 5 at 3pm: Library Tea Party and Exhibit Dedication

Monday, September 6 at 7:00pm: Swiss Family Robinson with Caledonia Skytower

Tuesday, Setpember 7 at 7:00pm: THE CRAP IS BACK! More100 Word Stories with Crap Mariner

Wednesday, September 8 at 7:00pm: "The Musgrave Ritual" as A SUMMER OF SHERLOCK continues.

Thursday, September 9 at 7:00pm: Shamrock & Spear with Seanchai Shandon Loring


Also . . . MORE WOI Storytellers across the Grid

Sunday, September 12 at 5pm: Southern Gal Stories with Derry McMahon at The Full Cup Cafe

at 6pm: More Swiss Family Robinson with Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park


Stories all read Live in VOICE. Click on the Large Green Leather Book by the Librarian's desk at the WOI Library for a notecard with this schedule and embedded landmarks for events happening "off-campus."

SUNDAY 5 Sept @ 3pm: Library Tea Party and Opening of New Exhibit

Join the WOI Storytellers for fact and fiction about tea, as we open the latest exhibit. There will be tea, treats, dainty cheese sandwiches, and great stories. Stories in voice.

Thursday September 2nd at 7pm: "FURTHER TALES OF UNCLE REMUS"

Brer Rabbit is causing trouble again for all his friends and enemies. Join us for tales of Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Brer Wolf, Brer Tarrypin, Miz Cricket, the Doodang, and scores of others!

The Uncle Remus tales, originally written down by Joel Chandler Harris, were first published over a hundred years ago, and serve as the largest collection of African-American folklore.

09/02/2010