The Okal Rel Universe in evolution and in the world.

 

Today's Okal Rel Universe presentation: "The Creative Campfire of Science Fiction", will take place at 3:30 pm today in the beautiful Bentley Centre of the University of Northern B.C. Many, many thanks to the organizers, especially Dr. Robert Budde and Bridges convener Joanna Smythe; to the Bookstore in the person of manager Mardeana Berg; the awesome Barry Wong of copy services at UNBC; Publisher Brian Hades for putting books on a Greyhound for us last night; David Lott for taking the day off to help and wearing his Ann T-Shirt!; Jennifer Lott for helping me organize; performers Tegan, Holly, Jennifer and Mel for working up the role-play skit; Paul Strickland for organizing bios of Okal Rel contributors and supporters; Steph or Conrad for agreeing to video the event; Elizabeth Woods for organizing the readings by anthology authors on Saturday and Janet Marren, Community Outreach Librarian of the Prince George Public Library, for making the Saturday readings part of Bridges.

For more about the Bridges Festival celebrating community and the arts see:

• Bridges Poster


• Bridges Schedule

Labels: Angela Lott, Appearances, Brian Hades, Bridges, David Lott, Elizabeth Woods, Jennifer Lott, Paul Strickland, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 07:57   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


Many thanks to Paul Strickland, we have bios coming in from people whose invaluable contributions make the Okal Rel phenomenon possible. Today I've been working on the one for Brian Hades, collected by Paul, and prepared as a PDF document for sharing in print at Bridges, June 11-13 2009 at the University of Northern B.C. The Edge launch for their next batch of books - including Okal Rel titles - conflicts with Bridges dates, or I might have been able to lure Brian out to Prince George to appear in person. Maybe another day!

Labels: Brian Hades, Bridges, Paul Strickland

posted by Lynda at 08:30   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Backgrounder on Friend of the ORU Kathy Plett in DOC format

For a long time I've wanted to honor the awesome people who get behind the Okal Rel Universe in such diverse ways. I've talked about collectable people cards, an "ORU in the World" book (which Marie Bilodeau still have dibs on doing) for the Okal Rel Legacies collection, and sundry other half-baked ideas. Finally, thanks to friend-of-the-ORU Paul Strickland, it is going to start happening in time to have a handful of deliverables for Bridges at UNBC in June! Thank you SO much Paul! The Okal Rel Universe is very fortunate to have your support and the loan of your talents for this project. Paul was a reporter with the Prince George Citizen for many years, and has a masters degree in history. He's been a literary friend and fellow lower of all the many oceans of knowledge "out there" to swim in since we met years ago at a Citizen get together in The National (the nearest bar) where I was visiting with then news editor Peter Miller. I worked as reporter for the Prince George Citizen when I was fresh from my B.A. in Liberal Arts, before going back to school. KP, as Kathy Plett is affectionately known by her colleagues and staff at the College of New Caledonia and on boards and working groups across town, the province of B.C. and beyond, is one of the most awesome librarians and administrators I know. And a real friend. She personifies good things, for me, about post secondary education and the role of libraries in particular: a friend of the ORU, indeed, but so much more as well. A true friend of knowledge, creativity and scholarship. Among the many accomplishments she'll never brag about herself, she is the engine behind CNC Press.

Labels: Backgrounder, Bridges, Paul Strickland

posted by Lynda at 08:23   2 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 2 comments links to this post

 

• Exchanged e-mail with Paul Strickland who is working on a few profiles for Bridges to feature a handful of the wonderful people who intersect the Okal Rel Universe. Paul is struggling through the painful work of sorting out family estate business, as well. Remember, Paul, Rel pilots make dock! That's my way of saying somedays it is winning just to survive.




• Received a nice "hail" from ORU-friendly contact Tatjana Takseve (formerly Chorney), who teaches English at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. She has passed along my call for ideas about taking part in Bridges in June and the invitation to take part in anthologies to her students. She says life has become more complex for her her in a good way, which intrigued me! But that's all I got. I do know she's spending time in Europe this year for work-related reasons. She is a renaissance lit scholar. I recommended her to Marie Bilodeau as a possible inclusion in the first book of people who intersect the ORU. I am hoping Paul's profiles will contribute to Marie's work, too.




• Also heard from Reg Feyer of CFIS FM 93.1 about my offer to bring copies of Part 3: Pretenders to the interview for his station next Monday, as gifts for callers. He says "Sure. Bring some books. We don't often get callers, but you never know." So if you know someone who wants a copy, get them to tune in to CFIS FM 93.1 Monday March 9, 2009 at 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and give us a call.

Labels: Bridges, Marie Bilodeau, Paul Strickland, Reg Feyer, Tatjana Chorney

posted by Lynda at 08:08   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

I hope that your work on your next book is going well. I know you and  
Brian have a pretty aggressive publication schedule set out, and I'm  
sure it's a daunting task to bring all of the storylines in your head  
to the page. sometimes it can feel so limiting to put things on the  
page -- suddenly, the events are all so defined. Often I prefer the  
liberties I can take in my imagination before stories become trapped  
in the bindings of a book.
             from an e-mail message Feb 22, 2009

This comment from ORU editor Richard Janzen struck a resonance with me, as I take a deep breath and face tackling book 7. Miss Alison. Grateful for the support of Brian Hades, Justyn Perry, Marie Bilodeau and Lynn Perkins on the publishing front. Paul Strickland recently volunteered to help with profiles of first expansion and other "connected" people for Bridges in June 2009. Krysia Anderson gave me a nice surprise last night, when I got home from a long day of wrestling with ergonomic problems at work, by engaging in discussion of her short story in progress for anthology 4. And I read a bit of the post-wedding scene that book 7 starts with, in which Sam O'Pearl is contratulating herself on pulling off a trick event-of-the-century ... just before Eler starts a brawl.

Labels: Alison Sinclair, Brian Hades, Lynn Perkins, Paul Strickland, Richard Janzen

posted by Lynda at 08:18   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Google alerts snagged a couple of echoes of recent events: A LisWire article about Brian Hades, my good friend and intrepid publisher, and an news item about the SF Creatives meetings by Prince George friend of literature of all kinds, Paul Strickland. Looks like the Captain Fantasy title is going to stick for Brian Hades. And hope Anita found her sleeping bag! She put up a whole tribe of us at her house for World Fantasy Con in Calgary - definitely above and beyond the call of duty.

Labels: Brian Hades, Liswire, Paul Strickland, SF Creatives

posted by Lynda at 04:46   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Labels: Book Launch, David Lott, Freeblades Fencing Club, Krysia, Mel, Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Paul Strickland, Prince George Public Library, Stephen St. Laurent, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 09:20   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


Last but not least, click the picture for a link to a page of picture taken by my husband David Lott at the Prince George launch for Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Jan 29 2008. He didn't put up all the shots he took! So I've added this one from the set, here, to feature Stephen St. Laurent and Michelle Cry-Whiting who spiced up the proceedings with their media presence. Big thank-you, as well, to Citizen reporter Paul Strickland for coming out. Betsy Trumpener put in an appearance with family as a member of the audience. I was also delighted to have fellow SF author Nathalie Mallet in the audience.


Big thank you, as well, to the readers: Krysia Anderson (who did a great job of reading from her story "Ladylike" in the 2nd Anthology), Paul Strickland (who read the Horth as a child at Amel's genotyping reception scene from Righteous Anger), Hal Friesen (who read from his forthcoming story for the 3rd anthology featuring a run in with Di Mon), and Gareth of the UNBC Fencing Club (who read the lead up to the fight in the arena on SanHome from Righteous Anger).


In costume for the event, we had Mel and Kailey as Di Mon and Ranar, and Tegan as a Golden Demish princess. I wore my red velvet cloak which I think of as Vretla Vrel's "dress up" attire for Demish receptions. On the table at the back of the roome, for show and tell, we had samples of braid worked in thread which a few members of the audience had fun playing with after the main event. I am in the debt of helpers Angela, Tegan, Mel and Kailey for helping with set up. And, of course, my husband David Lott too the pictures and helped with nearly everything from picking up treats to driving us to the event. Angela Lott made me the little sign behind the chocolates which read "Do not eat if you are Vrellish". Mel Farrow created the braid worn by herself (as Di Mon) and by Tegan (as a Demish princess). The chart explaining which colors went with which house was also created by Mel for the event. Art for the third anthology, by Richard Bartrop, was on display as a poster. I also gave away a commemorative postcard, to readers and others doing presentations, which featured the 3rd anthology artwork. Also on display was the ORU plaque given to me for Xmas by Lisa O. After the readings and costume presentations we had a fencing demonstration by the UNBC Freeblades Fencing Club, MC'd by their president Gareth Hopkins.

Much thanks to all participants and attendees! And if you weren't there this time, plan to do something for the next launch (Book #3: Pretenders in the fall) or to come out and see what other people come up with.

Labels: Book Launch, Gareth Hopkins, Hal Friesen, Krysia, Mel, Michelle Cyr-Whiting, Nathalie Mallet, Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Paul Strickland, Righteous Anger, Stephen St. Laurent

posted by Lynda at 06:46   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

The PG Citizen covered of the book launch of the Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2 at the PG Public Library on Jan 29, 2008. I suspect the author was Paul Strickland since he was the reporter who attended, and also read. Thank you Paul! An extract from the article is repeated below.

People read from their favourite passages in the new anthology and in Williams's associated novel, Righteous Anger. Then members of the UNBC Freeblades Fencing Club, led by president Gareth Hopkins, demonstrated various fencing techniques because these figure prominently in disputes between characters in key chapters of Righteous Anger. During a brief talk, Hopkins outlined the history of fencing as a sport.

Labels: fencing, Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Paul Strickland, PG Public Library

posted by Lynda at 00:00   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post