The Okal Rel Universe in evolution and in the world.

 

Michelle Milburn's new look for the Okal Rel Universe website is featured in the centre of this collage of beautiful moments from the reading at the Lott residence last Saturday, May 30, 2009. I love the snuggle picture with David and Angela. Tegan is pictured being distracted by our cat, Honey. Krysia came out looking radiant in the pose she intended as a joke! With the light from the window behind her she actually almost glows! The crepes finally made it into a Saturday morning picture this time. Holly evaded capture by taking the pictures. Nice shots! And, although it isn't related to what we read on Saturday, I've enjoyed hearing Angela and Catherine's impressions of Throne Price as they make their way through it. Catherine is nearing the end. Angie finished reading it (for the second time) a few days ago. I'm still queasy about Throne Price sometimes, having never expected a young readership, but I continue to be surprised and gratified by the intelligence teenagers bring to analyzing the disturbing aspects of that book. I take full responsibility for the 'disturbing' part, of course. But it was motivated by a desire to underscore how unacceptable abusive behavior always is, no matter who is guilty of it or with what excuse.

Labels: reading

posted by Lynda at 08:14   2 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 2 comments links to this post

 

Here's the gang at last Saturday's reading. Not shown in the picture are David Lott and Lynda Williams. Many pancakes were eaten. Holly read from Artemis Fowl (her fictional namesake has just been kidnapped and is about to meet Artemis) and Lynda read from Part 6: Avim's Oath. Tegan is writing fan fic on Deviant Art but we haven't been able to convince her to read any to us yet. Also in the picture are Angela, Mel and Sid.

Labels: reading

posted by Lynda at 09:13   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Just love this Saturday morning picture of my husband David Lott and our middle daughter Angela with the cat, Honey, in the background. Every Saturday morning we hold a crepe breakfast at our house for the family and any friends who drop by, followed by a reading. I read from what I'm working on. Guests read from their own work, or from favorite books. (Angie's friend Holly is currently regaling us with the adventures of Artemis Fowl.) It charges my rel-batteries for another busy week. :-)

Labels: Angela Lott, David Lott, reading

posted by Lynda at 07:33   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Here's some shots of the CFIS 93.1 studio where I read aloud the first chapter of The Courtesan Prince, last week. The community radio station will use segments of the reading on their Storytellers feature, Monday nights.


This is station manager Reg Feyer.

Labels: CFIS 93.1, reading

posted by Lynda at 13:41   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Twelve of us turned up at Books & Co for the first meeting of the SF Creatives - a reading, writing, art and discussion group focused on genre fields like science fiction, fantasy and its ilk. We are less worried about definitions than a shared spirit of enjoying and discovering each other's work and interests. SF Creatives is hosted by myself and Nathalie Mallet at Books & Company. Most of last night's readings were from the ORU or Nathalie's novel Princes of the Golden Cage, but Rachel - who attended with her father Kirk - also read from a fantasy title with the word "Wind" in its name which was by an author who attended VCON, Nathalie told me, and whose name I can't remember. Grr. Help, anyone? (Help provided in comments: Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind.) One artist put in an appearance - thank you Gareth. A couple of attendees were deviants (i.e. members of Deviant Art). Angie picked the section of Righteous Anger that I read aloud. She recommended the arena scene on SanHome where Horth proves his genius with a sword despite his ill-advised decision not to wear a fencing mask. Nicole read the 'How to deal with real girls' passage between Chester and Von in The Courtesan Prince. Kirk Morgan read the opening of Princes of the Golden Cage, where Amir is drawn into a magical murder investigation despite his preference for scientific explanations. Kim, of Books & Company, sat in. She writes fantasy. Three parent-child groups of two or three attended including myself and Angie, Nicole and parents and the Morgans, which I find sort of special. Kim was a nifty discovery. Some good discussion took place with some mutual questions and answers. Which is what art is all about for me - exploring how we cope with life.

We'll be creating a mailing list for the group. Anyone interested in being on it should notify david@okalrel.org

Next meetings are: Wednesday Nov 12, 7-9 pm and Wednesday December 10, 7-9 pm.

We plan to continue in 2009 with a new set of dates.

Many thanks to Books and Company for letting us take over Cafe Voltaire for the evening.

Labels: Books and Company, reading, SF Creatives

posted by Lynda at 08:02   5 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 5 comments links to this post

 
I was one of an intrepid group of diverse readers and musicians performing at the UNBC coffee house last night, with intermittant competition from a loudly buzzing light in the Atrium. Enjoyed it all more than I had anticipated! Not that I don't usually enjoy listening to readings, but the short-and-many format worked well and it has been a long time since I got the chance to sit in the audience at the arts scene. I showed off Righteous Anger and Okal Rel Anthology 2 as well as reading from YA fantasy work in progress, from my new Fanga Stone series. Much thanks to Dee, who MC'd, read, and sold copies of Rebecca Bradley's Lateral Truth, for throwing the gig. Writers - check out her innovative creation, Scrollinspace, online.

The line up last night included: Dee Horne, Mike Stanyer, Lisa Dickson, Kevin Hutchings, Brenda Koller, Jay Lewyn, Ann Tiffany, Jeremy Stewart, Rob Budde, Adam Pottle, Tonia Mills, Justin Foster, Ken Belford, Si Transken, Lynda Williams and Bud Baldry whose short reading from Chapter 11 of his novel-in-eternal-progress about the life of a skinny insurance salesman was delightfully funny. Ken and Si are always uplifting. Appreciated Si's poetic tribute to the unsung and underpaid women of the social services world and Ken's encounter with a grizzly, so remarkable for being an ordinary run-in between beings who share a world - or in this case a tent. Always have a soft spot for Robert Budde's "Poem" poems, about how a poem would contend with the world as a character in everyday situations. The "poem" poems, as this series is known, highlight how bizzare so-called normal experience is, in the face of "poem"'s inquisitive, meaning-conscious efforts to interact. Jennifer Lott, my daughter, attended and remarked to me afterwards about Adam Pottle's story of securing a Barbie doll to photograph for the cover of his chapbook. Missed Dee, Lisa and Mike's readings because I have to run off to do a driving chore for family. Maybe next time! Came back in time to catch Kevin Hutchings' last William Blake song on the guitar. Always had the image of Blake as a dry, bible-thumping type for some reason so hearing about his musical side and some of the Blake quotes Jeremy Stewart favors, has been an education on that front. Kevin reminded us it is Blake's 250th anniversary this year and there are celebrations all over the world to commemorate his life and work.

Labels: Dee Horne, reading, UNBC

posted by Lynda at 09:08   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post