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Thursday
Aug 26 2010

Back to the Blog and news of Norse

Really did mean to get back to the blog much more quickly after my return from Newfoundland.  As ever, stuff happened -- including a tad of wrestling with the technology.  The memories remain, of course: the SC-CC Conference with its great gathering of old friends and new ones to be found; the thought and careful planning that had gone into everything; the amazing sunset over hills and ponds seen from the bus on the return from Brigus after the Saturday night concert.  Then, there was the after Conference time: walking, visiting, lapping up the scenery, whale watching, gannet gazing and puffin viewing for nine whole days.

Our return brought good news for Two Women Productions.  We have our grant from the Canada Council.  We can go full steam ahead.  Mind you, what we have at the top of of thoughts right now is the upcoming weekend for the telling of Norse myth -- From Creation to Ranarok , no less.  Twenty tellers and ten listeners will be descending upon our lakeside home.  We'll start on Friday evening at 6.30 and should be done (with ample breaks for eating, drinking and carousing) by noon on Sunday.

As ever, I am consumed with interest in these tales.  My part is to tell the story of Loki's last quarrel with the gods and his final, terrible imprisonment -- bound in a cave, between three rocks, a serpent's venom set constantly to drip upon him.  It's the quarrel I find most fascinating.  There is Loki who has caused the death of Balder, the most beloved of the gods, and who still has the audacity to show up for the annual harvest feast.  I think, yes, of course that's what he'd do.  He'd tough it out.  He'd go on, taunting and taunting, showing no remorse.  By this point he has to.  There are ways in which he cannot help himself.  He must drive himself to his own doom.  I see the contemporary connections, the universality of his stance.

If you're interested, we still have a few listener spaces.  Just let me know and I'll send you the details.  These long tellings offer opportunities like no other -- a chance to listen and hear in a whole new way.

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