Hosted by Daniel Marcus and Laura Blackwell, Story Hour is a livestream speculative reading program that sprang to life way back in the chaotic world of 2020.
I first met Laura at Fearscapes 2021 and was thrilled when she invited me to appear on the program.
Unfortunately, my youngest kid went down with Covid this week (before quickly bouncing back) and we were in isolation for the four days preceding the show. Of course, because the Universe is such a witty, little prankster, I woke up the morning of the reading with a wicked sore throat and an ominous sense of impending doom. I drank my lemon and honey tea, crossed my fingers, took my medicine and, luckily for me, didn't fully tank until after the scheduled reading. Hurray!
I'm so glad that I was able to participate, because I had the honour of reading alongside Craig Laurance Gidney, a wonderful storyteller and author of such titles as A Spectral Hue, Sea Swallow Me & Other Stories, Bereft and the forthcoming The Nectar of Nightmares.
Craig read Beneath the Briar Patch - a story from his upcoming collection The Nectar of Nightmares - a comedic, dark and luscious folktale retelling, centred on the rivalry between Fox and Rabbit.
I read By Anchor and Asphalt and The Whelk, both of which share themes of loss, longing, and the connection between land and sea.
By Anchor and Asphalt follows a mother's quest to dodge a grim fate, while, in The Whelk, a conflicted tree spirit searches for a new sense of home and sisterhood.
Many thanks to Daniel and Laura for hosting, and to Craig Laurance Gidney for his spellbinding reading!
You can check out the readings here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=notif&v=299122465523852
And, if you're keen to learn more about Story Hour and Craig Laurance Gidney's work, check out the links below:
Craig Laurance Gidney:
Story Hour:
https://www.storyhour2020.com/
