For MU writers, free class
Start Writing Fiction @FutureLearn
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction
Thought this might be of interest to someone.
Updates from April, 2015 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Elle
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Ryan
S is for Serious Play
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Oona
I found it interesting when he talked about the little boy trying on the fireman’s costume wanting to know what it felt like to be a fireman. Its obvious but yet the way it was worded, made me think a little differently about some things in SL.
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Ryan
Creative Commons License 4UR Flickr?
I was surfing through the Medici University photo group on Flickr, looking for images to use with a new post in Astrid’s April A-2-Z Challenge, and was disappointed to discover that the majority of photos there are “© All Rights Reserved” and can’t be used by anyone for anything. 🙁
I realize a lot of MU Learners are very controlling (ha! It’s like D/s University around here!) but it also occurred to me that some MU peeps might simply not know that Flickr defaults to ©ARR and that it’s so easy to set it for a creative commons sharing license under the terms of your choice. I’ll show you the how first and then say a bit about the why at bottom.
You can go straight to your “Default License” settings here:
https://www.flickr.com/account/prefs/license
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Myra
Ryan, it’s probably less about being controlling and more about All Rights Reserved being the default setting.
Thanks for the information. I’ll try to set my rights to an appropriate level as soon as I can.
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Neeva
I notice that the pictures uploaded to Flickr directly from the firestorm viewer default to all rights reserved. Anyone have experience changing this?
And btw, any MU learner has my permission to use my pictures that are in the MU Flickr group for MU-related projects. Don’t worry about the copyright notice cuz I hereby grant you permission. I do think it’s extra awesome if you contact me and tell me about the project.
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Oona
Done
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Myra
Q is for Quiescent Mind, and a little about my photos.
Q is for Quiescent Mind. Plus, a little bit about the theme my series has taken on.
Following Oona’s lead, here’s my picture for letter Q. Q is for Quiescent Mind:
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Oona
I’m so glad you are doing this challenge. I don’t think I’d be doing it if it wasn’t for you and the other people who are challenging themselves on Flickr. Its been so fun and surprising. And you definitely have been an inspiration. 🙂
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Myra
Oh, my god. I’m blushing and so complimented. Thank you so much, Oona.
I love what everyone is doing who’s been doing this challenge. I see so much that’s personal and touching and amazing.in the work. And you can see how people are growing and their work is getting better.
I love R is for Regret. You used a simple title, but it’s so full of meaning and subtext. I feel I could write a book just from the inspiration of that one picture.
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Ryan
Wow Myra, your Q is for Quiescent Mind seems to share a little bit with my Q is for Queer Theory! 😀
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Myra
I’m sure that’s where some of my inspiration comes from, Ryan. Marginalized groups, in particular, might be more attune to these ideas.
It’s also a popular theme in art, too. ; )
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rmarie
Thank you Myra. I’ve always been surprised when people assume we are striving to recreate ourselves in SL. Of course, our avatars contain essential components – sometimes unexpected ones – of our typists. But anyway, I love your photo and the notion the SL is a boundless expression of who we areand aren’t. x
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Myra
Ty, rmarie.
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Pearl Grey
I really enjoy and appreciate your photos Myra.
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Neeva
Myra, your series could almost be a tarot deck. It illustrates such a variety of feminine archetypes. It is interesting to see this post juxtaposed with Vaneeesa’s post deconstructing the French Maid.
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Elle
Beautiful work, Myra!
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Myra
Thank you, all, so much for the beautiful thoughts and compliments. MU has been so good for me and that’s because of all the wonderful people I’ve met here. I never could have done these photos on my own.
Love you, all. : )
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Gilda Metherell
Wonderful article
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Dorathy Dayton
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your blog. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems? A couple of my blog audience have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this issue?
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Elvie Mechler
I think that is one of the such a lot vital info for me. And i am satisfied reading your article. But wanna commentary on some basic things, The website style is wonderful, the articles is really great : D. Excellent task, cheers
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velcro.co.uk
I relish, cause I found just what I was taking a look for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
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Elle, and 
Oona is discussing. 
Neeva, and 
Myra are discussing. 
Glad Kidd
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Oona
Aw you silly silly Kidd you. 😉
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Neeva
Oh my email has been sending MU talk notifications to spam and I missed this. I love the image, Glad. And does the puppeteer pull the strings or does the puppet?. The law of gravity says it’s the puppet, at least most of the time.
AlexandreLois1
Oona
R is for Regrets
I’ve gotten the go ahead to post individual posts for A to Z challenges since there aren’t a lot of us doing it. I find it easier to keep track of new stuff on MU Talk anyway to be able to know I haven’t missed anything. So feel free to do the same. Read about my letter R at Flickr or on the blog I share with Ryan.
xo Oona
Jade Ravenheart
Studio Art 12: Life Drawing
This course is focused on drawing live models. With each week varying different models, it provides different flavors to the each session. This is a great way to work out some sketches, and loosen up those hands. If you have any questions please contact Jade Ravenheart (Cynn Blackrain).
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA23/133/18/36
We can be found at this location every Sunday at 10am SLT.
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Izzy
Fantastic!!
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Neeva
I can’t make it this Sunday, I’m away from home…but next week for sure
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Astrid Rimbaud
I’ve not yet been able to attend a class, but today I’m going to try really really really super incredibly hard to make it! So save me a seat!
Vanessa
Unfriended
Interesting review of Unfriended in The Verge, by Emily Yoshida:
Most film and television, no matter the story being told, offers a vision of a world in which humans in developed societies are only at a computer two, three minutes a day. It’s a disbelief we suspend almost without thinking about it, for good reason: watching someone go about their daily business on a computer or smartphone is not very entertaining. But at the same time, art and life are beginning to diverge: there’s a fictional, cinematic world where the bulk of the developments in our daily lives happen in physical spaces, face to face with other people; and our real lives, where more and more of the defining moments in our lives happen on a screen.
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Neeva
That’s a really interesting thought, and not without precedent. People don’t really drink water in movies, either. It is sort of a function of the medium and the requirements of compressed storytelling. You cut out the boring stuff add a liberal helping of conflict. Computing for hours is visually pretty boring on the big screen.
But…I just imagined a movie that was just someone computing for two hours oblivious to surroundings, while in the room and background all this dramatic stuff is visible: car chases, quarrels, people being amorous, alien invasion, flood, zombie apocalypse….then maybe at the end you realize all the stuff going on outside was really a projection of what the person at the computer was experiencing while using the computer. In essence the room and background acts as a giant thought bubble for the character at the computer.
Hmmmm…..so many ideas, so little time.
Ryan
Blogs ARE 4 Writers!
Hiya MU Creative Writers! I know some of you might think a blog is the wrong place for your work. I’d like to suggest thinking about one as a great place to publish your creative writing!
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Pearl Grey
Thanks for posting this Good Ryan.
I think MU people are writing and simply not sharing. Maybe that’s because we all have a lot to do and feel shy about pointing people in the direction of our writing because they are so busy.
I’ve only been to two Wednesday night Crit classes and the impression I got was that it was for things that can be rezzed like 3D objects. I felt sad about it for a while.
I have notebooks with writing, typed documents and also find that a WP blog is a great place to stash projects under the radar.
Some of the people who’ve contributed pieces to my Story Board project don’t consider themselves to be writers yet have written wonderfully. I am hoping that seeing their stories and poems published there will be encouraging to them.
In my Medici University journal at WP is a category for Creative Writing and I have a few pieces stashed there. They aren’t being read, which is fine. There’s a separate blog for some of my virtual reality creative writing here:
https://sometalesofmylives.wordpress.com/I have a good guess who said “blogging is for losers” and thankfully that writer won’t ever be reading my in-need-of-editing short pieces of creative writing. When people aren’t safe to pass through good on their way to great, it is a loss.
I doubt that I’m the only one keeping creative writing low-key. Reading takes time, longer than glancing at a photo for sure.
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Ryan
Hiya Pearl!
I should have specified that YOU and Paypabak are each writing enough to count for a whole department!! My comments were so not about you!!
As for crit class, not to speak for the past or current facilitator, but I’ve always understood it as a place to present any work. Just as there probably isn’t time to TP to some whole other region and look at Bryn Oh’s latest full-sim installations, obviously there wouldn’t be time to read a whole novel or even a chapter of one. But a short story or a few pages of something longer would work.
And for sure it’d be great to have the writing department reading each other’s work. I know that’s been talked about by several people, but perhaps not ever fully launched.
If you can think of a better way to share content, let’s do it! I’m sure MU/Creativity would be happy to help. There have been many MU/C posts on individual artists, but there could also be one on the Writing Department itself, with mini-bios of the participants and some short samples of their work with links to longer.
While it’s not enough all by itself, for sure we should try to be sure to have more peeps websites linked on the URLopolis page:
http://mediciuniversity.co.uk/urlopolis/
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Paypabak Writer
I have a group tag that reads “Tumblr Jourmalist” that makes me smile because I think it’s an oxymoron. Tumblr, I’ve been told, is not for extended writing. Most of my posts are extended. I guess I’m just not reading the rules or don’t give a shit. Or both. (Not supposed to use fragments as sentences, either, I’ve been told.) I write because I feel more or less compelled to do so and blogging fits my compulsion like the latex I love to wear in SL even though in first life I am more likely wearing something loose and well worn.
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Oona
I love that people post links to their latest posts here. Please don’t stop, and if you don’t please start. 🙂
Vanessa
The Sexy French Maid!
What’s up with her??
rmarie is discussing. -
rmarie
Thank you for this deconstruction. The French Maid is one of our most complex enduring icons.
Vanessa
VPA 198 – Portfolios & Proposals
Notes from our organizational meetup:
http://virtualpublicart.com/vpa198-1st-meeting
Newton, -
Pearl Grey
I love Elle and Oona’s proposal as well as some of the others.
I’m not interested in doing a proposal or portfolio of my own but I’d be pleased to help if I can.
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Myra
I might write a testimonial. I wouldn’t have considered myself an artist of any sort before MU, but now I think I have a little cred.
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Elle
Great Pearl & Myra! Help is good. It’s really Oona’s idea, I thought it was a good one and offered to help out if I could.
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Newton
It would be really exciting if a place like MU, where anyone can seriously explore their creativity in an open setting, could become a permanent fixture on some level, similarly to how Chic Aeon’s machinema project has. A rotation of visionaries leading the way really seems like the way to go too. I wish everyone the best in getting these proposals accomplished (and beyond)!
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Astrid Rimbaud
Wooohoo Team continue MU!!
veyot
BAOC Award
The best part of receiving the Big Avatar On Campus Award is being able to choose the next winner, and I choose Pearl Grey. I had been reading her blog, Million Happy Endings, for a long time, so I was happy to find her at MU. She now has a second blog to describe her adventures here. I have especially enjoyed her storyboard contests. If she is not in her studio, you might meet her at the Tai Chi place at MU. In honor of her writing skills, I added a pencil to the trophy. Congratulations, Pearl!
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Izzy
Congratulations Pearl!
Thank you Veyot!
Are there photos? Of the trophy? Of handing it over?
Visuals Please!! 😀
And Congratulations!!!
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Pearl Grey
Thanks everyone!
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Art
Yay pearl! Love your super writing powers and all your collaborative ideas!
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rmarie
Thank you for your kindness and creativity Pearl! It’s great to be inspired by you.
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Neeva
Great choice. Pearl is a cosistant contributor to the campus community and a fine photographer and writer. I’m really pleased to see her recognized. Congratulations Pearl!
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Elle
Another great choice! Congratulations Pearl, well deserved
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Oona
Yay, congrats Pearl!
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Paypabak Writer
Great choice! Congratulations, Pearl!
Vanessa
VPA 198 – Portfolios & Proposals
Virtual Public Art 198 organizational meetings today at 10am & 6pm SLT at MU:Maria:14.
• Get your online portfolio in shape!
• Write a proposal for an LEA Land Grant!
Paypabak Writer
Another lecture. This is about Voice and I have several bloggers to recommend:
Comment here or at my blogsite.
Izzy
Flickerriffic!
Wow, the MU Flickr group now has 729 pix from 40 members in it! We’ve been busy!!
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Myra
Thank Astrid for her challenge. It’s been inspiring and fun.
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Oona
I agree, Astrid’s Challenge has been great for me too. Very fun.
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astridh
I feel like such a rotten lazy bad non-person person. I have not even participated in the challenge! I deserve a good lashing.
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Izzy
Aww, no beating up on yourself! We’ve all got different schedules, priorities, paths!
And besides, all the cool stuff others are doing is only because you brought it up! You empowered others!!
Although, if you really do want a lashing… I’m pretty sure there are a few learners on campus who enjoy that sort of thing! Message me privately for a discreet list of names!! 😛
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Edie
FeelsEmpty is discussing. -
FeelsEmpty
STOP HOUNDING ME
IT WAS OVER TWO YEARS AGO AND I WAS ON COUGH SYRUP
Glad Kidd
Field trip time…
Making time fly…. 
Ryan
The Worst Day Ever
HAPPIER TIMES – In this photo for an upcoming interview with MU/Creativity magazine, taken less than 24 hours before her death, Edie Sedgwick talked about her excitement and optimism for the future.
I have terrible and sad news classmates! 🙁 Edie Sedgwick is dead. Again. Her body was found this morning floating at the bank of the Eleonora Slough near Neeva Torok’s studio. Oona Nostra was the last person to see her alive.
Please read the full report at MU/Creativity and offer any tips you can to help solve this terrible tragedy.
AlexandreLois1 is discussing. -
AlexandreLois1
I looked at her profile now. it is written there
bla bla bla
I’m dead
Paypabak Writer
Not sure where we post our Screen Tests, but here’s mine:
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Edie
Awesome Paypabak! I’ve added it to the page!
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Oona
Yay, how awesome. I love fireworks! Great screentest Paypa!
Newton
"What is Time" Part 1 – Thank You
This morning we had the first part of “Time – What is It?” as part of the continuing Café Sophistry curriculum. It was a pleasure to have the following people present:
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Oona
I hope to make the next meeting. If I can peel myself out of bed that early. 😉
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Newton
Excellent Oona.
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Fanny
Thanks to all allowing Newton to post the log file and thank you, Newton, for having done it. I enjoyed reading it from the first to the last letter without noticing the time it took. I may use the word wrong here but I liked the mood very much.
FeelsEmpty
Art, 
Izzy
Congratulations again Veyot!
I’ve put together a look at the 1st 5 BAOC Award recipients: Neeva, Fanny, Art, Feels & Veyot:
Paypabak Writer
Well deserved! I am planning on doing a video soo! Thanks for you encouraging words and the post about how to do it!
Elle
Yay Veyot! Congratulations.
Neeva
Congratulations Veyot. Well deserved!
Art
Congrats Veyot! And what an awesome post Feels! I dont share campus time with Veyot very often but when I do its always a pleasure! 🙂
Oona
Yay congrats Veyot, definitely deserved!
Izzy
The Golden Rule
I’ve heard about a few incidents recently where 2 or more MU Learners have gotten into a bit of a spat over something. In most cases it seems like no party is being all that mean-spirited, but that we just have different ways of being in this world.
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Neeva
We can get along. Definitely.
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Paypabak Writer
I am just loving the spontaneity and communication going on. Hugs to all!
Vanessa
Public Art 198 – Portfolios & Proposals
Want to see the Medici University adventure continue past 30 June? Here’s your chance! In VPA-198 we’ll create Portfolios & LEA Land Grant Proposals and be ready when the call for “Round 9” LG Proposals comes out!
• Syllabus: Virtual Public Art 198
• Image: Designshack.net
Paypabak Writer
I was chatting with Myra or Neeva or someone at the author event about sailing. I was encouraged to work out a sailing date for creatives at MU and a week from this Saturday, April 17th, after 8:30 am SLT works for me. If I can get something of a consensus about time, we can plan to meet at the Royal Yacht Club, rez sailboats and have a sailing party. I can carry eight folks on my boat, but if there are other sailors among us, the more the merrier.
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Fanny
Yay, Pay, a great idea!
I would love to participate and can carry folks as well. The only thing I have to check is how to prevent schedule collisions on that Friday because 10 am SLT I want to be at the University to visit the VPA 198 meeting. But if I see it right, we do not have a fix time for the sailing event yet.
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Paypabak Writer
It’s not on Friday, but Saturday. Did I have the date wrong? I sure did. It’s the 18th, Saturday!
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Oona
I’d love to go too, if I can get up that early. 🙂
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Paypabak Writer
I am getting a number of people interested but no times. So let’s plan on 11AM SLT. Sign up here. I’ll have an LM soon.
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Fanny
Ok, so I am signing up here. 🙂
I would suggest, though, to correct the date in your opener post where it still says Saturday, April 17th.
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Fanny
I am not sure why, but I seemed having missed it as I just saw a sailing photo in Neeva’s Flickr stream. I have been on campus, though, to see if anyone would be around and thought that you may have canceled the event.
Ryan
No Pants Friday!
9am – 10pm SLT! 13 glorious hours of people in their underwear on the MU campus!
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Paypabak Writer
I’m rarely online on Friday. Oh darn.
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Fanny
Thank you Ryan! We already had a short but intense dance with no pants party at Feel’s studio!
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Art
Your undies got featured giggles
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Newton
What is Time – Sunday 8am SLT
“Time is a fluid condition which has no existence except in the momentary avatars of individual people. There is no such thing as was – only is.
– William Faulkner”
Can time be manipulated? Why does it sometimes pass more quickly? Does the time you put into your virtual life mean something different?
All this and more on Sunday at 8am SLT, Nostradamus 9.
Hearts.
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Elle
Hi Newton,
Thank you for the reminder. I am really looking forward to it!
Vanessa
Jane’s Walk!!
is coming to MU on 1, 2, 3 May!
The Virtual Public Art Class will be giving tours of the MU Campus!!
http://virtualpublicart.com/events/activities/20/
Please check out this awesome podcast from CJSW on Jane’s walk:
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Newton
Wonderful! See you there.
Oona
Alexandre's Class Moved To Sundays
Hi all,
Alexandre asked me to let you know that his class on history will be held on Sundays instead of Thursday. 1PM SLT at Tullia-3.
Way historical figure
offers classes
1. How to make history
2. How to manage history
3. How to create a history
Ryan
National Poetry Month!
Howdy Learners!
I know some of you are participating in #NaNoWriMo this month, but did you know it’s also #NaPoWriMo!?
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Oona
This is fantastic. Never seen spine poetry before. <3
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Neeva
NaPoWriMo Moi?
Please, you can’t be serious
I don’t do Haiku
Aero Bigboots
AlexandreLois1
Ananda Crystal
Andrea Foenander
astrid
Aunt Renie
Aurelia Scheppers
Christa Forster
Ciara Finnegan
Bird on a Cyber Twig
Diptheria
Donnie Archer
Edie
Elle
Emma
Elizabeth Taylor Swift
Fanny
FeelsEmpty
Glad Kidd
Izzy
Jade Ravenheart
Kate Nova
Ken Doll
Mary Anning
Meg O'Ryan
Michael Masucci
Mireille
Molly Ross
Monerda Skute
Myra
Neeva
Newton
Michel Nostradamus
Oona
Oscar
Owen
Patrick J. Sweetman
Paypabak Writer
Pearl Grey
Rebecca Narum
rmarie
Ryan
Scarlett Luv
Sello Tape
Serra Qendra
Teresa of Avila
The Knight
Tiffany Mosienko
TrilbyM
Tullia Aragona
Vanessa
veyot
wendz tempest
Xue
Yellow Fever
Ysidora Pico
Yves
Zsophia
Izzy 20:48 on 20/04/2015 Permalink |
Awesome Elle!
If anyone (everyone? 🙂 Participates, we should all chime in HERE so peeps can go through it together or compare notes or work, etc!
Astrid Rimbaud 21:35 on 20/04/2015 Permalink |
I love this! How exciting! Care if I share? Yes compare notes and work and have readings at.. La Poeme 😛
Elle 22:04 on 20/04/2015 Permalink |
Astrid,
Yes, please feel free to share the link/info.
I forgot to mention, one of the nice things about FutureLearn is that they usually keep the class content available for a good while after class is officially done (for those who have enrolled). It is great for people who fall behind.
Astrid Rimbaud 21:50 on 21/04/2015 Permalink |
🙂 yay!