The feature reader for the next Electric Mermaid live reading event will be Port Alberni artist Shelley Penner.
Penner has always been a creator in many disciplines—drawing, painting and photography, as well as writing.
“I have always had a head full of stories,” she said. “As a child I would put myself to sleep by living scenes in my imagination until I dozed off.”
“I didn’t just make up stories,” she added. “I became a part of them, I felt all the emotional nuances of the characters. Eventually, my head became so full of those imaginary people, demanding their chance to be made real in words, that I just had to start writing.”
On Friday, Feb. 18 at 5:45 p.m., the original Port Alberni literary venue Electric Mermaid will broadcast via Zoom and with a brick-and-mortar presence at Char’s Landing on Argyle Street.
Penner will be reading from her new book, Random Words (RCN Media, February 2022). Inspired by a random word list writing exercise, the stories in Random Words immerse the reader in a range of human emotions and imaginative situations.
Penner’s other works include From the Shores of Eden, Dream Weaver, Haven Hold, Brothers of the Heart, Nature’s Wisdom and Art on the Rocks.
Penner’s early literary influences include Andre Norton—the queen of sci-fi—and Marion Zimmer Bradley.
“Shelley’s work is so impressive, and she’s found a home with a regional publisher,” said Electric Mermaid creative director Jacqueline Carmichael. “We’re thrilled that she is going to be our feature reader, and we invite friends and readers to tune in or stop by in person for this event.”
Emcee for the event is Derek Hanebury. The Zoom producer for the event is Charlene Patterson. Karl Korven is the event moderator.
The event will be conducted live simultaneously on Zoom and at Char’s Landing. As usual, there will be a curated open mic, and writers wishing to get on Luma’s List to read their work for up to five minutes that evening are invited to email Karl Korven at electricmermaidreads@gmail.com.
The Zoom link can be found at www.charslanding.com.