The Newsletter of the Mythic Imagination Institute, a Non-profit Arts and Education Corporation
      in preparation for Mythic Journeys 2004 in Atlanta, GA
February/March, 2004
Progress Report

Fantastic New Guests!

Peter S. Beagle We are so pleased to announce that Peter Beagle, the award-winning author of The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, The Folk of the Air, The Innkeeper's Song, and Tamsin is joining the guest list for Mythic Journeys. His books have been listed as some of the finest fantasy fiction ever created. He has also written short stories, screenplays, non-fiction, and poetry, and recently finished the screen play for a film version of A Fine and Private Place. Peter Beagle is an accomplished singer/songwriter who delights audiences in English, Yiddish, French and German.

Learn more about Peter Beagle at his web site www.peterbeagle.com

Janis Ian In 1966, at the age of 15, Janis Ian's career exploded with the release of her controversial tale of teenage interracial love, "Society's Child." The self-penned song topped the charts and created a storm of controversy that featured Ian on The Tonight Show and in Life, Time and Newsweek. Since then, she has released 18 albums, garnered Grammy nominations and awards, and been recorded by superstars. She has written music for films and television, and seen her album Night Rains become the #1 gold and platinum records in Australia, Holland, Africa, England, and a multitude of other countries. In the early 80's, Ian took time off to study acting with Stella Adler, also studying ballet with Dora Krannig of the Royal Ballet. In 2003, Ian added author to her long list of accomplishments with the publication of her first book project, an anthology titled Stars: Stories Based on the Lyrics of Janis Ian.

In addition to writing, performing, and recording, Ian also runs The Pearl Foundation, an IRS-approved organization that raises funds for college scholarships. Ian's latest project before commencing her 2004 world tour is The Making of a CD, a real-time walk-through of the creative process that will be featured on her website in six installments. An unprecedented look into the world of recording. Janis Ian writes a monthly column for Performing Songwriter magazine, was monthly columnist for five years for The Advocate, is a regular lecturer (Master Classes) Berklee College, Boston, and a yearly lecturer (Art of Performing, Art of Songwriting, Master Class in Artistry) for same. She has guest lectured for Belmont University, Learning Annex Los Angeles & San Francisco, Virgnia State Thespian Conference, and various other institutions and schools.

Learn more about Janis Ian at her web site www.janisian.com

Ulla Suokko New York City-based concert artist Ulla Suokko, enjoys a versatile international career sharing the magic of music, poetry and stories throughout the world. Active both as a soloist and chamber musician, she has been featured in some of New York City’s most prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall and Miller Theater, appearing at the Lincoln Center Festival, American Composers Orchestra concerts, Museum of Modern Art's Summergarden series among others. Her international tours include Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Ulan Bator and Gobi desert in Mongolia; Baku, Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, the Georgian Republic; and Tokyo, Japan.

In January 2003 the New York Flute Club presented Ulla Suokko in a solo recital in CAMI Hall in New York City in a theatrical program including three world premieres of works written exclusively for her: seven poetic Miniatures by Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, a powerful dramatic musical theater piece Mad Lady Macbeth by Francis Schwartz and Marcelo Toledo’s Bibliografia del Silencio for amplified bass flute and tape. Performing regularly with some of New York’s best contemporary music ensembles, she is a member of Continuum®, and a regular flutist for Columbia University’s Composers’ Concerts, Ms. Suokko enjoys collaboration with composers, and the process of exploring and inspiring new works for her instrument.

Ms. Suokko was selected as the Performer of the Year 2002 by the Finlandia Foundation National Trust. This brought her creative and cherished programs of stories, music and poetry to audiences nationwide. In these entertaining and informative performances she leads the listener on a musical and poetic exploration of humanity, building a bridge between traditions and contemporary culture. An advocate of the healing power of music, Dr. Suokko was one of the musicians who brought music to the relief workers and to the families of the victims of the WTC tragedy. She played over 40 concerts in St. Paul’s Chapel at ground zero. She also brings concerts to hospitals, nursing homes, children’s advocacy centers and into the homes of hospice-care patients. Complementing her musical work, she gives workshops on peak performance, stress release, relaxation techniques, listening, communicating, and improvisation, as well as on the healing and transformational power of music. Her improvised, soothing solo flute CD, Bridge of Light, is an invocation for peace, balance, harmony and love. In her spare time Ms. Suokko enjoys reading, writing, movies, studying languages and sports.

Fascinated by the poise and power of the martial arts, she practices Okinawan Shorin Ryu karate. She also embraces the passion and poetry of flamenco dancing, studying in the class of Maestro Victorio Korhjan in New York. Learn more about the fascinating Ulla Suokko at her web site www.ullasuokko.com



Be sure to take a look at the Web site for a complete list of participants. We'll update it regularly!


Mythic Journeys T-shirts Are Available Now!

Amaze your friends, demoralize your foes, and be the envy of all the other kids on your block and all the surrounding blocks in your new Mythic Journeys or Mythic Imagination t-shirts.

That's right, you can make a powerful fashion statement and support the Mythic Imagination Institute at the same time. These high-quality garments, featuring our logos printed on 100% heavy cotton T-shirts, are available in small, medium, large, XL, and XXL, and feature our logos printed on The Mythic Journeys shirts feature the logo (above) in hunter green on a beige parchment colored shirt. The Mythic Imagination shirt is available in white with a blue logo (below) or denim blue with a white logo.

The white Mythic Imagination shirt is also available in XXXL.


$15.00 (Includes shipping within the United States. For international shipping, please add $5.00).

Click here to order online using PayPal.

To order by check, please send your payment to:

Mythic Imagination
P. O. Box 669817
Marietta, Georgia 30066-0114

Be sure to let us know which shirt or shirts you want, the sizes, and the shipping information!

New Sponsors!

Borders

We are pleased to announce that Borders is now a Titan level sponsor of Mythic Journeys, and will be the official bookstore of Mythic Journeys. Borders Group has more than 1,200 Borders and Waldenbooks stores around the world. Borders Group, Inc., is a publicly held Fortune 500 company with sales of $3.4 billion. Borders Group operates more than 445 Borders superstores in the U.S.; 37 Borders stores outside the U.S., located primarily in the U.K. and the Pacific Rim; 36 Books etc. stores throughout Great Britain; and approximately 750 Waldenbooks stores in malls across America. Teamed with Amazon.com, the company also offers online shopping through www.borders.com and www.waldenbooks.com. Look for Mythic Journeys displays in Georgia Borders superstores in April.

Marsh Cove Productions

Marsh Cove Productions has joined our growing list of sponsors as an Argonaut level sponsor. Marsh Cove Productions, Inc. represents a dramatic shift away from plot lines driven by special effects to stories that have somehow managed to survive the test of time. Each tale comes from a rich oral heritage of storytelling that expresses a profound life lesson. These folk tales have a sense of simplicity, humor and irony that is often neglected in children's programs. Although these tales come from a variety of cultures and places, they share common values and a concern for humanity.

Marsh Cove Productions, Inc. enables children and their families to explore these stories in a variety of ways. As a result, each child is able to develop a more personal understanding of a story while also exercising and developing a range of intelligences. Rather than give children a variety of unrelated games, art projects and worksheets to complete, our approach builds on the child's interest in a story and then integrates the activities around the fundamental elements of the story. Look for Marsh Cove at the Mythic Journeys Marketplace.


Ancient Spirit,
Modern Voice

On Wednesday, June 2, pre-conference guests and sponsors will be escorted to a special Gala Reception at the DeFoor Centre (only a 10-minute drive from the Hyatt) where our community and cultural outreach project "Ancient Spirit, Modern Voice: the Mythic Journeys Art Exhibition" is on display. Come join us (along with many of the participating artists) in an evening of multi-cultural art and music. Surround yourself with museum quality paintings, photography, prints and sculpture in a mythically-charged atmosphere of transformational art.


Want to Volunteer?

If you'd like to volunteer to join the Mythic Imagination team, click here.

Over and above our normal request for volunteers to help before and during the conference, we have an immediate need for people with a firm skill set in the fields to work on our Public Relations Team. People working in this position will handle specific pr beats, should be self-starters capable of working in an autonomous manner. We really need folks who have worked on media campaigns, have experience doing print/TV/radio pitches, writing press releases and press kits, and developing media relations strategies. We are also looking for people with a background in professional journalism, PR interns, or public relation and journalism students.

Additionally, we are seeking volunteers willing to work on the Education Team helping us acquire Continuing Education Units (CEU) for the conference.
 
If you have these talents, the time, and desire to become a “boon companion”, please contact us at volunteer@mythicjourneys.org. We have a committee position for you!


Stay In Touch with Mythic Journeys
 

If you'd like to continue to receive updates (especially if you've received this newsletter as a forward from a friend) please be sure you've registered on the Web site at www.mythicjourneys.org


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