Tag: surrey international writers conference

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Meet Paul Gorman – OV Party at the Suites

Oh, happy day! Saturday morning (Oct. 24), I joined Outlander fans for an Outlandish Vancouver Party in the Suite with Paul Gorman! 

You remember Paul?  He appeared in Outlander Season five, playing the Beardsley twins, Joshia (Jo) AND Keziah (Kezzie)!

What is Outlandish Vancouver (OV)? OV is an annual event held in Surrey, British Columbia, independent from but concurrent with the Surrey International Writer’s Conference (SiWC). 

I have been attending both events since 2016, although I missed 2017;  forgivable, because I was touring Scotland!  😃

A wee bit about SiWC. For more than two decades, SiWC  has included Diana Gabaldon as speaker, teacher, and panelist. One year, she served as organist for Michael Slade’s Shock Theater!  Shock is supposed to be silly and mysterious, hence the creepy music, but who knew she also plays the keyboard?

OV has focused entirely on Outlander, hosting celebrities and cast members. Over the years, I have met John Bell, Cèsar Domboy, Lauren Lyle, Steven Cree, Carmen Moore (S4, Wahkatiiosta), Braeden Clarke (S4, Kaheroton), and Trevor Carroll (S 4, Ta’wineonawira or “Otter-Tooth”), known in the 20th c. as Robert Springer!

Every interaction I have had proved to be delightful and well worth the long drive from Oregon to British Columbia!

This is me with Outlander’s Gaelic consultant, Àdhamh Ó Broin, who offered a rousing presentation and Gaelic lesson at OV 2016!  

You might wonder, who is the MasterMind behind the OV creative venture? Why, it is KoKo! Also known as the wee pocket dynamo!  

Both SiWC and OV were cancelled this year, but OV came to the rescue with virtual interactions between attendees and Outlander guests. Many thanks to her and her crew for their heroic efforts putting Outlander fans and cast in contact during a global pandemic. Kudos to all! 🙏🏻

Now, on to Paul! He joined the  Zoom group precisely at 10am PT,  to a bevy of adoring fans.

What a cutie!  Have you ever seen a more generous and genuine smile? Adorable! (psst…I can safely state this because I am old enough to be his grandmum!) 🤗

BTW, his somber IMDb photo does little to reflect this funny, articulate, and expressive young man!

As we each introduced ourselves, he greeted each attendee with enthusiasm, interest, and curiosity.

Understand, we came from near and far to meet Paul! Scotland, Washington, Oregon, Florida, New Jersey, California and as far away as Lebanon – the country!

And, this lucky lass, Carrie Needham, joined us from the Fraser’s Ridge set. Yep! She was actually there!!! 👍🏻

Paul offered a brief introduction including the tidbit that Lizzy finds BOTH brothers verra interesting. 😉😉

Next, each attendee was given the opportunity to ask Paul a question.

Tell us what your first day was like on the Outlander set? He thought for a moment and then responded that his prior acting experiences had been limited to theater so he was extremely nervous about filming!

Early on,  he met Caitlin O’Ryan (Lizzie Wemyss) for a “chemistry” test – it went very well!

On the first day of filming a van picked him up at 5am and hustled him to the set! Everyone, cast and crew, was extremely friendly and helpful, but he felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of people who periodically descended to fuss with his hair, costume, and makeup.  He explained that Sam and Cait helped calm and reassure him given the newness of the situation. He also said that Sam was always in the background crunching on carrots! 🥕😆

Given that Kezzie is deaf, how was their communication determined? Paul said that sign language wasn’t available to Kezzie and Jo, raised in the back country of North Carolina, so they had to develop their own communication scheme. 

In preparation, he worked with a consultant to develop style and signs unique to Kezzie. Paul recalls about 60 or 70 different signings  – extras in case a director asked something of Kezzie that was not scripted.

Were you outgoing and gregarious as a kid? No, actually he was shy and an introvert (surprising as he came across as a natural people-person in this Zoom).

He also noted that young girls scared him. How about the older ones? 😂

He settled on acting after visiting the Royal College of Art. Eureka! He realized hat he could get a job in the field of acting! And, aren’t we pleased that he did?

Are you musical? Yes! He plays bass and guitar in a band, although he claimed he sings, badly. Ahhh! I am dubious about this, because he possesses a mellifluous speaking voice!

Does he share similar traits with the twins? Paul said, yes. He pointed out that both Jo and Kezzie want to be part of a family. Kezzie, especially, is very affectionate. The twins are aware of the world and strive to put others first; these are traits Paul aspires to emulate. And, working on Outlander has affirmed to him how kind people really are.

Are you a hunter like Jo? Paul responded, “only of hearts!” Clever lad! 🥰

Paul has never hunted animals. Lacking such experience, he did research into Native American hunting styles reasoning that Jo would likely emulate their practices. He studied still hunting, a technique requiring practices such as slowness, patience, covering tracks, taking down the leader of a herd to make it less defensible. Growing up as a Beardsley servant in the back country of North Carolina, Jo also had learned by trial and error.  

He also revealed that in Outlander episode 509, Heroes and Monsters, the rabbit was dead but the maggots were very much alive!!! So, he is gaining experience with game. 😳

How did you film the twins together in one scene? Paul explained that director Jamie Payne had never filmed one actor acting as twins.  For some of the scenes, they used a double for him to interact with. For other scenes, Paul acted to air, but against a blue screen not a green one, as the latter did not work well in a forest setting. He said acting to air was not difficult because this is done in theater work.

Jo (L) and Kezzie from Outlander, episode 503, Free Will

Do you like cats? Turns out, Paul is obsessed with CATS! He likes dogs, but felines are the cat’s meow!

He has two cats and both are Siberian forest cats. He secured them from a breeder near Glasgow.  This breed is hypoallergenic and fetch much like dogs. 

He whipped put his phone and shared images of his furry children. They are sisters!

Ruby 

and Alexi.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Well, he has been obsessed with Spiderman since 5 y.o.! As proof, he shared a cute picture from his cell phone: Paul with his Spiderman costume! But, since Spiderman is not a super power, he would choose to be a shape shifter. Great choice, Paul!

Final question: How was the tonsillectomy scene from episode 505, Perpetual Adoration filmed?

He said filming that scene was trying because he spent the entire day with a mouthful of gauze! A bit of filming followed by “cut,” where upon his mouth was decorated with bits of blood or tonsillar scraps! More filming and repeat. The Outlander medical advisor was on hand to add authenticity and pointers.  

After the last question, the session came to a close. A thoroughly charming young man is Paul Gorman. I look forward to more storyline about Kezzie and Jo during Outlander, Season 6! 🙏🏻

Thank you OV and thank you Paul!

PS: If you wish to find out more about OV, you can find them on FB or their website.

PSS: OV images were taken from my iPad by my iPhone. Thus, they are a wee bit blurry. 🙄

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo and Video Credits: Sony/Starz, Outlandish Vancouver, Outlander Anatomy

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A Highland Tea with Diana Gabaldon!

Greetings, dear readers!

Five months have flown by since my last post, Anatomy of an Easter Egg Hunt! 😱

Dealing with summer crops, wildfire evacuation, and COVID have presented been BIG challenges. But, I am back today to share with you a most delightful experience.

On October 3, I was privileged to join author, Diana Gabaldon, and the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society (NACHS) for a virtual highland tea!

Note: The below photos and video were filmed from my iPad screen. Thus, the quality is not the highest. Bear with me, please, because near the end of this blog, I share a link to NACHS full video of this wonderful event!

We gathered via Zoom in the library at Diana’s home in Flagstaff, AZ.  The first thing I noticed were book-filled shelves, a must for any library! 😉 Many of these tomes feature her favorite genre – mystery and murder mystery!

Diana was introduced by NACHS’ Mistress-of-Ceremony, Jude McKenzie, who did a splendid job moving things along. Jude explained this is an annual event so every year on this day, they are known as NACHOS: Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Outlander Society! 😆

Diana has been supporting the NACHOS effort for 20 years! In case you may not know, Diana has supported many good causes over many years.

The Highland Tea is a ticketed event. Jude explained that funds go toward supporting all things Celt-ish! Among its various worthy causes, NACHS supports the Jim Thompson School of Piping and Drumming. To date, they have awarded over $120,000 in scholarships and will consider any proposal promoting Celtic heritage. A record to be proud of!

Diana sipped a blended tea, courtesy of a local Flagstaff specialty shop, Victorian Moon. The tea was served from a beautiful silver tea set which is partly visible in the foreground. Yummy-looking tea treats were made by volunteers.

As you all know, Diana is famous for “talking with her hands,” and this event was no exception. She used them throughout. I enjoy watching her expressive hands “chat” with us. 😜

I always check out Diana’s nail color. 👁 I may be wrong, but I believe she is wearing her favorite green polish. 

This is a closeup photo of that luscious green tone taken in October 2018, at the Surry International Writer’s Conference (SiWC) in Surrey, B. C.

Back to teatime!

Diana then consented to read excerpts from her ninth big book, Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone! Because time allowed, she read three!

Psst…..don’t you love her joyful smile! 

SPOILER ALERT!!!  With NACHS’ permission, this video clip is from the first scene she read. It occurs the morning after the end of Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (MOBY), Diana’s eighth book.

If you don’t want to be exposed to spoilers, you might skip the next paragraph and the film clip! 😱

Jamie and Claire had returned to Fraser’s Ridge just six weeks before this scene occurs. Bree is away on a hunting trip with da.  Roger is left to child care at Bobby Higgins’ cabin, which used to belong to Roger and Bree.

It is a wonderful scene starring Roger and Mandy.

Next, Diana read an excerpt about a “lively argument” between Jamie and Claire.  The subject: Lord John Grey and his, erm, history with Claire! 😲

The final excerpt describes  a shopping trip by Jamie where he provides insight as to why a murdered man is or isn’t Jewish. 😉

Listening to Diana read all three excerpts was an honor and a delight. I hope you enjoyed hearing the first one.

Jude then read a series of questions provided by ticket holders.  They were varied, interesting, and from all over the US and beyond. At the outset, Diana took the opportunity to answer an anticipated question: when will the show be filmed and when will book nine be published?

She pointed out that filming the show is postponed not only because of local COVID issues, but until the crew, many of which are Americans, cannot  travel to Scotland!  Let’s hope this ends soon! 🦠

Diana shared that she has read the first four scripts and verifies that they are good. Yay! 🤗

Then, she carefully explained the process involved in publishing her book and why it takes so long:

  • She has pretty much finished all of the pieces and is assembling and grooming them.
  • Once she is finished, the book is sent to three editors: One in US, one in UK, and one in Germany. The editors are encouraged to offer observations and suggestions. She considers input from all three – she may or may not incorporate their suggestions. This can take several weeks.
  • She sends the edited book to her copy editor (2-3 weeks).  She receives feedback about what to keep, what to modify, and what to eliminate. She then decides what to do with these suggestions.
  • Good news! The cover design is completed and is beautiful!
  • She then receives galley proofs, meaning a layout that looks like the finished book. Galley proofs take another few weeks
  • The next step is complicated: “Go Tell the Bees” is a big tome; roughly the same length as Drums of Autumn but slightly shorter than An Echo in the Bone. COVID has affected the printing industry, with several printers either cutting down on the number of books printed or going bankrupt. Currently, there are only TWO  companies that can print such big books! They already have books in a waiting cue to be printed. They must prioritize. She does  assure us: “They want to sell the book as much as you want to read it!” (Given her passionate fan base, this is a bit hard to believe! 😂)
  • The last step requires a decision of how many copies to make in the first printing: to do or not to do a full run?  A print company doesn’t want to over print and be left with unsold run copies.  And, it certainly does not want to under print a likely best seller. The middle of a pandemic make such predictions challenging for these companies. Fingers crossed they make the right decision for all! 🤞🏻

So there you have it!  Lots of moving pieces needed to bring this puzzle together as quickly as we all desire. And, hopefully, this helps us be a wee bit more patient with the wait. 🙏🏻

After this Q and A session, Jude moved to an interesting section of the tea – Diana autographed several items for an auction benefitting NACHS. A splendid idea!

The items included:

China tea cup and saucer:

Stained glass sun catcher – Celtic knot design:

Dragonfly stained glass lamp (💓 the green color!):

Then a second round of questions. Diana was asked to repeat her line from Outlander episode 104, The Gathering.

In a brief exchange with Mrs. Fitz (Annette Badland), Diana playing Iona MacTavish, pointedly remarks: “I see you are keeping the place as bright as a penny!” Mrs. F responds with a snide remark about Diana’s gown which, BTW, has a Fraser tartan inset to the bodice.

She recited her line perfectly, complete with Scottish accent. Lovely! 🤗

As always, Diana’s remarks were intelligent, economical, and pithy!  Her mind is keen, no? 🥰

The event concluded after more questions from ticket holders. Overall, it lasted about 1 1/2 hours, $25.00 well spent!

If you missed this lovely event, please dinna despair.  You can view NACHS’s full recording after making a small donation. Just send an email to the following address: nachs.events@gmail.com. I highly recommend the experience and the cause is worthy!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo and Video Credits: NACHS; Sony/Starz; Outlander Anatomy

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2019 Outlandish Vancouver Meet and Greet

Day two in Surrey, B.C. Yay!

Another glorious day, but gusty winds swirled as I headed to the Sheraton to register for Surrey International Writer’s Conference. Hard to demo a breeze from a still shot, but you can imagine, yes?

The lobby was busy as attendees registered and picked up their badges.

Mine! 😁

Then, a bit of 🛍! (I left home without my black jeans! 😱)  A drive around the area and another view of splendid fall colors. ❤️

Later, I headed south to Eaglequest Coyote Creek Golf Course for the Outlandish Vancouver Meet and Greet.

I arrived early. But, soon the banquet room started filling with Outlander fans!

The swag was delightful: tote, lanyard, name tag and photo. A close look at First Nation composite photo of Trevor Carroll, Carmen Moore, and Braeden Clarke. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

We were treated to a light buffet and drinks. Soon, host KoKo introduced the featured guests: Braeden, Trevor, Carmen, Ed Speleers, John Bell, and Kieth (Kikki) Fleming. A wonderful lineup of S4 characters!

No photos or videos were allowed during the meet and greet, but for the next hour and half, the actors visited each table to have a chat. I can share the following highlights:

Ed (Stephen Bonnet) greeted our table by grabbing a snack from my plate! 😁

He then asked to name our favorite character from S4. One San Diego fan (who will remain nameless) 😉, instantly quipped, “Leroi!” This was followed by fan flushes and a “Bonnet” steely look.  Oh, he knew who Leroi was, for sure!!! 😂

Trevor Carroll (Otter-Tooth) was next. Fans will remember Otter-Tooth (Ta’wineonawira) was formerly known as Robert Springer, a time traveller who ventured from 1968 into the past to save his ancestors.

Otter-Tooth appeared in Outlander episodes 403, The False Bride, and ep 413, Man of Worth.  The intro of 413, shows Trevor as annoyed Robert Springer, seated on a park bench as two little boys play cowboys and Indians, nearby!

Later, in episode 413, Otter-Tooth dances his war dance before  meeting his final fate. We asked him about that experience. He explained that a Mohawk war dance is quite different from that of his Nation, so he watched YouTube to learn the dance with only a week of preparation.

Director, Stephen Woolfenden, asked Trevor to perform the war dance alone, before the fire. The result was so pleasing, he called in the 100+ First Nation actors and Trevor danced once again, this time before a very large audience!

Kieth Fleming (Lesley) Visited our table. What a bright and funny guy!

I asked him about the origins of his nickname, Kikki expecting it to be a fun family moniker. He explained that he felt the name, Keith lacked gravitas. Then, a director asked his name and when he answered “Kieth,” the director said “Ki, Ki, Ki!” And, his nickname was born.

At this point, everyone at our table started chanting “Ki, Ki, Ki, Ki, Ki!” He accepted the teasing with good nature. We were being silly as by then, everyone had had a few! 😜

John Bell came to our table, filled with enthusiasm and energy. He showed his wolf ring, last’s years birthday gift. This year, his gift was a handsome red plaid jacket. I wish I could share a photo.

John explained that, indeed, he did most of the scrambling, jumping, spinning and crawling in the gauntlet scene. As young Ian, John shines!

Carmen was next. Such fun to meet another Carmen! 🤗

She was asked to comment on the red stain on the sleeve of her costume, the mark of a warrior. She commented that it was a thrill to play a female warrior, Wahkatiiosta!

Carmen is currently filming a story about an indigenous mother searching for her missing daughter. The film will underscore the jarring fact that thousands of First Nation women have disappear without a trace and with little interest on the part of authorities! She is committed changing this practice. Yes!

Next, Braedon Clarke (Kaheroton) came to our table and what a fun fellow! I mentioned that his costume was my favorite from S4. He shared a fun fact.

He was initially outfitted in brown leather with skunk skin over one shoulder. He said it looked good on him (what wouldn’t? 😉). But, then he spied a rack of costumes. He pointed put a red coat and the costumer agreed, he should try on. And, voila! Kaheroton stood in all his glory! Braedon finalized his own costume. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

He also noted it was shocking when his shoulder length hair was shaved off. The wonderful feather headpiece was super-glued to his head, creating a truly memorable character!

The evening ended with personalized autographs from the First Nation actors. They were so wonderful and personable. A true joy to meet them!

Braedon also agreed to give me a second autograph, this time of his photo in The Making of Outlander, Seasons 3 and 4! What a sweetie!

Tired but delighted with the evening’s events, I headed back to my hotel and fell into bed!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credits: Outlander Anatomy, Pinterest, Starz, Outlandercast,  Geno Acedo, Outlander Homepage