Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by BJ Neblett

Your summer fun starts at Hugo House with a trip to the past and into the future! Ever wonder about time travel? Ever wish you could go back and change something; or maybe see what tomorrow and the next day and the day after have in store? Ever be deeply engrossed in the latest sci-fi thriller only to have it ruined by an implausible, even ridiculous time travel scenario? Ever get tripped up in your writing about time travel? My next class, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Writing Believable Time Travel In Sci-fi and Fantasy, is a class you won't want to miss. We will address the popular beliefs, myths and facts about time travel; look at the problems and pitfalls of traveling to another time; examine the writings of some of the best and most popular sci-fi writers in the business, plus have open discussions about our own beliefs and feelings on the subject. There will even be guest lecturers revealing how they make their own time travel tales believable and engaging.
Classes start Tuesday, July 18th, and run for six weeks, every Tuesday night, 7 til 9 PM, at Seattle's Hugo House. For more info, and to sign up click here to check out their site. But get on it... this promises to be a fun and popular class and will fill up soon. Don't be stuck in the past!

Soundtrack Of Our Lives: Memories Or Misconceptions?

Soundtrack Of Our Lives: Memories Or Misconceptions by BJ Neblett

             Music has always been a major part of my life. From my earliest recollections of blues, pop and jazz to my corybantic years as a radio DJ, my life, loves and writings have been shaped and influenced by the music around me. Like most of us, music for me is a reference marker, how I attach a date, a place and a face to a memory. Music is the voice of yesterday; it truly is the soundtrack of our lives. Think about it: the car radio; the transistor at the beach; the jukebox; the tiny walkman and MP3s; school dances to concerts to movie soundtracks to a song played by your favorite band in a local night spot. You will probably find you can associate a favorite tune with every important event, every milestone in your life. Music is what helps us to remember the good times; and to deal with the bad times.

            An old DJ friend of mine once said that there is a song for every aspect of the human experience. And so it is with my experiences. When I wish to recall a memory, a person, a place or a time, I simply recall a song. Music is the basis for the memories that pervade what I write. So, enjoy the pictures played in your mind by the music you hear, know and love. And stop and call to mind your past: your trials and triumphs, and your own romantic adventures. But keep in mind:

                                    Memories may be beautiful and yet

                                    What’s too painful to remember we simply chose to forget

                                    So it’s the laughter we will remember

                                    Whenever we remember the way we were

                                                                                                The Way We Were

                                                                                                Barbara Stresiand

Peace,

BJ