Nellie created her online identity of Nellie Bly in the 1990’s for the likes of Usenet, Gopher, and ARPANET. It is also a childhood nickname from her real life, to which she still answers.
Nellie is drawn to Second Life because it is in her nature to collaborate and cooperate rather than compete. Nellie knows her strengths and vulnerabilities and chooses spaces where she can be creative, strong, and her authentic self. If others can feel that energy and become more productive, happier, and more focused because of it, so much the better.
In Second Life, Nellie maintains a nature area called Bly Festung, centered around castle ruins, a beach, swamp, 1920’s aerodrome, marina, pavilion, and Station Chénier on the SLRR, accessible by a footpath behind the aerodrome or by chairlift. The natural area is complemented by galleries, a Visitor Centre opposite the Molemart, catacombs, and a road leading down to Leafminer Dock.
After being fired from a few respectable venues for her creative independence, Nellie founded Octavia’s and its weekly Spoken Word event, held Sundays at noon SLT, alongside a few like-minded folks who simply don’t fit in elsewhere. Octavia’s is an AllyGrid safe space and a fully equipped theatrical performance space – a home away from home that creates a balance between order and chaos. Within that tension, people are encouraged to be authentic, try on new ways of being, question authority, and dream.
Her productions include Halewijn! 2026 and Journey: the Zorya, the Sun, and the Wolf, with Forest Song coming soon. Regular performing guests include Ivy Lane, Indigo Starling, Huckleberry Hax, Merryjest, June Stormcrow, Persephone, Ras Solaris, Klannex, and Julie & Mariner Trilling.
10 Random Facts About Nellie:
- Nellie is a lifelong poet, writing in European languages (loves them all, even Scouse), with her greatest love and affinity for English, Ukrainian, and German.
- She identifies as a Spoken Word performer in the Beat tradition and style of William S. Burroughs.
- A flâneuse, or [Urban Observer (https://www.boshemiamagazine.com/blog/the-flaneur-and-the-flaneuse-the-culture-of-women-who-wander-cities)] is the closest she’s ever come to a profession, though she put two kids through college via “insufferably boring” IT.
- If you see a redheaded lady eavesdropping on your conversation on the metro or in a café… or restaurant,
sitting at a table nearby, that’s RL or SL Nellie with a black book and a red pen, jotting something down. - She loves to tell stories, and listen to yours!
- She loves the rain and when not in a city, might be observed backpacking in a mountainous countryside.
- Ursula Leguin’s her favorite writer, Lina Kostenko her favourite living poet; though, to be fair, the latest discovery feels like the best!
- Regarding the Spoken Word, she loves doing first readings of poetry and stories, as well as running translations, on seeing them for the first time. Giving voice to those in SL who aren’t comfortable with voice.
- She once was caught in the school library after cutting French class. The teacher stormed in to bust her. Nellie was sitting between the stacks reading Proust’s “La Madeleine” (extraits du roman de Proust intitulé Du côté de chez Swann) which was leagues above verb conjugation drills.
- The teacher pronounced her “Imbécile” and declared that French grammar should be easy for anyone, unlike Chinese. Nellie got her revenge by learning Chinese, nurturing a love of T’ang poetry.