Interview with a Genie

by Belle Starr

Belle Starr:
Thank you for agreeing to speak to me outside of your bottle. I am admittedly a bit claustrophobic.

Other Genie:
You’re very welcome, Belle, but you do know the bottle is quite spacious once you climb in, right? I think it’s more of a matter of you don’t like my home décor or are afraid someone will put the cork on and you’d be trapped in there with me. I know you would go stark raving mad without your whiskey, and that’s not even accounting for the company! But it’s alright to interview here since I like running around my lamp too.

BS:
Some have dubbed you Pan's unofficial cheerleader. Ok, it was just me, but I‘m sure many members feel similarly. You’ve showered us with holiday cheer as the slightly mischievous Mistletoe Genie, you’ve sponsored fun events such as Wyatt’s thinking cap contest, received the Brilliant Idea Award for the reading list, and in your role as Other Genie you are so high profile that you not only enliven your own genre but do so through cross posting to others as well. To me, your love for Pan seems obvious and contagious. What is it about Panhistoria that you personally celebrate?

OG:
That is a really long story that I don’t think we have enough time on tape to go into, however to slim it down and put it into basics is that at the right moment for me I decided to return to Pan Historia. I was not myself and having hard times in my own personal life despite having what most would consider to be a good measure of success; rediscovering Pan helped put me back on track and reminded me that when my creative endeavors and urges are starved I slowly waste away. If it were not for a few old friends here to welcome me back and subsequently kick-start the right hemisphere of my brain I wouldn’t be reborn at Pan and would be fairly miserable offline as well. Gosh! How sappy--next question please!

BS:
Will we be experiencing more merriment from the Mistletoe Genie during future holiday seasons?

OG:
Oh you had to ask, didn’t you Belle? I suppose I should have seen that question coming. Well, even before the Mistletoe Genie was boxed away with the holiday decorations and spirit it was tentatively decided that this officially unofficial festive genie was truly a positive experience for the site and membership, and would return at the appropriate time in following years if possible. Now, the site is constantly evolving, so just like any other long range activity its return is not set in stone, however I and the powers that be still aspire to welcome “Mistletoe” back during the winter festivities.

BS:
When did you officially join the staff as genie? Were you a member long before that?

OG:
Officially I joined right at the point that the genres were being reorganized, which was last October. I became a born-again Pan member somewhere around mid or late May that same year. So that put me at around five months returned before being tossed into a lamp, but I caught back into the swing of Pan pretty quickly despite my two other times at Pan being short stints, and I was doing much of the same types of activities now being genie as far as being supportive and helping out when and where I can.

BS:
Now that sufficient time has passed and you are more used to the addition of the genre zones and zone dailies, how do you think they have helped empower and inspire Pan‘s members?

OG:
I believe it has made the membership more aware of Pan’s genres, that the purpose for those genres is beyond just being a means of classification, but a more interest oriented and specific community areas. Whereas these new tools have been in place for several months they are still in their infancy of development and as time goes by these hubs will become stronger and have a greater impact on the community and membership.

BS:
They do seem to be effectively fostering a greater sense of camaraderie and cohesion within the larger community as Wyatt has said he intended. Have the zone dailies helped you to better showcase your features and your genre as a whole?

OG:
Well, I can’t really say much about being better from personal experience as I was not a genie nor was my genre active prior to the improved Genre Daily Indexes being put into place, though I can say that I doubt my efforts would be nearly as effective without them.

BS:
Yours was the one most affected by the genre shake-up wasn't it?

OG:
Oh my yes! Other was nothing at all: no novels, reference books, genie--nada! It was like that PC option one has to toss up just to cover all the bases even though nothing would ever come of it. However, during the reorganization several books would have become homeless had Other remained nonexistent. In fact, I didn’t even know that this genre was scheduled to have any books relegated to it when I inquired about it. I just saw emptiness and potential on that blank slate. If there’s one thing it’s to work with something totally new and unique, to mold something from nothingness as I can’t stand blank space to be wasted. It was actually a pretty shocking delight to be surprised with books to work with and they have all been great fun to be involved in.

BS:
Were you here for the crash and the subsequent rebirth of the site?

OG:
No, I wasn’t I like to spin this little tale about how it must have been fate for me to stay away from Pan for so long because the crash might have jaded me into giving up on online communities, but who am I kidding? I would have flooded back in like everyone else if in the mindset I’m in now. Pan burned and rose without me, however I try my best to make up for my absence by contributing all that I can in the here and now.

BS:
What do you think is the essence of Pan?

OG:
Community, camaraderie, creativity, literature, art, acceptance, affection, education, inspiration, passion--the list could go on and on. Through the essence of Pan Historia you can better acknowledge and understand your own ingenuity. Here you can let loose your imagination, look inside yourself and better comprehend who you essentially are. You can explore the recesses of yourself and develop in a manner not possible by most means. All either alone or with the support of friends and a community whose bonds become that of family.

BS:
I’m curious why you selected TV genie ,Barbara Eden, to represent you as your avatar. Is that another cheeky expression of the 24/7 mardi gras that is your genie life at Pan? (I am kidding of course, we both know from personal experience that the position involve lots of hard work.

OG:
It was SO hard picking an image to represent my incarnation as a genie. Other genie’s have a bit of direction to go with as they have a particular topic, which has been my struggle with Other since the beginning. Many things crossed my mind and I had been really waffely on what I should use all the while during my search. I wanted to spotlight Pan as a whole community so I contemplated adopting the Pan Phoenix, other iconic things around Pan, going with just a hum-de-dum kind of default cliché genie, even being a blank nothing. But while hunting and pecking the cyber world for anything I might be satisfied with, I found that picture of Barbara Eden in her green outfit and I knew that was it, I had struck it pricelessly rich. I had not even considered her in pink costuming for numerous reasons such as lacking a fondness for pink, that air of predictable cheese, and not wanting to be totally engulfed in the character of Jeannie. But that rare and hard to find promotional still was absolutely perfect because it was still iconic, delightfully fun, flirty and sexy, and all the while still being entirely unique! I could keep all the positives associated with the Jeannie character and still fashion the role beyond that and into something that was truly Other. That picture was precisely what I was missing. I plan to keep her forever. *grin*

BS:
Anything you’d change about being a genie?

OG:
I think I’ll plead that fifth on that questions and hit the gong, if I may.

BS:
(laughs) Ok, moving on then. Your genre page never fails to strike me as a constant celebration of Pan. Is that your motivation when coming up with all those cutting edge designs and ideas?

OG:
I like a good party, I like to celebrate and bang the pots and pans really loudly, sometimes getting myself into trouble with my neighbors and even the city. *chuckles* so it’s natural for me to try and coax everyone to join in my mischievousness fun or join theirs. Although you are right in guessing that celebrating the whole of the Pan Historia community is both my motivation and inspiration and always will be, I’ll be focusing a bit more and in depth towards my genre starting this coming month. June is the month of rebirth, and Other is taking this opportunity to be reborn. Even the tagline is changing from “Other--Anything and Everything: The Unique Works & Community Spirit of Pan Historia” to “Other--That Which Defies Classification.”

BS:
Are you entering a float in this year’s Phoenix Parade?

OG:
As the Other Genie? You know, I hadn’t thought of it! I was mulling about submitting for a couple of my novels, but never occurred to me to enter one in for me and my genre. What a splendid idea that I will think on. I might be able to come up with something.

BS:
Such a fun and ingenious way to commemorate the occasion don’t you think?

OG:
I do I do. Last year I entered a float on behalf of my novel PiRamesses and sat in my palanquin with the masses to cheer on everyone else. I am rather proud of the PiRamesses entry which was inspired (okay, stolen) from the parade in the 1963 film version of “Cleopatra.” It’s quite the show and you can find it here if you want to take a look at that spectacular feat. Of course the parade in general was a total blast.

BS:
Anything you’d like to add before you head back to your bottle?

OG:
Yes, just a quick piping of a few of my own personal mottos and wisdom that I hold dear: Don’t worry be happy; Go with the flow; Don’t cry over spilt milk; Never forget beauty, truth, and love; Carpe diem & tempus fugit; You are not paranoid they really are out to get you; and, eerrr, ummmm, If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all the evidence that proves you tried!

BS:
(laughs) All’s well that ends well? Or perhaps It ain’t a party till that “other” genie arrives? Thank you for gracing us with an interview and for enhancing my own personal experience at Pan. Much appreciated.

OG:
You are very welcome, Belle, as is everyone who finds benefit and enjoyment from my efforts here at Pan. Thanks for taking the time to interview me! *POOF* Oh, and Belle, if you dare try to cork me in my bottle I’ll turn you into a Gila Monster. *floats away* Cheers!