Discover the Magic & Mystery of Opal
Opal Whiteley Has Been Called
A Genius, a Mystic and a Great
Nature Writer
But, Some Say Opal was a Fraud or a Madwoman
Discover ... "The Last Literary Mystery of the 20th
Century"
by Stephen Williamson, Cottage Grove, Oregon
A
Treasure Trove of Links to Explore
Opal and Her Writings
Read our Review of Katherine Beck's Controversial Book, Opal
See a Fragment of Opal's Lost Diary & Learn More Fascinating Facts
Read a short
bio of Opal Whiteley & learn why so
many people enjoy her writings
University of Oregon
site with dozens of historic
photos collected by Stephen Williamson
see pictures of Sadie McKibben & the Man Who Wears Grey Neckties
& is Kind to Mice
New 2010 BBC
Radio
and OPB TV
Programs about Opal Whiteley
Both the BBC,
British
Broadcasting System AND Oregon's Public Broadcasting have new
programs on Opal!
You can listen and
watch them
here! Both are excellent intros to her story.
Download & Listen to BBC Radio's
"Who Was Opal"
Watch Online OPBs Oregon
Experience
Television Program
DISCOVER
OPAL ONLINE AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
From
Dr.
Lynne Anderson & CATE, Center for Advanced Technology in
Education
Stephen Williamson is a Research Assistant on this exciting project
Listen to Opal's Words & Music
Beauty
Attends
The Heartsongs of Opal Whiteley
Contemporary
folk artist Anne Hills has released a beautiful new CD of Opal's words
put to music.
These are not about Opal or inspired by her. Each song is the actual words of Opal Whiteley put to music. Beautiful!
It has many of
Opal's best loved passages set to music HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Order
online
or in ITunes
http://www.myspace.com/annehills
COMING
SOON! OPAL .... The Movie
Here
is
a
link to a NEW movie about Opal Whiteley. It is produced by Dina Ciraulo in San Francisco.
They have released trailers and clips on You Tube. Follow it on
Facebook!
Explore Opal's Fairyland in Oregon
Opal
spent
almost
half a century in a mental hospital diagnosed
with schizophrenia. However, several years ago I took another look at
her and now think Autism/Asperger's would be a more accurate
diagnosis. Nothing can be known for certain, but much of Opal's
story
turns out to be true.
She cannot easily be dismissed as "crazy"
and she certainly did not need to spent most of her life in an asylum.
Read Opal Whiteley's Writings Online
The Center for Advanced
Technology in
Education (CATE) at the University of Oregon has reprinted her original
1920 diary.
CATE develops learning
tools for students around the world. Opal was a
student at the UofO in 1917-1918 - perhaps UofO's most mysterious
student.
Opal Online is the
brainchild Dr. Lynne
Anderson. She asked Stephen Williamson to assist in filling Opal's
diary with rare photos and text notes.
"The Fairyland Around Us" was Opal's first
book - out of print for 85 years - complete with all photos &
drawings.
Fairyland is the
key to understanding much about the
life of Opal Whiteley, and a wonderful book to read.
Developed by
David
Caruso who did a beautiful job with Opal's Fairyland..She self
published it in1919.
Opal published these poems in 1923
- shortly before leaving the
US. Here are selections from this rare book.
Jennifer Harper is working to publish
a new edition of the poems with notes.
There are now at least 5 versions
of Opal's diary in print - an
edition for
all ages, including children.
It has been
translated into French,
German and Chinese. Stephen
Williamson wrote the introduction for the German and Chinese edition
Ping Yang on the Mohawk
In
addition
to
researching
the
life of Opal
Whiteley, Steve has written the forgotten history of
Asians in early Marcola, Oregon.
Opal lived in Marcola as a small
child. Discover where Opal lived before moving to Cottage Grove in 1904.
Read the story of the Ping Yang School bombings not long before
Opal moved to Marcola / Wendling.
Steve
is
also co-chair of the annual
Oregon Asian Celebration's Heritage
Exhibit that draws thousands of visitors.
See MORE News and Research Updates
about
Opal Whiteley
Meet Founder, Stephen Williamson
E-mail The Opal
Whiteley Memorial
