Charlie has watched scary movies between theater seats with one eye closed so the monsters on the screen could not see him; checked out Jules Verne books over the objections of a librarian who felt he wasn't old enough; bought his first Superman comic at age 11 for 10 cents, and saw Superman and Batman during their initial runs on TV. His first girlfriend was Wendy from Disney's Peter Pan, and he finally got to marry Wendy's real-life incarnation, Barbi. They share a home 20 minutes from Lake Texoma. In 5th grade Charlie started a neighborhood newspaper (it had one edition). He went on to write and edit 28 years for a daily newspaper, along the way launching two tribal newspapers. He was twice named best entertainment writer by the AP and is a recipient of the Oklahoma Governor's Art Award for Media. He worked as writer-in-residence for the State Arts Council, is a published poet, and served on a grants & policy panel for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. He produced and hosted Inside Native America on KOTV, Tulsa's CBS station for 10 years, and worked in film (The Outsiders and Last of the Mohicans, among others). He now writes press releases for the Choctaw Nation, America's third-largest tribe, and freelances.
Stories set aboard ships often highlight bonds formed through shared danger, isolation, and purpose. These relationships have captivated audiences in fantasy, sci-fi, historical adventure, and modern fiction. This panel explores why the idea of a crew resonates so deeply and why found families remain a powerful force in character-driven storytelling.
Creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster occupy a strange space between folklore, mystery, and popular culture. Stories about these beings continue to spread through eyewitness accounts, hoaxes, and modern media. This panel explores why cryptid legends persist and what they reveal about our fascination with the unknown. Do these creatures survive because of evidence, or because people want to believe they might exist?
For thousands of years, people have looked to the night sky and woven stories around the stars. Constellations appear in myths, religions, and navigation traditions across many cultures. This panel explores the legends behind familiar star patterns and how different societies interpreted the heavens. What do these stories reveal about how humans understand the universe?
Sea folklore is filled with restless spirits, doomed crews, and haunted shorelines. This panel examines how authors use maritime hauntings to shape mood, theme, and character psychology. Discussion includes both traditional ghost stories and modern supernatural fiction.