Author: Sparrow

  • a piece of sky circled by vines with the bottom frame being a naked sword with a young woman facing the sky

    Answering Lucy’s Mythmoot Questions

    By Michael Raymond Astle Once upon a time, not so long ago, Sam was walking the hallowed halls of Signum University when he spied young Lucy. Knowing it was her first year, he thought he’d go chat with her. “Hey Lucy,” said Sam. “Hi,” Lucy replied. “Are you going to Mythmoot this year?” he asked.…


  • A man of European descent is smiling at us and at the sunny summer day around him. His grey beard might suggest a calm and wise demeanor, but those eye-crinkles are all mischief, waiting to drop double and triple entendres on the unwary.

    A Fragmentary Mosaic

    New in the Collaboratory Ordinary people facing an extraordinarily complex world. Christopher Bartlett‘s collection of short stories pull individual lives into focus during times of trouble and triumph. He will add one story each month until the collection is complete — choose this project room with your Collaboratory subscription to read his work and then…


  • Twelve full moons in a teal-ombre sky full of handwritten words.

    Year of the Novel

    Is this the year for your novel? In the Creative Writing sector of SPACE, we conceive of our written work developmentally: Welcome to Launching Your Seedling Story, a series of three modules designed to support writers in the seedling stage of creating a novel. In June, it’s Character and Voice with Christopher Bartlett — click…


  • The Storyweb Podcast

    In this inaugural episode of the Storyweb series, Christopher Bartlett interviews Sparrow Alden about her history and process as a writer.  They discuss A Flash of Wings, Sparrow’s anthology of flash fiction that appears in the Signum University Collaboratory.  Link to Episode 1


  • News From The Signum Collaboratory

    Hello, friends, it’s time to check in at The Signum Collaboratory! The Collaboratory is dedicated to connecting users with creators. You’ll find a lot of content on the site and in various stages of development, so let’s talk about how this works! Getting Started The first step you will take is to create a Signum…


  • he SPACE blue and gold compass surrounded by the pencil, speech bubble, Greek columns, and dragon of th four sectors. The words read: May Showcase, Saturday, May 3, 2025 Free to attend online! thirty minute sessions! Take as many sessions as you like!

    Spring SPACE Showcase!

    We are excited to share a Spring SPACE Showcase on Saturday, May 3rd in celebration of the continuing growth of the SPACE program. SPACE is Signum’s for-fun, no-credit, one month continuing ed classes for adults who want to learn what they love for the pure joy of it. The Spring Showcase will feature free 30-minute…


  • Mythgard Institute logo. On a field purpure, a circlet of silver surrounding a leafy oak tree with blue mountains and a single bright star in the background.

    Our Favorite Free Things at Signum

    Signum University has many opportunities for learning and fun, and some of those are absolutely free. The Mythgard Institute is the Cool Free Stuff arm of the university, featuring some of the scholars and personalities of the university sharing what they love most. Many friends of the University have come to us through Mythgard —…


  • Vibrant colors with a cheerful yellow center surround a humanoid figure who seems to be danging with arms spread wide. The words are "Finding Joy Signum University Annual Fund 2024-2025"

    Find Joy: Learn The Things That You Love

    At Signum University there are myriad ways to learn what you love — Welcome to the 2024 Annual Fund Drive full of new programs, announcements, and opportunities. To continue provide our content and pay our staff, our 2024 Annual Fund Drive aims for $200,000 this year — will you be part of our university by…


  • Words: Gift the Joy of Learning; Anytime Audit Gift Certificate $75. Background, a festively wrapped package with pine cones and gold ribbons.

    Anytime Audit Gift Certificate Holiday Promotion!

    Anytime Audits are a bundle of recorded lectures, handouts, and a discussion group from our traditional graduate level courses here at Signum University — just for fun, no credit, for the simple Joy of Learning! With a Gift Certificate, your giftee can choose any one of our Anytime Audit courses. That’s right, from now until…


  • A blue European-looking dragon and a red-orange Chinese looking dragon have twined their tails in flight.

    Four Important Questions

    What would it be like to study languages at Signum?  If only we could get a glimpse into the minds of the Germanic Philology Department luminaries! With this in mind, I asked the Germanic Philology professors four very important questions: What’s your coolest story about being a polyglot? Paul Peterson, PhD., Deputy Chair of the…