Entries tagged with cons

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Can*Con 2018

I will be at Can*Con in Ottawa this coming weekend! I am excite. These are my scheduled activities:

Saturday October 13
Reading, Salon B, 3-3:25 – I'll read from the in-progress sequel to Substrate Phantoms, and a bonus as yet unpublished weird fable about an ice bear in a haunted forest. Followed by the incomparable Kelly Robson's reading!

Sunday October 14
Panel, Penthouse A, 1-1:50 - Beyond Romantic Entanglements– Every great story needs at least a romantic subplot, right? Novels, films, TV shows and even video games or plays often include character romance somewhere. Why does this seem to be so essential in our stories (spoiler: it doesn’t)? How can alternatives to a romantic relationship accomplish the same outcomes, and what works have done this? KT Bryski, James Alan Gardner, Jessica Reisman, Kelly Robson (Moderator)

I will otherwise be around and about and probably smiling my goofy big smile, because I will be happy to be there seeing my Alyx & Kelly & others.

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cons

Houston Comicpalooza

Houston Comicpalooza has a lot going on (I get mesmerized in the artists’ alley). Among its many splendors there is a Literary Track that taps a whole bunch of authors and screenwriters. I will be contributing my own particular feelings and opinions (oh yes, I have opinions) on horror in the Horror for the 21st Century: Film and Literature panel (Saturday May 26, 2018, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm), with other panelists including the stellar Joe Landsdale, K.J. Russell, Lisa Vasquez, and Channing Whitaker, with Gerald Hanks serving as moderator.

As the panel description puts it:

Once upon a time, all you needed was an isolated setting, a serial killer and a handful of teenagers with questionable survival instincts. Fortunately, the realm of horror is expanding in tandem with our increasingly modern world and benefiting from bold new voices in the genre. Let’s talk about some of the freshest and most frightening stories out there and what’s coming up next. Bring your favorites!

There are some amazing things going on in horror these days (Get Out instantly comes to mind), so it should be a pretty lively discussion.

I will also be available in Saturday’s Read and Critique session as a feedback springboard for aspiring authors:

Are you an aspiring author? Do you want professional and peer critique of your work? Bring your pages and join us for these daily interactive small-group critique sessions. You’ll have a set time limit to read aloud and receive feedback. NOTE: Workshops have a limited-seating capacity. Sign-up to participate.

Literary Read & Critique Session | Saturday, May 26 | 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

I’m pretty good at the feedback, having almost 30 years of workshopping under my belt. (I will also once again be one of the instructors at the ArmadilloCon Writers’ Workshop in early August.)

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cons

Houston Comicpalooza

Appearance alert! I'll be at Houston's Comicpalooza, May 12-14 https://www.comicpalooza.com/.

I'm on the writing & literature program track, the quiet side of a comicon that features celeb guests, big artists' alley and dealers room, a maker faire, etc.

I'm doing two panels:

Saturday 2:30 - 3:30pm Creative Collaborations - How, Why, and With Whom?
Sunday 2:30 - 3:30pm How to Publish a Short Story

Other than that I'll be around some, and will have some full sets of my SUBSTRATE PHANTOMS postcards, and hopefully, an advance reading copy or two.

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cons

one more Orycon panel...

An update to my Orycon schedule (bolded):

Sat Nov 13 2:00:pm - 3:00:pm -- Theme
What is theme? How do you develop theme in your writing, or should you even try? For the sake of future graduate students studying your brilliant prose, learn about this often-neglected aspect of storytelling.
Jessica Reisman, Grá Linnaea, Sara A. Mueller, (*)Mary Rosenblum/Mary Freeman, Bill Johnson

Sat Nov 13 4:00:pm - 5:00:pm -- Revision: Path to better writing or slog into mud?
Endless revisions can kill good writing, but everyone says polish your work. Besides, the first draft is usually bad, right? How to navigate through the apparent contradictions without going crazy.
Steve Perry, Jessica Reisman, (*)Lori Ann White, Grá Linnaea, S.D. Perry

Sat Nov 13 5:30:pm - 6:00:pm -- Jessica Reisman's Reading
Please come! I'll show you a good time!

Sun Nov 14, 12:00 - 1:00 -- "What is Magical Realism?" - Can someone explain it to us?
Grá Linnaea, Craig Laurance Gidney, Blythe Ayne, Jessica Reisman

Sun Nov 14 2:00:pm - 3:00:pm -- 1 cup F, 2 cups SF, 1 tsp H in blender ...
Combining genres--What readers want from blended genre stories, and why some editors and agents have trouble with them.
Jessica Reisman, (*)J. Steven York, P.N. Elrod, Seanan McGuire

(... sometimes I wonder what I was on when I filled out a con survey...)

This is my first Orycon--I will be super grateful to anyone who shows up for my reading or just says hi!

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cons

Orycon!

(yes, I'm spammy today--but I probably won't post again for a few days)

I'm going to Orycon! I get to see a bunch of my best beloveds and go to a con I've never gone to in a city I really like!

Things I'll be doing:

Sat Nov 13 2:00:pm - 3:00:pm -- Theme
What is theme? How do you develop theme in your writing, or should you even try? For the sake of future graduate students studying your brilliant prose, learn about this often-neglected aspect of storytelling.
Jessica Reisman, Grá Linnaea, Sara A. Mueller, (*)Mary Rosenblum/Mary Freeman, Bill Johnson

Sat Nov 13 4:00:pm - 5:00:pm -- Revision: Path to better writing or slog into mud?
Endless revisions can kill good writing, but everyone says polish your work. Besides, the first draft is usually bad, right? How to navigate through the apparent contradictions without going crazy.
Steve Perry, Jessica Reisman, (*)Lori Ann White, Grá Linnaea, S.D. Perry

Sat Nov 13 5:30:pm - 6:00:pm -- Reading
Lincoln - Not sure what I'll read from yet, feel free to place a request. I'll try to have a fun giveaway of some sort.

Sun Nov 14 2:00:pm - 3:00:pm -- 1 cup F, 2 cups SF, 1 tsp H in blender ...
Combining genres--What readers want from blended genre stories, and why some editors and agents have trouble with them.
Jessica Reisman, (*)J. Steven York, P.N. Elrod, Seanan McGuire

If you're gonna be there and want to, please find me and say hello.

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Wiscon, Sula report, and upcoming

So, first off, Sula-kitty seems to have done well in my absence; no vom, ate her food, got her meds. She still seems under the weather to me, but she's not in immediate danger of expiring, so yay! More vet consultation to come.

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My first Wiscon was pretty much awesome. Hanging with my roomies

mkhobson and

camillealexa was worth the price of admission all by itself. Then seeing folks I don't see very often and meeting a slew of interesting and lovely new folks was fab. All of my panels contained interesting discussion, courtesy of excellent panelists and excellent audiences. I enjoyed hearing various folks read, particularly Geoff Ryman and Catherynne Valente. I also missed a lot of things I would have liked to attend because I was on panels.

The Gathering on Friday was my very favorite part of the Wiscon programming itself. From the very beginning, Wiscon feels very different from other cons.

Madison is a sweet little city. The Saturday morning market remains imprinted on my mind mainly for morels (and more morels) in mazy, sepia-toned brain-patterened goodness, tall stalks of pussy willows, and lilacs fruiting the air with joy.

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Upcoming Austin-flavored stuff: My story "Our Lady of the Mantilla," urban library fantasy set in Austin, goes up in Issue 7of Crossed Genres magazine next Monday, June 1.

Then, Thursday June 4, come hear Camille Alexa read from her forthcoming story collection Push of the Sky (which is a wonderful, dark and many-toned read, highly recommended):

AUSTIN, TX / Thursday JUNE 4TH @ 7pm

Book Woman

5501 N. Lamar Blvd. #A-105

Austin, TX 78751

Tel: 512-472-2785

bookwoman@austin.rr.com

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weather of me and Sula

Sula report: can't be 100% sure with an ultrasound, but the vet says it looks more like the irritable bowel thingy at this point. However, something about the kidneys made them think she might have a kidney infection, so I have to bring her back in at lunch and pick her up after work.

Feeling pretty overwhelmed with stuff that's gotta be done before leaving tomorrow morning, but tentatively relieved that the vet seems to think Sula should be okay while I'm away.

I've been looking forward to my first Wiscon for a while now; I hope I can relax enough to be in the moment there and have a good time with all the lovely peoples with whom I'm going to get to spend time.

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Wiscon 33

Where and when I'll be:

The Female Bachelor Fri 4:00 - 5:15PM Conference 5
M-Jessica Reisman, Camille Alexa, M.K. Hobson, K. S. Latta
There are few examples of the female bachelor/monk as protagonist for whom hooking up is not the main point of her life, but she is an interesting, compelling protagonist for other reasons. Why does this differ from the much more common male bachelor, who is seldom pitiable or in need of mating up or having affairs?

A Cabinet of Curiosities, A Circus of Marvels Sat 2:30 - 3:45PM Michelangelos
Camille Alexa, J. Kathleen Cheney, Jessica Reisman, Adrian Alan Simmons, Caroline M Yoachim
Our fabulous reading! With copies of a special Anthology Builder collection of stories--featuring an awesome photo collage cover by

carolineyoachim--as prizes! plus chocolate and curious, circus-themed tchotchkes! And, also, the wonderful Tina Connolly subbing in to read for Caroline! !!!

Bisexual and Pansexual Characters in SF/F Sat 4:00 - 5:15PM Capitol B
M-Joell M. Smith-Borne, Charlie Anders, Annalee Newitz, Jessica Reisman, Chris Bifemmefatale
Where the heck are they? Many bisexual fans still feel pretty invisible in the genre after decades of queer activism. With a few notable exceptions like Torchwood, Elizabeth Bear's Col. Valens in Scardown/Hammered/Worldwired, Laurell K. Hamilton's vampires and Starhawk's The Fifth Sacred Thing, positive portrayals of bi and pansexual characters in SF/F seem to be rather scarce. What is being overlooked? Bring examples of your favorite bisexual characters to discuss, and also feel free to bring up common problematic tropes about bi and pansexual characters (fickle, murderous, untrustworthy) in SF/F TV, film and books.

Dear Writer: I Don't Want Kids Sun 4:00 - 5:15PM Capitol B
M-Linda McAllister, Jessica Reisman, Madeleine Robins, Isabel Schechter
Xena had a baby. Buffy acquired a younger sister to be parent to. Sarah Jane adopted the son she always(?!) wanted. Something about female characters seems to inspire their creators to give them a kid, whether in the usual sort of way, a most unusual sort of way, or by means of a child dumped in their lap. Even the ones who escape motherhood can't escape getting pregnant, often for the duration of only one episode. Are there any counter–examples? Or do all female characters wind up there sooner or later? Is it more prevalent in television than in books? In science fiction than in fantasy? If so, why?

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(no subject)

So, the Buffalo/Philadelphia trip, road trip with my sibs and aging father to see the old homeplace and other things. Some stuff to say, but I'm currently too tired to say it. Also have pictures, which I will post at some point. There was good, supportive family time, and being with my sister was wonderful; I love her to pieces.

Very glad to be home in loft with cats now, though.

I wish I had some sort of exciting writing news to post, but it's been a little quiet on that front. I'm looking forward to Wiscon; it will be my first! I suggested a panel, which will hopefully go, and have gathered an awesome group of folks for a reading; have some stuff related to that to get to work on now that the big trip is done.

I've been very light with lj comments and general presence the last week; apologies if I missed anything important.

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cons,
linky

(no subject)

A little more on Apollocon, personal highlights:

~discovering (thanks to Maureen McHugh) that cucumbers are actually melons (okay, that was on the ride there, but it counts)
~reading by Martha Wells, from a new novel that I will definitely read when it gets bought and published
~reading by Patrice Sarath, from her hot off the presses novel Gordath Wood, which I also acquired for myself
~hanging with the aforementioned Ms. McHugh
~really good Chinese food the one time I escaped the hotel to eat
~the cursing panel, which was just fun to be a part of
~the Broad Universe rfr, which, though sparsely attended, was rockin'
~readings by Brad Denton and Caroline Spector
~being joined by Matthew Bey and Patrice Sarath for my kaffeeklatsch
~the last panel I was on, which was on research, because Alan Steele did interpretive dance to translate for one of the other panelists who had lost her voice; by the end we were all doing it; a bunch of punchy writers laughing their asses off...not sure how helpful the panel was, but I enjoyed it

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cons,
writerstuff

(no subject)

Had a good time at Apollocon; I read a chapter from Deep Terrain and was gratified by the response. Largely I hung out with people from Austin I don't get to see enough, and that was fun.

Took today off for recovery; also, have to work on the article I didn't manage to get done before the con. Just went down to Hot Mama's and got myself an Indian panini and a latte for lunch. Mm, recovering nicely, thank you.

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cons,
linky

(no subject)

Off to Houston in a couple hours for ApolloCon. Guess I better pack. I'm getting a ride with the lovely and brilliant Maureen McHugh and her swell husband Bob, whose gps, I am informed, speaks in the voice of a British woman. I don't know which British woman.

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cons,
writerstuff

Apollocon schedule

My Apollocon schedule...is pretty intense. (Those who know me well, pray I do not fall asleep or come undone during either of the Friday late nighters.)

Broad Universe Rapidfire Reading Fri 8:00PM - 9:00PM

Frak You! No! Frell You! Fri 10:00PM - 11:00PM
Jessica Reisman, Matthew Bey (M), Bradley Denton, Amy Sisson, Selina Rosen

Late Night Ghost Stories Fri 11:00PM - 12:00AM
K. Hutson Price, J.M. McDermott, Mel. White (M), Jessica Reisman

Anime for the SF/F Fans Sat 2:00PM - 3:00PM
Rebecca Elsenheimer, Jessica Reisman, J.M. McDermott, Dee Beetem, Lawrence
Person (M), Erika Frensley, Ops

Kaffeeklatsch: Sat 4:00PM - 5:00PM

Reading: Sun 11:00AM - 12:00PM
Jessica Reisman, Shanna Swendson

Research for Fiction Writing: Why What You Don't
Know CAN Hurt You
Sun 1:00PM - 2:00PM
A. Lee Martinez, Linda Donahue, Selina Rosen (M), Jessica Reisman, Allen Steele

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cons,
writerstuff

Boskone, the high points

Most of it really; enjoyed the time with littlebirdblue so much. Met

beth_bernobich in the real and am glad to have. We had some nice convo and appear to have the same taste in build it yourself pasta meals; she gave a great reading from a story of hers coming out in Interzone sometime in the next while. Met some other nice folks, and re-met one from the last World Fantasy.

Boskone does a nice variety of panels and events and we took in a small portion of it.

I believe I acquitted myself well in my seven minutes of reading for the Broad Universe rapid fire reading, and was pleased to be in good company.

I even managed to accomplish a little bit of that business of writing stuff.

Most of all, however, it was just very lovely to spend that time with a good friend. Besides con stuff, and lots of lovely conversation, we also managed a hot tub and swim. Go us!

Special thanks to

planetalyx for the little sweet spikes of text messaging throughout the weekend, especially while travelling. (I didn't take my computer, and it's just as well, because wifi access at the hotel was not free.)

And my head didn't explode.

All in all, a good weekend.