Category: Name Dropping

“…because I must climb the mast to see what kind of weather we’re going to have tomorrow.”

At the 11th hour, despite a long evening of roller derby NSOing already planned, I decided to attend what I could of the first annual Pippi to Ripley: Heroines of Fantasy and Science Fiction conference.  I’d seen the flyer at my local comic book shop and was intrigued.  I figure I’ve read enough blogs from my favorite SF&F writers on these issues that it was long past time I educated myself at a deeper level than “GenderFail is bad.”

I was only there for half of it, but I think what I saw merits at least the sort of write-up I do for conventions.

So, I got to three sessions of panel presentations and the keynote speech…

Session 1 – Science Fiction Heroines of Film

  • Katharine Kittredge, “Starting with Ripley: Trends in Science Fiction Heroines.”  Granted, I’m speaking as someone who only sort of tracks these issues out of the corner of his(!) eye, but Kittredge’s overview seemed to hit all the points in the development of the science fiction heroine that I’ve ever noticed.
  • Melanie Lorek, “Utopian Fantasy Meets Melodrams: The Female Heroine in East German Film.”  One of the things I don’t like about panel presentations is how an A/V snafu lasting only a minute or two could potentially torpedo a presentation through no fault of the presenter.  That didn’t quite happen here; Lorek managed to get the audience through her main points about the East German heroine.  I wish there’d been more time though.  I was fascinated by this look from a sociopolitical perspective.
  • Leah Summerville Ferrar, “Uhura Kissed a Vulcan: The Marginalization of Women and Minorities in J.J. Abram’s Star Trek.”  There was no point taking notes on this one since I agreed with pretty much every point she raised.  I wished there was a little bit more underneath it, though.  I was already familiar with most, if not all, of the criticisms Ferrar raised through the blogosphere alone.

Session 2 – Adapting Fairytales and Graphic Novels to Film

  • Elieen Weidbrauk, “From Caped Avenger to Ineffectual Virgin and Back Again: Reclaiming the Agency of Little Red Riding Hood.”  I love presentations in which I learn something brand new, in this case, the evolution of the tale from the 15th century to the present.
  • Jamie Warburton, “Seeing Coraline: Visualizing a Heroine in Fiction, Graphic Novel, and Film.”  I meant what I said about my love of learning something new.  In this case, though, it was overshadowed by the shame over not having read or seen Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.  Still, from a Feminist or any other perspective, tracing the evolution of character depictions between different media rarely ceases to amaze me.
  • Shana Kraynak, “Leathered Objectified and Loss of Super Powers: Gender Representation and Reconstruction in the Film Adaptation of Watchmen.”  Another presentation that didn’t leave me with much to write down.  As in Ferrar’s presentation, I was familiar with the property and the criticism over how the film portrays Silk Spectre II.  And like Ferrar’s presentation, I felt I was listening to the sermon from the choir box.   

I can’t resist nit-picking at the session title.  I wasn’t looking for any sort of writing-related panel at this conference and the topics themselves piqued my interest such that I would’ve attended this session in any case.  Still, a cursory reading of the program showed that adaptations were going to be discussed, rather than the process of adapting.  I’m just saying….

Session 3 – Television Heroines and Almost-heroines

  • Tara K. Parmiter, “Girl Friday Power: The Hacker Sidekicks in 21st Century Teen Television.”  This presentation seemed the strongest (granted, having only attended 1/2 the conference) in terms of the presenter’s analysis of her topic.  Just seemed the most in-depth to me.
  • Carrie Davidson, “The Doctor’s Companions: A Look at Female Power in Dr. Who.”  Another example of why I don’t like panel presentations.  How does a look at female power in Who exclude Leela, of all people??  Time constraints, that’s how.  Other things were ignored too, but I don’t think the presenter was to blame–how can you possibly cover a huge aspect of a TV series approaching its 50th year in 15 minutes?
  • Allison Hamilton, “Sluts and Seductresses: Victim-hood and Power in Farscape and Misfits.”  I did feel like this presentation made me do most of the work with respect to figuring out exactly what was I supposed to take away about victim-hood and power aside from  “Here’s how strength was depicted with these certain women in these certain shows” and “Here’s how sex/victimhood was depicted….”

The keynote by Feminist Sci-Fi critic Marleen Barr, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Feminist Science Fiction Criticism,” was a true delight!  Hers was a story of a very personal journey from convention fan to scholarly critic which brought her into contact with the legendary Octavia Butler, among others.  Nothing I write here could possibly do justice to Barr’s speech, so I’ll leave it there.

I’m very much looking forward to the second annual conference!

My Face Is Made for Podcasting

Out today: the 49th episode of The Functional Nerds podcast, hosted by Patrick Hester and John Anealio , featuring Carrie Cuinn and me talking about Cthulhurotica, which of course degenerated, uh, led to discussions of tentacle pr0n, plushie C’thulhus, and Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend.

Thanks again to Patrick and John for having us!

Listen | Download

“They’re doin’ the Bump N Touch. They’re doin’ the Dap-Dip. EVERYthing.”

I’d been looking forward to seeing Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings since they were here two years ago.  It was less of a straight-up concert than it was a real soul/R&B revue.  It was a party!

Two nights ago, my evening started a bit early in a new(-ish) bar and on Facebook with my new “friend,” Binky Griptite…

(Yeah, could’ve been a Daptone Records intern, but who cares?)

Binky and The Dap-Kings started off with one of my favorite songs of 2010, “The Reason.”  A couple of tunes later, Binky introduced the newest rising star in the Daptone soul universe, a “young voice,” Charles Bradley!  As in, 62 years young and still kicking ass!  I was too far away (and dancing) to get any decent shots.  But I did get him to sign his No Time for Dreaming CD I bought at intermission.

Afterward, the Dee-Kays warmed us back up.  By this point, I was down near the front!

After this point, I just remember a blur of funk and dancing…

Sharon & Charles showing us how it was done back in the day.

I got to hang around for autographs at the end.  I didn’t have anything for Sharon to sign (I already got her the last time she was in town), but I did get to thank her for coming back.  In return, she says, “Give me some sugar” and plants a kiss on my cheek!!

I will NEVER wash my cheek again!

And then, brother Charles did me the honor…

The Mrs. had the honor of becoming a 3rd Dapette…

…while I snagged autographs from Bosco Mann and Cochemea Gastulem, who were giggling uncontrollably for some reason.  Probably because some woman snagged my pen to get them to sign her ticket, and then I went, “Hey, as long as you’ve got my pen…”

I have to say, my con experiences have paid off.  I wasn’t half as fanboy-ish and starstruck as I could’ve been.  Of course, the Daptone Records folks always seemed like cool, friendly folk all around, and approachable, which made it easy.

Write Hard

I won this, and now I’m about to pay it forward.


The rules say (and we all know how good I am about rules, right)…

When you win:

1. Post the picture above to your blog. You can link here if you want. It doesn’t have to become part of the permanent clutter of your sidebar. Goodness no.

2. List at least three writers who you feel live up to the “write hard” spirit. Think: writers who work at their craft, writers who never give up despite the odds, writers who constantly turn out quality work. Writers you admire. Optional: explain why you think they are awesome.

3. Include these rules or a link to them.

4. Notify said writers of their victory. Ask them to pass on the torch.

5. Continue being awesome.

Hey, I’ll do one better.  I can give you four. 

Mercedes M. Yardley.  You know how I idolize all those big-name writers whose writing wisdom revolves around, “There are no excuses, the muse is a myth, there is no writer’s block.  Just sit down, STFU, and write!”  But the thing is, when I fail at getting writing done–and I often do–there’s a subconscious comfort in knowing that I’m not my heroes.  No, I’m not Ray Bradbury, so of course I couldn’t just churn out a story this week, I subconsciously think.  It’s all good.

Then, I look at Mercedes.

Seriously, just read her blog.  With everything she has going on, no one would ever blame her for missing a writing day.  Except she almost never does.  Or when she does, then she’s slushing or doing other writerly things–or, she’s doing wifey/motherly things.  What she doesn’t do is give herself the excuse to whine about how there’s no time.   No playing the world’s smallest violin for her!

If she has no excuses, I sure as hell have no excuses, not by a damn sight. 

This is what Mr. Pink thinks of your writing excuses–and mine.

Calista Taylor.  I joke about my ADD-like inability to focus on writing anything longer than a 5,000-word short story.  As most of you know, the thought of writing something novel length has always scared the piss out of me.  Dedicating yourself to a project that big is one thing.  But knowing that even if you succeed in cranking it out, it could all still go down the drain if you can’t find an agent…?  Or, even after you find an agent if no one buys it…?  Or, even after someone buys it, it gets gutted or even axed for no good reason…?  All that time and thousands of words… *shudder*

Yet, you know who’s been sticking it through all of those stages, and more than once?  Cali.  And that’s why I know she’s within a hair’s breadth of it.  She’s given me a front row seat as to exactly what the ups and downs of novel publication looks like, and you better believe I’m taking careful notes.

There’s a two-way tie between Regan Leigh and Layna Pimentel.  These two write as hard as anybody, but how they have time for that and still keeping up with their network of friends and contacts, to say nothing about the stuff going on in their lives, I have no idea.  It’s all I can do to keep from turning anti-social to the point of misanthropy (Some might tell you I’ve failed miserably).  The thought of hosting something like Query Chat?  Damn, Regan.  Beyond me, I tell you.  And if anyone I’m following on Twitter is a real social butterfly–and I don’t mean just perpetually pinging them on #followfriday or #writerwednesday, but actually interacting with folks–it’s Layna. 

Now, I don’t want to obligate anybody.  Merc, Cali, Regan, and Layna have better things to do than pass this thing forward.  I didn’t, but I love ’em all and I would’ve done it anyway.

“Maltz! Jol yIchu’!”

I spent an evening with a Klingon (not Maltz) and a Sagan!  Actor/writer J.G. Hertzler (aka Klingon General Martok on ST:DS9, and Ithaca resident apparently) and author Nick Sagan (The Idlewild trilogy) spoke at a local Science Cabaret presentation.


It’s a sad picture, I know.  I didn’t have the best vantage point, which was my own fault.  Speaking briefly with Hertzler afterward, he was surprised with the standing-room-only turnout.  I wasn’t.

The main focus was on Star Trek and its reach.  I wasn’t disappointed by any means, but somehow I expected something a touch more than a panel I could find at almost any convention I’ve attended.  Still, Sagan (whom I’ve seen speak before) and Hertzler were very engaging and open.  I got to talk bat’leths with Hertzler afterward, and told him a little bit about the Ithaca thing of people randomly knitting in audiences.

I even managed to sneak in a question during the Q&A!  I mentioned the huge spate of sci-fi TV shows since Trek, none of which had an influence that even came close.  I wondered, both of them being well-versed in sci-fi literature and television, if they had an inkling what a future sci-fi show would have to do to attain that.

They didn’t know.  To be fair, it’s a difficult question; not like I had anything close to an answer.  But as a friend pointed out, “You stumped a Sagan!”

Philcon, Part the Third

Yes, yes, Philcon was a month ago and by this point there isn’t too much to do except give a panel report.  Call it part of my year-end catchup.

I attended a lot of the same panels as Carrie and her general views about the con in her write-up would read more or less the same as mine.  But I do have pictures.

I remember it juuuust like it was yesterday…

1
First panel I attended that Saturday was “Do You Write With a Reader in Mind?” with Larry Hodges, Linda Bushyager, Alyce Wilson, Gary Frank, Gordon Linzer, and Oz Drummond.  This was probably the only panel I attended that effectively explored its topic. 

2
After my encounters with Peter S. Beagle, I made it to part of “Evolution of the Fantasy Graphic Novel.”  I went in expecting to at least hear a proposed lineage, rather than a lengthy debate on which “fantasy graphic novel” (as differentiated from the “superhero book”) kicked the whole thing off.  Marvel Comics Group’s Conan?  Eisner’s Contract with God?  Elfquest?

I admit it, I got bored and left.  I opted for dinner, a reading by the Garden State Horror Writers (of which Carrie is a member), and a launch party, after which, Carrie and I went to…

3
“Sexy Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories” with K.T. Pinto, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Jennifer Williams, and a moderator who didn’t show (which seemed to be more the norm at Philcon than at other cons I’ve attended, although I admit it could’ve just been my bad luck-of-the-draw).

Carrie talked about the content in her write-up, so I’ll talk about my impressions.  First off, the panelists did as great a job as could be expected sans moderator.  I attended the panel with an agenda in mind–to maybe pick up some things that wouldn’t make my publications in Rigor Amortis and Cthulhurotica flukes. 

I couldn’t help but think that if the moderator was there, I might’ve actually learned something more than…

  • what not to call a vagina in erotica
  • men really are pigs, as evidenced by the leering motley assortment of males in the audience.  My favorite–the guy who staggered in, with no badge that I could see, holding what looked like a 3/4 empty bottle of Michelob Ultra.

I can hear you scoffing.  “Yeah, you’re soo above it, aren’t you?  Like you weren’t checking out cleavages or listening for spank material.”  Well, I’m not going to say I wasn’t… or that I was, either.  Only I know what I was checking out at the time, which is, I’ll fancy, what separated me from some of my co-attendees.  At one point, I think I did hear Beavis and Butt-head snickering somewhere behind me.

My original assessment is unfair–I did learn a few useful tidbits and there was a very useful discussion about the panelists dealt with the issue of “questionable consent.”  But I think it’s fair to say those bits were serendipitous as opposed to a moderated agenda.

4
I didn’t get a picture of the “Hard Boiled Detective Tradition in Fantasy” panel.  I didn’t take many notes and just listened to the panelists Richard Stout and Hildy Silverman.  

5
Okay, so this is where I rant a bit.  I don’t want to complain, but there were a lot of things that would make me think twice about going to another Philcon, chiefly the obvious lack of organization which is apparently legendary if you give any regard to the scuttlebutt you hear in the hallways between panels.  Moderators who, when they showed, freely admitted their utter lack of preparation.  The one I’m thinking of did not blame the fact that most panelists didn’t know until the 11th hour which panels they were on, let alone which ones they were moderating.  No, this person admitted, “I left my notes up in my room.”

And I’m sorry, but any convention that allows its Guest of Honor to go to the wrong freaking room, causing him to be fifteen minutes late to his own reading doesn’t rate very high in my book.

6
“You are. Number Six.”  “You” being all the people whose company I enjoyed: Carrie, Simon, and the members of GSHW, all of whom thrashed me at Munchkin Cthulhu after a few sips of fine absinthe…

Philcon, Part the Second

Forgive me Father, for it has been nigh on three weeks since I should’ve posted this.

So, in this part of my trip down Philcon memory lane, I’m going to focus on the things I gleaned from Peter S. Beagle’s GOH speech based on my week-old memory of the event, which is fuzzy from the constant squee of that day.

He basically went the “advice to aspiring writers” route.  I had no complaints.  And through his speech, I confirmed that he was yet another example of a writer whose work I admire who has similar views about writing as I.

The main points of his speech were, as I remember them…

1
“Nobody said anything about ‘inspiration.'”  Artists just go to work, like everyone else.  As his uncle told him, “When the muse is late, start without him.”

He also reminded us of the rule of all freelancers, “If they ask, you can write a song.”

2
“Show up for work.”  Beagle suggests building a time where no one gets to bug your and you can’t leave.  I suppose however you do that is up to you, but the takeaway is to write on a “murderously regular basis.”

3
“Enjoy the company of other writers.” Though, he notes, not while you’re writing.

4
“Live with imperfection.”  Because, basically, you’ll have no choice, no matter how good you are.  He gave us an example of an artist who feels this way, jazz trumpeter Roy Eldridge. (A mutual love of jazz trumpeters can almost fool me into thinking Beagle and I are cut from the same cloth. Anyway…) Eldridge describes the trumpet as “a mean instrument” (Believe me, he’s absolutely right!), where some days you feel as though you’ve mastered the instrument inside and out.  And some days, the trumpet will say, “Hey, the hell with you, man.”

When Beagle has those times, he refers to a sign which he apparently always has above his writing desk that says, “Think, schmuck!”

5
“Pay no attention to criticism–or praise.”  ‘Nuff said, I think.  This is another oft-repeated piece of advice that’s escaped my notice until recently.

6
“Nothing you accomplish prepares you for the next one.”  Again, ’nuff said.

7
“You learn all this stuff by doing it.  And by doing it wrong.”  Say it with me: ‘Nuff said.

#

Next in the backlog/queue: a quick panel breakdown, ravings about the folks I hung out with, and rantings about the con organization.

Philcon, Part the First

It’s been a few days, so I thought I’d better get on with a Philcon write-up.  My year would’ve been complete having met one of my literary idols, Howard Waldrop, at Readercon in July.  The chance to meet a second idol in the same year, Peter S. Beagle, was just too good to pass up.  So, here’s what happened…

1

The first thing I had to do was get there.  Readercon took a lot of planning and a months-long allocation of resources.  This time I didn’t have the luxury of taking vacation days off on both side of the con, and being able to get my own hotel room to recharge my introvert points.  Let alone figure out how the hell I was going to get to Cherry Hill, NJ and back to work by Monday.

Enter one of my newest and truest friends, Cthulhurotica publisher Carrie Cuinn and her rented chariot, who was gracious enough to pick me up and take me home, all for gas money and as many meals as she would let me pay for.  Totally worth it! 

2
Saw some of the Lobbycon stuff going on Friday night, but was too tired by the time we got to the hotel to really check it out.

3
Saturday morning, after breakfast at Panera, I hit my first panel, “Do You Write with a Reader in Mind.”  Y’know, I think I’m going to post my panel round-up next time…

4
The schedule of author signings was conspicuous by its absence.  Afterward, I trolled through the dealer’s room and there he was, signing…

And after talking with him for a few minutes, I hit the jackpot: A signed copy of Magic Kingdoms: The Best of Peter S. Beagle, which io9 calls “a storytelling masterclass.”
5
This is the point at which I embarrass myself and admit that I’ve never read Beagle’s novel The Last Unicorn.  Had I read it, I would’ve immediately known that the scheduled reading titled simply “Schmendrick The Magician – Reading of Unpublished Stories” was, in fact, Beagle reading unpublished stories based on a character from the novel.
6
After Beagle’s reading was another panel that I ended up leaving early, so I had a couple of hours to hang out and grab a nap.  Did some hanging out, but no sleeping.  Oh well, why else does one go to cons, right?
7
Actually, next up was Beagle’s G.O.H. speech.  There’s a lot I want to say about this, so maybe this’ll be a separate post, too.
#
So, there was more but this post is getting too long.  I guess I did manage to cram a lot into a Saturday, huh?  My day didn’t end there, that’s for sure.  More tomorrow.

“I’m on fire/ On the playground, love”

Last Tuesday, I attended the first of this year’s Distinguished Visiting Writers Series at one of the local colleges, featuring author Jeffrey Eugenides.  He read an excerpt from his as-yet-untitled latest novel, which appeared in the June 7th New Yorker under the title “Extreme Solitude.” If you’ve had a college love affair of any kind, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the story.

After the reading, he took questions.  I was so glad I didn’t hear the types of questions I heard when his fellow Princeton colleague Joyce Carol Oates came to town.  Of course, this was an audience filled with writing students and teachers, so we were able to get past “Where do you get your ideas from?”  I was sure someone was going to ask him, in a slobbery voice, “How much input did you have when Sofia Coppola made The Virgin Suicides into a film?” or somesuch nonsense.  I’m so glad no one did.

On the upside, I managed to once again fight my fear of speaking to famous writers.  Of course, I was fighting it the entire time I was standing in line.  But in the end, it paid off.

They’re Coming to Get You, Barbara

Check out Robert “Nix” Nixon‘s cover art for the upcoming anthology Rigor Amortis.  I’m not ashamed to say that I did stare at it for several minutes before typing up this entry.

What’s in store for you, the reader?

Maybe a tender love story is your thing, a husband doting on his wife’s rotting corpse. Or perhaps a forbidden encounter in a secret café, serving up the latest in delectable zombie cuisine, or some dirty, dirty dancing in the old-time honky-tonk. Voodoo sex-slaves and vending machine body-parts? You’ll find those here, too.

Whatever your flavor, these short tales of undead Romance, Revenge, Risk, and Raunch will leave you shambling, moaning, and clawing for more.

Rigor Amortis, with my story “Sublimation,” drops on October 1st.  Order yourself a copy.  You know you want to.