I’ve never been to Wiscon before and I just found out there’s a time-travel-themed queer dance party! My rainbow leg warmers just got added to the packing list.
Will you be there? Come to one of the panels or readings I’m in!
FRIDAY:
10:30 PM – 11:45 PM
Assembly: Let’s Judge a Book By Its Cover
Science fiction and fantasy can have some knock-your-socks-off cover art. Art that draws you to the book and sticks with you later. (Sometimes even being reprinted on posters, t-shirts, etc.) At the same time, sf/f covers can be egregiously sexist or racist. They can be whitewashed and/or designed by committee to be as cookie-cutter as possible. Often, the author has zero control. We will look at classic examples of the good and the bad, and discuss current trends in book covers.
SATURDAY:
9:00 PM – 10:15 PM
University C: Introverts Rock! (Quietly … Alone in Their Rooms.)
The hidden power of introversion! Let’s talk about what’s awesome about being an introvert and some of the challenges we face.
(I’m moderating this one!)
SUNDAY:
10:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Conference 2: Dispatches from the GlitterShip!
GlitterShip is a podcast and magazine of LGBTQIA+ short fiction. Come listen to a selection of works by authors whose stories have appeared on GlitterShip!
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Capitol A: How Not To Think About Women Characters
“She’s such a Mary Sue.” “She’s only there to serve the story of a male character.” “Her characterization is so inconsistent” or “She’s too flat to be interesting.” As consumers of media—even feminist consumers—we have a whole language at our disposal when we need to justify disinterest or dislike towards a woman character. But as often as these idioms are accurate criticisms of a work, they can also be ways to avoid actually talking about the character AS a character. Some questions to consider: Do the ways in which we critique women characters result in a denial of their agency? Is describing women characters as “inconsistently characterized” a way to avoid seeking out their motivations? Is being a “foil” or a parallel always a subordinate role?
I’m really excited about this con–seeing some friends, meeting some new people who sound fantastic, engaging in some next-level conversation and dancing. Hope to see you there!
