I’m very much looking forward to attending Readercon this week. The drive up to Quincy, Massachusetts will be great — with Samuel R. Delany and Dennis Rickett. However, we’ll miss Tom Purdom who won’t be joining us this year, and especially Gardner Dozois who has left this earth. Then, we’ll have a weekend dedicated hanging with friends (old and new) as well as interesting conversations, panels, author readings and opportunities to learn from each other.
If you’ll be in Quincy, Massachusetts for the conference, here’s my schedule:
Thursday, July 12th
8:00 pm — Panel: Complicating the Redemption Narrative (Blue Hills Room)
I’m the moderator. Panelists: Gemma Files, Hillary Monahan, Tracy Townsend, Gregory A. Wilson
Some antagonists and wrongdoers are given texture and context until
they come all the way around to being understandable and sympathetic,
perhaps culminating in a heroic or tragic death. Others are
evil forever. Which types (and demographics) of villains are allowed
to have redemption arcs? How do these stories reflect and shape this
cultural moment of moral upheaval? Can alternative reconciliation
models such as restorative justice be used to transform the redemption
narrative?
Friday, July 14th
11:00 am — Panel: Being Alien (Blue Hills Room)
Gwendolyn Clare (moderator). Panelists: Layla Al-Bedawi, David DeGraff, Samuel R. Delany, and me
Being alien often relates to the preconceptions and points of reference that make the borderlands among people so dangerous, unpredictable, and exciting. This panel will explore what it is to be “alien” and various works that have used otherworldly creatures or non-humans in ways to get readers thinking about the nature of being human.
1:00 pm — Group Reading: Broad Universe (Salon A)
Authors reading: Terri Bruce, LJ Cohen, Randee Dawn, Elaine Isaak, Emily Lavin Leverett, Dianna Sanchez, Sarah Smith, Tracy Townsend and, very briefly, me.
Broad Universe is a collective of women and female-identifying authors of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
8:30 pm — My Solo Reading (Salon B)
As a solo reading, I’ll be able to read a significant portion of my recently completed novelette Beyond Our Hidden Stars.
Saturday, July 15th
11:00 am — Group Reading: Tabula Rasa
Randee Dawn, Barbara Krasnoff, Terence Taylor and, rather briefly, me
Tabula Rasa is a Brooklyn-based writers group.
Looking forward to seeing my friends and making new ones!