Boskone is the oldest running scifi convention in Boston, and I’m honored to have been selected as a program participant this year! I attended my first Boskone back in 2011 and loved the serious attention to various scifi topics. Read my mini interview on the Boskone Blog here.
Some programming is free on Friday night, so come on down for all or part of the weekend!
FRIDAY, 2/16 at 4pm “Curse Your Inevitable Romantic Subplot”
6pm “Group Reading–Speculative Fiction Shorts” (I *think* I’ll read from my long poem, Interview with the Faerie (Part One), too add some diversity to the Reading, but I’m not 100% sure.)
8pm “The Many Influences of Horror”
SATURDAY, 2/17 at 2pm “The Orville vs. Discovery” (I’m moderating this one)
SUNDAY, 2/18 at 11am “Marketing Uphill”
I’ll be tweeting from Boskone, so be sure to follow me at suzsmuses. I’ll also be selling my books and hanging out at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room. I hope to see you this weekend!
This Saturday at 10am at Arisia in Boston, several members of Broad Universe will be reading selections from their works. Each author has anywhere from 3-7 minutes, depending on the number of participants.
These types of author readings are called “Rapid-Fire Readings” (RFRs)–each author reads from one of their works for the allotted time, introduces the next reader, and so on.
These readings fly by, and are a great way to hear or discover your next favorite writer!
The RFRs by Broad Universe are particularly fun, since we have chocolate and other treats available, and give away free books and other swag.
Check out this year’s list of readers below. Hope to see you there! (I think I’ll be reading from a fantasy/horror story in progress.)
I’ll be attending and panellng at Arisia Boston again. This year, Arisia (large scifi/genre/lifestyle conference) takes place January 12–15.
My schedule is light this year.
Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading, Saturday 10am in Adams
Join me and other members of Broad Universe for snippets of each writer’s work–we each get several minutes to dazzle the audience with our words, and we always have free chocolate, book giveaways, and lots of swag and other freebies. Always a fun time! Readers will include: Morven Westfield (moderator), Victoria Sandbrook, LJ Cohen, Larissa Glasser, Julie C. Day, Dianna Sanchez, Randee Dawn, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Anna Erishkigal, Heather Albano, and me! We typically have last-minute additions as well.
Feminism Today, Sunday 2:30pm in Marina 4
Description: “Feminism has had “waves” – our feminism is different from our parents, and their parent’s. What are the differences? How has the current social climate changed feminism and our experience of it? Let’s examine how it influences everything from science fiction awards to our everyday interactions.”
Panelists: Me (moderator), Jacqui B., David Larochelle, Rose H., Mikki Kendall (Arisia GOH)
The Power of Teen Movies, Sunday 5:30pm in Adams
Description: “The teenager, as a concept, is a relatively recent invention. And attitudes and beliefs about this transitional period between childhood and adulthood have changed over the years. What’s the best way to understand how the way in which we think about teenagers has shifted? Teen movies, of course. From Rebel Without a Cause to The Breakfast Club to Mean Girls, we’ll look at the impact of teen movies and what they say about being a teenager.”
Panelists: Me (moderator), Robin B., Gabriel V., Danny Miller
What would you like us to discuss on the panels? Please comment below.
I wanted to offer up my belated Arisia report. (Why belated? I was playing catch-up after a bacterial infection and then Arisia… and then I came down with the flu, which I’m still suffering from.) I know I’m not alone when saying this has been one crap winter, health-wise.
The hotel and venue were great, as usual. My panels were awesome (more on that below.) This was my first “dry” Arisia–I usually indulge in a drink after my panels are done, and also usually attend Barfleet and other parties. But this year I was on antibiotics, so I didn’t drink and got lots of rest.
One of the best photos I took… “Baby Jayne Hat.”
The family joined me, as they have the last few years. I was unfortunately unable to see many of the science panels that I love at Arisia. My husband did, and he witnessed–on not one but TWO panels–the extremely smart and dynamic astrophysicist Pamela Gay being mansplained to by audience members. As he told it, she got comments from the audience as a panelist that no man ever would have received.
On a related note, I had an interesting experience on my Feminism panel. A middle-aged, white gentleman asked us “why do you keep talking about women?” I think we were dead silent for about three seconds. Why were we talking about women? Because women still earn less than men, are judged differently in schools and workplaces alike, and under constant threat from sexual assault and intimate partner violence. To name a few.
Some of my books for sale at the Broad Universe table
And although we did talk about women a lot, all of us panelists were “intersectional” feminists (including the one male) so we also spoke about how feminism includes issues of race, class, gender, ableness, sexual orientation, etc. But there’s always “that guy” in the audience, looking for ways to cry about how women get too much attention. Or men don’t get enough. Or something. My fellow panelists were all excellent, as were the panelists (with some crossover) on the “Shame on Slut-Shaming” panel that I moderated.
My favorite panel (as a panelist) was “Mad Max & Melissa McCarthy—Genre Film Feminism.” I moderated this one, and fellow panelists were among the most intelligent, thoughtful women I’ve ever paneled with. We had a great discussion, and partly because we were not all in lock-step with each other. But everyone listened, everyone had a chance to talk, and it was very respectful.
I participated in the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading with a group of talented women authors. I read from Fluff, my novella-in-progress (which is also suffering from neglect due to my illnesses.) I also had fun hanging out with my fellow Broads at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room. Plus, I sold as many books as I ever had at a con!
“Womaning” the Broad Universe table
Kudos to the Arisia staff, who handled registration beautifully after some snafus last year, and who continue to do an excellent job with programming and tending to the safety of con-goers.
Finally, thanks to all who stopped me in the halls of the hotel to tell me they appreciated my panels! That is so gratifying. Being a good panelist is important to me.
Until next year…
p.s. I was planning to be at Boskone this coming month, but I may be busy playing catching-up, so stay posted for info. on my appearance there.
I’m looking forward to attending Arisia in Boston once again! The entire family goes with me, and my kids have fun geeking out with us 🙂 I’m also looking forward to seeing many friends, especially my peeps from Broad Universe.
If you’re attending Arisia, feel free to seek me out after my panels or find me in the Dealer’s Room at the Broad Universe table. I’ll have some books to sell, and I’ll be reading from my novella-in-progress at the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading (see below for time.)
Geeky Parenting: Raising the Next Generation – Friday 7pm; Communities, Panel – 1hr 15min – Marina 1 (2E)Come join our panel of parents to discuss the challenges and rewards of being a geeky parent. How do you manage attending a con with children? How are you introducing your kids to SF/F? How do you share older, problematic favorites? What are your go-to tips and tricks? Dianna Sanchez (moderator), Danny Miller, David Nurenberg, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, David Weingart
Shame on Slut-Shaming – Saturday 5:30pm; Communities, Panel – 1hr 15min – Burroughs (3E)Slut-shaming is the act of treating woman as inferior or shameful for engaging in sexual behaviors that deviate from the norm, failing to uphold gender expectations, dressing in provocative ways, acquiring access to birth control, or even for being sexually assaulted. What are the psychological and sociological causes of slut-shaming? What can be done to change people’s attitudes? Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert (moderator), Inanna Arthen, Abby Hafer, Melissa Perreira-Andrews, Henry M. White
Feminism: What It Is, What It’s Not – Saturday 7pm; Communities, Panel – 1hr 15min – Burroughs (3E)Feminism has had “waves”—our feminism is different from our mother’s, and her mother’s. What are the differences? How has the current social climate changed feminism and our experience of it? Let’s examine how it influences everything from Beyoncé‘s career to our everyday interactions. Melissa Perreira-Andrews (moderator), Aaron Heuckroth, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Hannah Simpson
Mad Max & Melissa McCarthy—Genre Film Feminism – Sunday 5:30pm; Media, Panel – 1hr 15min – Marina 2 (2E)From big action blockbusters to slapstick comedy to more Oscar-worthy fare, there are some amazing things happening with women in film. Are we now in a golden age of feminism in genre films?Does Hunger Games promote this agenda? What about Black Widow? Where are things looking great, and where are they grim? Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert (moderator), Deirdre Crimmins, Ellie Hillis, Genevieve Leonard, Julia Rios
Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading – Sunday 7pm; Writing, Reading – 1hr 15min – Hale (3W)Broad Universe is an international organization of women and men dedicated to celebrating and promoting the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Come listen to readings by as many authors as we can get in one place at one time.Terri Bruce, Randee Dawn, Larissa Glasser, Justine Graykin, Elaine Isaak, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Dianna Sanchez, Trisha Wooldridge
