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wMay 27, 2009 | |
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WisCon Panel Write-Up: Spontaneous Programming; Shonen Manga Go to the LiveJournal, because I refer to people by LJ and it's annoying to change the code. Labels: manga, manga: shounen, wiscon, wiscon 33 scribbled mystickeeper at 10:06 PM 
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wJun 19, 2008 | |
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Are you kidding me? Thanks to Maevele and Rachel Manija Brown for alerting me to recent developments via my LiveJournal friends list. Okay. So, this one time, Nightshade Press published an anthology of short stories, titled Eclipse One. The mix of authors contained within the anthology was evenly split between men and women. Despite having a number of good (and good-selling) female authors, every name that was on the cover was male. In addition, the marketing package of the cover art was masculine. Taken from the Wiscon panel description from this year: The ensuing argument centered around two main points--the publishers felt that, of the authors in the anthology, the names they'd put on the cover were likely to attract the attention of more casual buyers. And because they were in the business of making money, they could not afford to put an "agenda" ahead of anything else. Readers felt that, because no women were given a slot on the cover, the publishers were reinforcing patriarchal assumptions about who sells books, and who doesn't. Some expressed the opinion that the lack of women on the cover was actually likely to deter them from buying the book. Coffeeandink had a nice write-up of this panel posted in her LiveJournal, here. Of particular note is the concluding thoughts, which mirror my memory of the panel: The book's sales history: Jeremy said it "sold to expectation," that he's already contracted for Volumes 2 and 3, and that based on the authors already accepted for Volume 2, there will be multiple women on the cover (I forget how many). The table of contents for Volume Two has been released, and you can see it here, or with more comments accompanying it, here. Every name on that list except for one is a man's name. So, as spelled out in the Wiscon panel description, there are two sides to the debate. Either it is okay for marketing people to shape their marketing strategy of fiction to reinforce a patriarchy, or it is a good idea for them to acknowledge the diversity in fiction that already exists. Whatever side of the debate you lie on, there is no excuse for sending a representative (an editor responsible for the decision, no less!) to a feminist convention and have him fucking lie to the entire panel and everyone in the room about what they can expect in the future. Seriously. WTF. I now regret not typing up my notes on this panel yet. Perhaps I'll have time to do so tomorrow. Rachel Manija Brown is actually productive in her post, and has started compiling a list of women writers and/or writers of color. Let's make it easy for them, shall we? Personally, I don't think the problem is simply that the white male editors have absolutely no idea where to look. I mean, it's the Internet age,right? One of the editors was at Wiscon. I don't really know what else we could do, short of a color-by-number instruction guide. To be clear: What upsets me the most is that an editor for the publishing company came to Wiscon, sat on a panel, and lied. Who does that? Labels: epic fail, feminism, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 11:35 PM
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wJun 4, 2008 | |
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Wiscon 32 Panel Report: The Curious Boundaries of YA Fantasy 56 The Curious Boundaries of YA Fantasy Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Saturday, 1:00-2:15 P.M. ♦ Senate A What are the limits of what can be discussed in YA fantasy? What themes and issues are considered appropriate, and which are taboo? Who sets these limits and do they mesh with the desires and expectations of YA readers? M: Mary Anne Mohanraj, Sharyn November, Tamora Pierce, Sarah Beth Durst So, somebody else moderated this panel, but I can't remember who it was. My notes are pretty sparse. I'm in it for the book recommendations, :D Sharyn November wanted to begin the panel by defining what Young Adult fiction actually means, as many people don't know (She is an editor for YA fiction, in charge of the Firebird brand, which publishes fantasy stuff - if you look in the teen section of bookstores, you'll see it). There are 3 levels. 14 and up is edgier YA stuff; 12 and up is standard, and 8-12 is the lowest. All readers "read up." So, if a book is for "14 and up," you as the writer should assume that your reader is 12. Sexuality was brought up as the first topic. Tamora Pierce said that the difference between YA and adult fiction is that sex, drugs, etc. must be present in a story for a reason, as opposed to being a background recreational activity. She also noted that nobody (ie, Texas librarians) has ever squeaked about the amount of violence in her novels, only the sex. Mary Anne noted that Tamora Pierce doesn't describe sex in explicit detail, nor do any (?) YA authors. Sharyn November notes that characters age, and become darker in YA fiction (Westmark!). She also praised Tamora Pierce's magical contraception in her novels (To which Tamora Pierce said, "I love it, too!"). She also said that in the books she edits, explicit sex is the only thing she does not allow. It was noted that in the Pern books, you will totally miss the sex references if you aren't ready for them. An audience member was a physician (I think?) and worried about working with 10-14 year-olds who had been traumatized. She said that she would like books to have a warning. Sharyn responded that this was a slippery slope. Also, adding such a warning will make everyone want to read the book! She also noted that if you mark "Ages 10 and up!" on a book, 12-year-olds will skip it. It was brought up a number of times that readers will self-censor if they're not ready for certain kinds of books. Mary Anne noted that it can be good for victims to read books about people going through similar situations to know that they're not alone. Sharyn November noted that the Victorian conceit of the child as a pure and unsullied figure is crap. And here we come to my list of recommendations from the panel! Robin McKinley is really good at writing the day-to-day. Her novel Chalice is coming up. Deerskin and Sunshine are good, but both are considered to be adult novels by the novel. Sharyn November endorsed Tamora Pierce as being very responsible by addressing contraception, puberty, etc. Megan Whalen Turner's books were mentioned, and apparently The Thief is a good place to start. It is hilarious, surprising, and brilliant. Pamela Dean's story "Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary" Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes (Cue the fandom wank on her plagiarism!) Diane Duane's So You Want to Be a Wizard Inside Out (By Ann M Martin??) Ellen Kushner's Privilege of the Sword (Not technicall YA; its prequel was clearly adult) Mercedes Lackey trilogy Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson I think the last broad topic was how to draw the line with violence. Tamora Pierce talked about describing the impact and weight felt on a character's arm. She said a bit of blood is good, but not too much; also dust noise, etc. It's also good to note that the character is in battle-fever, and not registering everything around them. The wounds will hit them later on - sometimes they'll throw up. Deep Wizardry has kids with lots of responsibility. Nina Kiriki Hoffman's A Fistful of Sky is a good place to start a series I missed the name of. It is stand-alone. There are darker themes, the books are funny, and good. Perry Moore's Hero It focuses on being gay, family, father acceptance, etc. Elizabeth Wien's The Winter Prince My personal suggestion is totally the Animorphs series. I wrote them off when I was younger, but then read them in high school (and in college summers, bwahaha!). 6 kids fighting a war, all by themselves. Responsibility, violence, friendships, pacifism, etc. There are some clunkers, but hey, there are about 60 books; what are you going to do? They're so short and with big print! DO IT. Current Music: Antoine laughing at every page as he reads some Yotsuba&! manga Labels: a: pierce tamora, books, books: ya, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 8:35 PM
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wJun 3, 2008 | |
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Wiscon 32 Panel Report: The Slayer's Legacy 89 The Slayer's Legacy: Ten Years of the Buffyverse Reading,Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Saturday, 4:00-5:15 P.M. ♦ Capitol B Ten years ago, the television series Buffy The Vampire Slayer debuted, headed by Joss Whedon, a self-proclaimed feminist. The show created spinoffs, academic disciplines, and a fiercely loyal fan community, and embraced ideals of cooperation, alternative sexualities, smart heroines, and the mix between monster and human. Buffy fans embrace all types, from academics in linguistics and gender theory, theologians, writers, ceremonial magicians, artists, bloggers and more. Buffy is still a viable site for discourse and inspiration ten years later and it came in with feminist ideals—there are even Buffy discussion groups at feminist bookstores today. How does this change the landscape of science fiction today—what is the Slayer's legacy? We'll look at how feminist ideals of cooperation have spread to the support of the WGA strike, and how Buffy has created a new kind of fan, actor, writer, and artist. We'll look at the links between fan culture, feminism, academia and how the Buffyverse has shared feminism and feminist ideals with the world. M: Olivia Luna, Candra Gill, Jody Wurl, Ariel Franklin-Hudson I wasn't really looking for great theoretical value in this panel, so please forgive me for just posting the squee. J is a teen librarian. O has taught a class on Buffy. Candra is a huge sci-fi TV fan (among other things), and wrote an essay on Buffy called "Girls Who Bite Back." The first thing that was noted was that the panel description deserves some analysis. Buffy did bring a new brand of feminism to TV,but there were activist feminist writers before Joss Whedon. O pointed out that Whedon caters very much to the mainstream crowd; he isn't a radical. For example, while the man claims to be a champion of gay rights, the show missteps. G noted that Buffy is a very normalized woman who happens to have power. Also, she has an awesome origin story. What's a good successor to Buffy? Candra suggested Veronica Mars, and multiple panelists agreed. It takes a class genre (noir) and combines it with high school life. It is a show created by a white man that takes a blonde, petite female with a single parent, and places her as the lead. It was noted that the first season of VM deals with race and class in a way that Buffy never did, but the show sadly didn't keep this up for the next two seasons. Battlestar Galactica has complex female characters. Smallville was also thrown out. Someone suggested Angel, which almost made me scream, "No!" But people luckily pointed out that Angel is a study of masculinity that doesn't subvert anything. I learned something! The original purpose of the community The season 2 episode about the mummy and the Thanksgiving episode were brought up as cringe-worthy episodes where white guilt is treated as a joke. Someone said that last Monday (from when the panel was held; not from when this post was made) on NPR, a reporter in Baghdad talked about how she watched Buffy to get her through her time reporting in Iraq, which I thought was pretty cool. People discussed Spike's attempted rape of Buffy as an insult to fans because they were told to like him by the writers of the show, and then told by the text that it was not okay.....until it was again. Not much time was spent on Faith, but Cabell brought up the fact that not only does she represent class issues, but her female interest in pursuing sex is used as a mark of evil, which is true. Lastly, the episode was referred to in which it's posed as a question to the audience whether or not Buffy's life is real, or whether she's living in a mental institution. I liked this episode a lot because I like pondering questions like that, but a friend privately pointed out to me that every single female character of Joss Whedon's (with the possible exceptions of Inara and Kaylee on Firefly, although I'm sure he would have gotten to them as well) are put in the crazy house. I find this troubling, although I must admit that I love mental issues and realities of trauma and relationships in fiction, so I am not as appalled as I possibly should be. Overall, this was a fun panel to sit in on, having just finished watching all 7 seasons of Buffy for the first time. I am open to suggestions of further Buffy readings, if anyone has them. By "Buffy readings," I refer to comics (have already read most of Season 8, Fray, and Tales of the Vampires), novels (are any of them any good?), or criticism (online or in book-form). If anyone else attended the panel and has information that I forgot, or different opinions about how the panel went, please express them! Labels: a: whedon joss, tv: buffy, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 10:14 PM
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wMay 31, 2008 | |
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Wiscon 32 Panel Report: Nordic Trek 2 Nordic Trek Reading,Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Friday, 2:30-3:45 P.M. ♦ Senate B The long journey across the Gethen Glacier in Left Hand of Darkness. The Svalbard of Iorek Byrnison in The Golden Compass. Even the Alaskan village of 30 Days of Night. The frozen north holds allure for more than Green Bay Packer fans. Whence cometh this fascination? Panel may include dramatic readings; the highly imaginative (or suggestible) should bring sweaters. M: Adrian Simmons, Evelyn Browne, Maureen Cohen, Lori Devoti I am fuzzy on a few details, and am too lazy to look them up. Please don't hate me. This panel had a lot of audience participation (including some by a woman who I later realized was Tamora Pierce!), and I didn't really feel like the panelists were totally prepared for the topic. Luckily, the audience participation was thoughtful and intelligent. Still, non-preparation of panelists seems to be a pet peeve of mine for stuff like this. I would have rather analyzed from "whence cometh this fascination" in more depth. Oftentimes, panels become a great opportunity for people to reference various movies and books they've read, but I'm more interested in exploring the nature of the motif, I guess. Lori writes (or reads?) books on Norse mythology, and thinks that snow represents a danger that nothing else can. Adrian was traumatized by the movie "The Thing." Also that Pullman's The Golden Compass was a period setting that used the North Pole as a need for exploration. It's a frontier that can be explored without lots of technology. E mentioned Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter as being her favorite in the series, as it dealt with a shrinking world and complete isolation from the rest of society. I was really excited by this reference, as I reread entire The Little House on the Prairie series at least once per year between the ages of 6 and 14. Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. Paulsen races the Iditarod every year, and writes quite accurately about what it takes to survive in the wilderness. This isn't really a "Nordic Trek" narrative, but it also deals with themes of isolation and limited resources. This was also a favorite book of mine in elementary school. It was mentioned that bad things happen to people who dare to venture north, as in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, when the Fellowship encounters an avalanche. It was also pointed out that this was one of the rare times in a book that the protagonists failed at their attempt to make it across the snow. Barbara Hambly's Time of the Dark was also mentioned as an instance when the protagonists could not defeat the ice or the dark, and had to live with it instead. Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness was mentioned in the panel description. Her scenes of snow-traveling are written in gorgeous and sometimes chilling prose, and the trek fit into the story as a whole. It was pointed out that desert narratives can be very similar to nordic trek narratives. Frank Herbert's Dune is a classic example (as is the planet Tatooine in Star Wars, and Hoth for ice). In religious stories, prophets are sent there. Unwanted children are sent into deserts to die. L. said that writers don't keep going there [returning to the motif of the Nordic Trek], but a member of the audience argued that we (authors/movie-makers) do. I agree with the audience member - why else would we be having the panel?! It was pointed out that in movies especially, the cold is used for its starkness and beauty, but the reality of constricting lungs and visible breath are not often shown. H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness was mentioned, although I don't remember what specifically was said, except for the basic premise. Arctic summers are very different than arctic winters, but aren't often written about. Maureen F. McHugh's China Mountain Zhang is an example where arctic winters are discussed. If anyone else attended the panel and has information that I forgot, or different opinions about how the panel went, please express them! Labels: books, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 7:44 PM
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wMay 28, 2008 | |
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The Positive Posts I'm kind of astounded by how many hits both my blog and LJ have received in the last two days. People of the world, pay attention to this post, too. It is really important to look at how a feminist community responds to such a horrific event. Pictures of me have now been posted, and excerpts of my blog entry describing the situation have been quoted by the asshats on the SASS forums. I think the most amusing part of reading that thread is their posts of "How long do you think it will take them to find this?" or "Do you think they've figured out we found their Flickr pool yet?" I mean, I know that Internet geek boys love to congratulate themselves for their ability to navigate the Internet, but don't they think that feminist sci-fi geeks might also spend their fair share of time on the Internet? WE ALSO NAVIGATE THE SERIES OF TUBES. The Angry Black Woman posts: What Rachel Moss Did. If you're confused about WTF is going on, I suggest you begin here. TABW lays it all out for you. Lesley at Fatshionista posts: A Modest Invitation Take my picture. Ppurplefrog26 was the subject of one of the pictures, and replies quite eloquently in her LJ. This incident, unfortunately, is not unusual. Fat people hear negative comments, see the disgusted looks, and feel the drawing back of people around them. It’s not a safe world to live in if you are a fat person. We lose our right to privacy. Pictures are taken for amusement. Our shopping carts are examined with the intent to judge our eating habits. Our health status is questioned. We are not treated with respect and dignity by employers, service people, or health care workers. This happens every time we step out of our homes. Unfortunately, these messages can be internalized. So not only do you face the challenges of dealing with society but you tell yourself that you are ugly, worthless and disgusting. So it becomes a radical act when you choose to live your life and love yourself despite the negativity that we swim thorough every day. Labels: feminism, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 11:23 PM
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Panel Report: Shoujo Bodies Panel Report: Sponteaneous Panel: Shoujo Bodies ♦ 7:30pm, Saturday Most bodies in shoujo manga are thin and wispy, with an emphasis on androgyny. Many of the men tend to lack muscle definition (think Yuu Watase), while the women are much less curvy than their shounen manga counterparts. What does this mean to us? What other body types are there in shoujo manga? We will hopefully talk about gender-bending, cross-dressing, body image, and the fashion industry. Suggested series to discuss: After School Nightmare, Paradise Kiss, Walkin' Butterfly, Angel Sanctuary, Fruits Basket, W Juliet, Rose of Versailles, and Princess Knight. This panel was organized by Princess Knight is apparently the first shoujo anime, made by the creator Astro Boy, etc. The Japanese title is Ribbon Knight. The protagonist is a woman whose father wanted a son, and thus raised her as one. It sounds very much like the premise of the manga/anime series Rose of Versailles, although this one of course came first. After School Nightmare sounded just plain awesome. The protagonist is an intersex character who wants to be male, but is biologically female from the waist-down. He menstruates. The plot sounds just plain awesome, with students encountering their worst nightmares at their school, after class. It was noted that girls' nightmares often involved aspects of themselves, while boys' nightmares were usually something else. Baby & Me - a story in which a male protagonist is used to discuss traditionally female problems: how it can suck to care for a baby because you can't easily hang out with your friends, go to school, or date. NANA - I've already read ~15 volumes of this series and watched the anime. The narration style of the story was mentioned, in that it is two women having a conversation. In NANA, the plot is driven by internal character development, but music and fashion and the characters' appearance is still very, very important. Mars is an older series that starts off with the female lead being a timid character afraid of the world because of abuse. In one particularly notable scene, she describes this abuse to someone else, who sympathizes, "You must have felt really scared." The protagonist replies, "No, I was furious," with some violent imagery on the page. Then, this valid anger of the woman is set aside, and the story then focuses on the male lead. We discussed briefly how male characters often experience physical trauma (losing an eye!), while female bodies are often left untouched. Women are also not often scarred permanently, whereas male characters are. In Rurouni Kenshin, a scar on the cheek is used to mark the protagonist (who has a round face and therefore feminine features) as a man. Other series that were mentioned: Princess Princess (at an all-boys school, some boys must cross-dress into frilly clothing so that the other boys have something to look at) Walking Butterfly Rose of Versailles (I have watched most of this) Angel Sanctuary High School Debut Hana Monogatari (1920s book, where shojo manga gets its style from) The Tale of Genji (a novel) Kitchens - Banana Yoshimoto Link! The Nanami's egg episode in Revolutionary Girl Utena is totally all about menstruation and pregnancy. The pregnancy, I got. The menstruation, I missed. I need to rewatched Utena. Whee! I'd love to read After School Nightmare and Princess Knight, for sure. I intend to check out the other stuff, too. Labels: manga, manga: shoujo, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 9:59 PM
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We've seen the worst of the Internet; let's show everyone what the best looks like Firstly, if you guys only read my blog, you might be interested in reading the conversation generated by my last post, over on LJ. It has generated over 100 comments. You know what? I look pretty damn cute in the pictures of me that got uploaded to the SASS thread. Indeed, I love what K. Tempest had to say: I was scrolling through the thread and looking at the pictures and, instead of being ashamed that I associate myself with such people (horrors!), I couldn’t help but think of how beautiful all those images are. They are pictures of beautiful women of all sizes smiling, having fun, loving where they are and what they’re doing. These are the poeple I go to WisCon to be around. And nothing those half-brained monkeys on that forum say can make me feel any different. You wanna call me out as a fat loser? You go right ahead. But it’s plainly evident that I not only have more class than you, I also have a better life and better friends. All the evidence I need to support that statement is my lack of time spent on the internet trolling for pictures of people I don’t know in order to make fun of them for arbitrary reasons. Panel 191 Report: Last time, on Battlestar Galactica... Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Sunday, 11:30-12:45 A.M. ♦ Senate A We saw the first part of Season Four, let's talk about it. Where is the series going? Let's speculate on the ramifications of the final five Cylons, Roslin's reoccurring cancer, and all the good stuff in the rest of Season Four. M: Ben Burgis, Maddie Greene, JJ Pionke This panel began at 11:30pm. Most of the panelists were drunk, as was most of the audience. This was hands-down the most hilarious panel I attended during the entire convention. I don't even remember what we talked about, and I didn't even drink. Cracktastic Cylon theories and references to Ikea planets were made. It was the just-perfect combination of people making insightful comments while also being drunkenly cheeky. I think my favorite moment (aside from Starbuck's white viper coming from Ikea) was "Heyiya"'s "I have a really complex and insightful theory, but I've had a few beers and I can't complete this thought process!" I had so much fun that I didn't take any notes. I didn't attend the "Is Racism Inherent in Fantasy?" panel, but I have heard a lot about it from friends (whose brains were broken). Liz has video responses from people who attended the panel. My friend Bridget is "Bridget" in three of these videos, and you have the opportunity to see how hilarious she is. Mely has has posted about the "Can Internet Drama Change the World?" panel, posting a mostly-complete transcript of the panel. I attended this panel, and intend to post my own notes later, unless I decide that I don't have anything else to say. The consensus, though, was "Yes, Internet drama can change the world." The Sign-Out I was so excited and gleeful that I completely overcame my shyness/awe of Wiscon people, and was running around cackling and talking excitedly about these authors. I happened to find Maureen F. McHugh in the Dealers' Room. Bridget told her that our book club loved her book China Mountain Zhang, and whatever others might say about the ending of the novel, we loved it and found it appropriate. Then, I asked her to sign my copy of China Mountain Zhang and said, "Also, I think it's totally cool that you referenced Scott Pilgrim in the short story you read out loud Thursday night!" And she totally freaked out with glee, saying, "YAY, I'm so glad that someone caught the reference! I really just wanted to make her [the protagonist] a real person, you know?" I really like Maureen McHugh as both an author and a person, and I look forward to reading her other novels and more short stories. I had Sarah Monette sign Melusine for me. I didn't have much to say because I haven't actually finished it yet, and was chatting a lot with people in line next to me. I had Tamora Pierce sign my copy of In the Hand of the Goddess. She's so down-to-earth, and practical, but well-spoken. I was actually halfway through the second panel with this insightful audience member before I put my hand over my mouth and went, Holy shit, that's Tamora Pierce! We chatted about our mutual awe for my LJ friend, goldjadeocean. I still haven't read Patrick Rothfuss's In the Name of the Wind, but he's friends with Gretchen, and he treated us to dinner on Sunday night. It was pretty hilarious, because I took my copy of the book to him and said, "Not only am the asshole who hasn't even read your book yet, but this copy is also already signed by you. I was just wondering if you could personalize it." He eagerly accepted, but then said that he suffered from "performance anxiety," thinking that because we had eaten dinner together, he should be able to say something exceedingly meaningful or hilarious. Giving up, he instead opened to a blank page and did spirograph. Patrick Rothfuss is funny, intelligent, and ready to mock everything, including Wiscon itself (in a respectful way - please totally have him come back next year!. I really look forward to reading his book. Yesterday was work and grocery shopping, but Sandy and I had time to eat dinner together, and I then showed her the first two episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist. She is pretty new to anime (I think she's only seen Cowboy Bebop?), so I cackle with the glee of corruption. She hopes to reciprocate by getting me to read slash fanfiction. Labels: a: mchugh maureen f, a: pierce tamora, a: rothfuss patrick, friends, racism, tv: battlestar galactica, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 6:49 AM
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wMay 26, 2008 | |
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This is what an ignorant jackass looks like Okay, so it appears as though Something Awful has deleted the offensive post* made by a Wiscon attendee at her request. Indeed, she is so sorry. So here is my question. I am assuming that people are going to want to discuss what happened. People should discuss what happened, and IMO, how it can be prevented next time. I still have the window open on my laptop with the original post. Should I post the text in a public post so that it might be accessible to the interwebs once more? If so, where would be most appropriate: my personal blog, or the Wiscon blog? Is it offensive to re-post the material, or is it more offensive for the perpetrator to I'd rather not re-post the pictures in my blog, and I'm not even sure that I could. If the post was deleted, I don't think that I can save them, even if they're still on a web browser window that's been open for hours. *In case you missed it, someone who attended Wiscon spent her time snapping photographs of people without their permission, removing their faces from pictures, and uploading them to the Something Awful forums with some of the most hateful and ignorant commentary I have ever seen in my life. She attended panels such as "Fat is Not the Enemy," took pictures of people whom she considered to be fat, and then hatefully mocked them for the rest of the world to see, often posting people's names with the pictures. I felt physically ill reading the post, and was nearly in tears by the end of it. I am disgusted and ashamed that this girl attends my University, and presumably lives in this city. I hope for her sake that our paths never cross. Verily, words would be exchanged. (Thank God for Facebook, so I know what she looks like, am I right?) ETA: Read the comments for a link to the first half of the original post. Also, the threads of that post on the SASS forums contain lots more pictures (did people find flickr pools?). People seem to be posting lots of just random photos from Wiscon, including a cute picture of Johanna, Jess, and someone I don't recognize. NORMALITY, IT TRANSLATES TO LOLS. I guess I'm just really out of touch with Internet humor. I don't get it. Labels: epic fail, wiscon, wiscon 32 scribbled mystickeeper at 11:34 PM
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Wiscon, Day....4? I'm too lazy to change LJ username tags. So once again, visit the LiveJournal.scribbled mystickeeper at 3:19 AM
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wMay 24, 2008 | |
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Wiscon: Day 2 Once again, this post is heavy with the references to people on LiveJournal, so please just read the entry there.scribbled mystickeeper at 2:11 AM
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wMay 23, 2008 | |
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Wiscon: The View from Friday Morning I keep remembering all these people I chatted with, who I forgot to mention in last night's post. For example, I met I ended up falling asleep with my lights on and all my clothing still on immediately after blogging last night, so I was a bit rushed this morning. My Wiscon Schedule for Friday, with a few blank spots Work 8:00am - ????pm ♦ The Capitol! The Gathering Special ♦ Friday, 1:00–4:00 P.M. ♦ Wisconsin & Capitol Ballrooms Particular things I would like to check out at The Gathering: Clothing Swap 2 Nordic Trek Reading,Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Friday, 2:30-3:45 P.M. ♦ Senate B The long journey across the Gethen Glacier in Left Hand of Darkness. The Svalbard of Iorek Byrnison in The Golden Compass. Even the Alaskan village of 30 Days of Night. The frozen north holds allure for more than Green Bay Packer fans. Whence cometh this fascination? Panel may include dramatic readings; the highly imaginative (or suggestible) should bring sweaters. M: Adrian Simmons, Evelyn Browne, Maureen Cohen, Lori Devoti Undecided for the 4:00-5:15pm slot. I'm not wild about any of these panels, so I might just chill. Also might grab a bus, return home, and come back to the Con with my car so that I don't have to worry about getting home tonight. 12 Opening Ceremonies Special ♦ Friday, 7:30-8:30 P.M. ♦ Wisconsin Undecided for the 8:45-10:00pm slot. I'd like to attend the LiveJournal panel, the Not Just Japan panel, the Racism in Fantasy panel, and the Puncutuation and Grammar panel. ALL AT THE SAME TIME. 30 Sherlock Dracula: The Appeal of the Vampire Detective Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Friday, 10:15-11:30 P.M. ♦ Senate B Whether it's strictly forensic or mystically motivated, television vampires seem to have a nose for crime-stopping. In Toronto there's Tanya Huff's one-time royal heir Henry Fitzroy of Blood Ties, and actual cop Nick Knight of Forever Knight (on the night shift, of course). In L.A. there's brooding Angel of Angel Investigations and now private investigator Mick St. John of Moonlight. Why has the intersection of the detective genre and the vampire genre become so popular? It is all about redemption, or about sexy vampire powers that are good on a hunt? M: Linda McAllister, Michael D. Thomas, Jorjet Harper Labels: wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 9:17 AM
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wMay 22, 2008 | |
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Wiscon, Day 1 This post refers entirely to things I did with other people, all of whom are on LiveJournal. Thus, you are a lot better off just reading it over on my LiveJournal. Labels: wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 11:21 PM
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One day, I'll be clever at coming up with titles Last night was Wiscon Book Club at Brocach, which was a good time. In addition to Book Club, I managed to get to Walgreen's (once I was much more sober), wash a load of laundry, and read a little bit. I don't know if I can finish Tamora Pierce's Lioness Rampant, but I'm a third of the way in. It will depend on how busy we are at work today. Today, I intend to eat lunch at a new food cart on the Square, that sells Indian food. I'm pretty excited for Wiscon, and everything else. :D Today's Schedule, as related to Wiscon Work The Capitol! ♦ 8:00am - 5:00pm Registration Packet Stuffing Special ♦ Thursday, 5:00 P.M.-6:30 P.M. ♦ 2nd Floor Lobby, Concourse Hotel A Room of One's Own Reception Special ♦ Thursday, 6:00 P.M. ♦ 307 W. Johnson Street, Madison Madison's feminist bookstore, A Room of One's Own, will host its annual reception honoring authors attending WisCon. Both Guests of Honor, L. Timmel Duchamp and Maureen McHugh, will give readings. Nerd Karaoke Thursday, 8:30pm, Karaoke Kid Unofficial gathering planned by I'm not sure where dinner fits into that yet, and my boyfriend might show up for Nerd Karaoke (he did not purchase a Wiscon ticket). Labels: book clubs, wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 8:53 AM
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wMay 17, 2008 | |
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Wiscon: My Schedule at its Most Ambitious My schedule can be found in my LiveJournal. As you can see my schedule is not completely decided in a number of places. If you have suggestions for what sounds the coolest, or what panels you might be attending, let me know! Labels: wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 4:38 PM
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wMay 15, 2008 | |
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Daughters of the North Sarah Hall's Daughters of the North won the Tiptree Award, which is why I read it (also because the Wiscon Book Club selected it as this month's book). Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed with this book. Apparently, its plot (dystopian future in which women's right to have babies is limited by an Authoritarian government) is derivative of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which I haven't yet read. The narrator is unreliable, but I really just spent the novel hating the writing style, which is overly descriptive to me. Descriptions of the commune of women that broke away from society read like a modern-day liberal's wet dream; lengthy descriptions of organic food and farming nearly had me rolling my eyes. This book doesn't do anything exciting for me. The feminists of the future have kept men, make their own sustainable living, and realize it's okay to have sex with each other, too. Yawn. I'm frankly surprised that this book beat out Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man comic book series, which was on the Tiptree Award's notable mentions list. I much prefer Y to this. As a random question: Are Tiptree Award winners selected based solely upon the way they deal with gender? Or does the quality of the writing play into it as well? If you're looking for a last-minute novel to read before Wiscon, read Maureen F. McHugh's China Mountain Zhang instead. Labels: a: hall sarah, books, wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 9:38 AM
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wMay 6, 2008 | |
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Days of Excitement It's been quite warm outside today, almost too warm for my tastes. I like it when the temperature is about 60 degrees, or perhaps a tad warmer. I like being able to walk for a while without perspiring. Yes, I do have pictures from the "Public Enemies" shooting and really will post them at some point. This won't be like all of the other times I've promised to post photos, and then never did. Yesterday, I filled a canister of gas for the first time, so that I could fill the lawn mower tank. I have filled my car's gas tank many times, but this was the first time I set a plastic red tank on the ground and filled it. I half-expected the attendant to come running outside to tell me that I was doing something wrong, but apparently I didn't! The lawn got mowed, although one part of our yard is particularly treacherous (the top of a retaining wall). While trying to get some of the weeds, I biffed it and got a nice grass stain for my efforts. Next time, I think that I will attempt to mow more safely, and let the weeds win. I am beginning to really, really look forward to Wiscon. As I have not yet had any luck with this job application business (on Saturday, I received a rejection letter from one of my personal heroes!), there is not a lot to look forward to. But Wiscon? I think that the entire month of May is spent flailing in excitement, being at the actual con, and having Internet-excitement of the aftermath spill over into June. TAMORA PIERCE WILL BE THERE. At least, according to the schedule of somebody else. Sarah Monette is going to be on a panel on grammar. And! And! And! So many awesome things. I'd really like to see Maureen F. McHugh on a panel, as I loved China Mountain Zhang. Lots of people on my Friends List are going to be on panels, so hopefully I'll be able to see as many people as possible! Tonight, I went out for Gretchen's birthday. Elisa, Sandy, Bridget, and other LiveJournal were there. Also, people who aren't on LiveJournal (Jaci). It was pretty awesome, except for when I got stung by a hornet. That sucked. Just when I was excited that a new version of "Wuthering Heights" was going to be made, I learn that the BBC is making another version of Jane Eyre, starring Ellen Page. It will be nice to see if Ellen Page can branch out into new roles, but the BBC just made a new version of Jane Eyre two years ago! And it was very good! Go make a movie of Charlotte Bronte's other novels, BBC. Or make that movie about Rupert Giles that Wikipedia says you used to talk about.scribbled mystickeeper at 11:56 PM
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wMar 18, 2008 | |
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Mildly Spastic Yesterday, there was more shopping with my mom and my sister. We went to an outlet mall, so I acquired more things. Among them are some clothing, some lotion (OMF lotion!) and cosmetic things, as well as a Fruits Basket bookmark with Shigure on it! I wore my new skirt to work today. Walking out of Bath & Body Works, this exchange occurred. ME: Thanks, Mom! MOM: You're welcome. That can be from the Easter Bunny, now. ME: And the skirt? MOM: Yes. And those bras, the Easter Bunny bought those, too. So make sure you write about that in your stupid blog thing, so people know. I think she's still upset after hearing about this entry. A Wiscon Book Club! So, Gretchen is pretty awesome, and she is starting this idea for a Wiscon book club. You need not attend Wiscon to join the book club, but the focus will be on feminist science fiction novels. Our first book will be China Mountain Zhang by Maureen H. McHugh, who will be one of the Guests of Honor at this year's Wiscon. Our tentative first meeting is Wednesday, April 23 at 7:00pm, at the Argus (right off of Capitol Square; a bar with good deals and delicious food). If you want to check out who's coming, check out Gretchen's thread here. Some Links I Enjoyed! 1) Because I am a total nerd, an article that focuses mainly on the Wisconsin State Senate. Even if I don't get a job in politics or government, I'm so glad that my job has made me much more aware of the goings-on of state government. 2) This article by Answerman, of Anime News Network. I like reading his articles, because I really feel like he has a foot in both worlds - that of the anime fan, and that of a still-fully-functional member of society. [I]t's a formula that has proven successful. "Nerdy spineless milquetoast surrounded by hot women who are inexplicably attracted to him" has been done again and again and it usually rakes in viewers and merchandise sales. 3) OMG!!!! Joss Whedon wrote a musical! NATHAN FILLION! OMG! Labels: a: whedon joss, anime, book clubs, family, politics, spring break, wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 9:25 PM
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wFeb 26, 2008 | |
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When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary.... It's weird, but I think that I open my post-writing window in LiveJournal or Blogger depending on my mood. Maybe I should keep track of which interface equates with which moods. Moods. I feel a mix of many things tonight. I'm going home this weekend, to visit my family. I think it's been nearly two months since I've been home, which is kind of a lot for me. I have a paper that I should have worked on tonight, but didn't. Now I will have both a paper and a take-home midterm to be worrying about at the same time, until the paper is handed in Thursday and I am left with just the take-home midterm. Job-searching is progressing. I'll be doing a phone interview sometime this week. Am still looking for places to submit applications, though. Actually, since it's halfway through Lent now, maybe I should see how well I'm doing at my Lenten goals*: 1) Make my bed every morning. I know this sounds like a stupid goal, but I wanted at least one achievable one. It's been going well, :) 2) Clean my room every week. It took a while - the first two weeks, I'd put some things away, like clean/dirty laundry, and put books in piles. But it wasn't until yesterday that I actually put everything away and swiffered, dusted, and vacuumed. Hopefully now, I will stay on track. 3) Write sometimes. I haven't really done much with this at all. I did download a text editor that I played around with, organizing some Ghost Hunters notes and scenes. Still, I wish there was something like Scrivener for PC. So basically, this goal has not been "going" at all. :( 4) Do at least one thing every day to further your job search. I had been beginning to drag my feet, so I wanted to make this a priority, and it's going well. My resumes are finished, I've met with career advisers, and attended the Career Expo. I've applied to two jobs. I will do more! 5) Make an effort to only spend time on the Internet if you have an actual purpose. You spend too much time online. Use the extra time for homework, job-searching, reading, socializing, etc. Ummm....I would say I've been better than I was before, but not by much. This area also needs work. * For those who aren't Catholic, Lenten "fasting" doesn't necessarily have to mean, "I'm giving up soda for Lent this year." The goal is to pay attention to an area in your life that needs work, and with improvement will bring you closer to God. Making better choices about eating habits tends to be a popular Lenten promise, which is cool. I don't find anything particularly wrong about my eating habits, and I don't drink coffee or much soda, so there isn't really an easy thing to pick out. Thus, I tend to go for goals instead. I'm feeling restless and angsty tonight, so I probably shouldn't say much else. Will read something comforting before bed, after typing a bit about Angel. Spoilers through most of disc 2 of Angel, season 3 And, randomly....OMG! Wiscon panel descriptions are posted. Have you guys signed up for Wiscon yet? DO IT. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. Current Music: You Raise Me Up - Lena Park - Inori (Romeo x Juliet OP) Labels: college, faith, graduation, wiscon, writing scribbled mystickeeper at 12:36 AM
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wJun 1, 2007 | |
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Wiscon 31 Panel Report: Making War on War Making War on "War" Politics, Race, Class, and Religion•Conference Room 4• Saturday, 9:00-10:15 p.m. Every time we are faced with a serious situation, we Americans have to make a War of it: (i.e., the Wars on Poverty, Drugs, Obesity, and Terror) despite the fact that "victory" continues to elude us. We even have to "battle" disease with "magic bullets". Why are we so taken with war as our default metaphor for action? How does that limit our problem solving approach? What might we replace it with? What metaphors have other cultures turned to? And how might we popularize a change? M: Jean Mornard, Paul Kincaid, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Wendy Alison Walker, Laurel Winter ---------------- Before I say anything else, I will note that the panel description defines 'we' as Americans, and thus the focus was on the English language and metaphors. It was defined as such in the panel description, so I didn't feel too weird about it. Also, I feel like I remember panels differently than others. Mostly, all I write down are things that I found interesting. So, if you don't agree....too bad! As both an English major and a Political Science major, this panel was like my dream come true. Nerdglee. It was noted that in the English language, when attempting to define something, we will use violence-related languages. We struggle to understand, fight to understand, defeat difficult problems. From a government standpoint, declaring "war" on an idea or problem makes it seem like you're doing something. It generally also gives you a blank check. The rest of the notes are here. Recommended Media: The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear - BBC documentary Labels: politics, social commentary, wiscon scribbled mystickeeper at 9:27 AM
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