Comments | bittercon: Bittercon: Women Writing Speculative Poetry

seajules in bittercon

Bittercon: Women Writing Speculative Poetry

May 25, 2008 13:25

I looked over the scheduled topics for this year's Wiscon, wistfully putting together my own "if I had been there" schedule. This was the panel that really caught my eye. I would even have applied to be on this panel, if I were there. Given how much I hate talking in front of an audience, that's saying something.

( The first speculative poem written by a woman that I consciously read was 'Goblin Market.' )

Comments 8

sartorias May 25 2008, 21:42:09 UTC

I really have to think this over. Thank you for this thoughtful post.

seajules May 29 2008, 01:09:26 UTC

It was good to give my brain a little focus. *G*

pnew8 May 26 2008, 00:40:27 UTC

I can only speak for myself, but your comments made me look back at some of the work, the poems, I've written. No, I don't rework fantasy topics, necessarily, but I do put a different light upon female/male relationships other than the one I was raised with. The women are more aggressive, more seeking, more demanding. The men, and sometimes I write from the male point of view, are in situations where the females have made the choices or will make the choices.

This presentation was entirely subconscious.

Now, I shall have to read/reread speculative, fantastical works by both men and women and note where the genre representation lies. Passive, enpowering, exploring or seeking. My first thought is that the poetry is an exploration into the entire human experience, but I have a nagging feeling that that impression is wrong.

seajules May 29 2008, 01:12:36 UTC

It's been a general impression, and certainly there are many approaches that can fall under that category.

My first thought is that the poetry is an exploration into the entire human experience, but I have a nagging feeling that that impression is wrong.

Hmm. Well, considering how long poetry by white male writers has been given precedence, and how long "human experience" has been synonymous with "white, male experience," I think it's an impression we've all been encouraged to have, but one that's proving less and less true as more voices actually get heard and recognized.

crinklequirk May 28 2008, 18:52:11 UTC

Halloo! :)

I found my way over here because of sartorias' post regarding your post, and since she and I agreed over the idea of discussing this, I'm posting much of what I posted over there:

I have to wonder, though, why you think that most of the SF spec-fic poetry written by women is rather more. . . conforming to the "male" standards or writing tendencies, and so is in strong opposition to the stuffs written by women on the fantasy side of it?

I have more to read in the field, yes, but of what I have read, or written, the general tendencies regarding 'stretching the boundaries' and 'adapting' are also very apparent on the SF side of things. And for many of the same reasons, I'd suspect.

Of course, one of my closest friends has made most of his career as a boundary-stretching speculative fiction short story author and poet, specializing in crossing from SF to F to oni and monsters and things that go bump in the (often Asian) night. Perhaps my view is skewed by that familiarity, too.

So, what say you?

seajules May 29 2008, 01:22:30 UTC

Hello!

I have to wonder, though, why you think that most of the SF spec-fic poetry written by women is rather more. . . conforming to the "male" standards or writing tendencies, and so is in strong opposition to the stuffs written by women on the fantasy side of it?

I don't, actually, so let me see if I can rephrase. It's been my experience that both men and women do a lot of challenging of science in SF poetry. There are also women who interrogate the topic of women and science, and the place of women in science fiction, but it's my impression that more speculative female poets tackle women's roles, archetypes, and stereotypes in fantasy-themed poetry. We also challenge definitions and systems of magic, as do male poets, but from what I've seen, we do that less and the tackling of women's roles more, whereas in science fiction poetry, it seems to be the reverse.

And I apologize if this sounds at all dismissive, but I'm not sure what your male colleague's work and experience has to do with women writing speculative poetry.

crinklequirk May 29 2008, 19:54:17 UTC

seajules May 30 2008, 04:53:31 UTC

Regarding the male colleague - in his writing, he challenges all the roles, archetypes, stereotypes, etc. not only of men, but also of women, Asians and Asian Americans in particular, humans in general, and other people (non-human), which is why I mentioned him and said "Perhaps my view is skewed by that familiarity, too."

Interesting, and definitely our colleagues and what we've read will inform how we see the genre as a whole.

I was attempting to ask why you feel that more female speculative fantasy poets tackle challenging all the roles, archetypes, stereotypes, etc. than the SF ones do.Oh, I see. I think it likely relates to exactly what you're saying here. I mean, I have by no means read everything in the field, either, but what I have read is skewed a certain way. Thus, I've read a wider sampling of speculative SF poetry that challenges the science behind certain concepts, and a wider sampling of speculative fantasy poetry that challenges gender roles and archetypes and stereotypes. Of course, it's also a topic that's come ( ... )