At Arisia
Arisia is a convention in Boston. The next time it happens is going to be January 14 through January 17 2011.
I have many panel. And signing. And ceremony. And workshop. And reading.
One panel with the mighty Cathrynne Valente. Two with the mighty Andrea Hairston.
I sing at all my readings (not sign--sing).
Here is my schedule:
ARISIA 2011 SCHEDULE
215 Species as Analogy for Race in Quincy, Fri 9:30 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Walter H. Hunt, Renée Johnson, Jessica Belisle, Andrea Hairston.
"Avatar," "District 9" and even "Star Trek" are among recent SF films that have offered us aliens who arguably are standing in for real races or ethnic groups. How does SF film handle racial issues? Is it a way of avoiding painful topics or a way of addressing them by other means?
962 Cotton-Gin Punk in Burroughs, Sat 9:30 AM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Mario Di Giacomo, Sarah Smith, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, David Camacho
Is steampunk in danger of becoming a reactionary literature of racism and imperialist colonialism due to its affinity for an alternate British Victorian Empire? What can we do to keep it real as well as real fun? What about the non-literary submovements associated with steampunk, where people of color are heavily represented? Are they bellwethers? Outliers? Rebel voices?
963 Carl Brandon Awards Panel in Griffin, Sat 11:00 AM
Victor J. Raymond, Rachel L. Silber, Andrea Hairston, Nisi Shawl
A discussion of the Parallax and Kindred Awards, including new winners receiving $1000 each at this Arisia. Why are these awards so important to the genre? Who is eligible? How are winners nominated and selected? How can you get involved?
1018 Readings by Kushner, Longyear, and Shawl in Hale, Sat 12:30 PM
Ellen Kushner Kushner, Barry B. Longyear, Nisi Shawl
Authors Ellen Kushner, Barry Longyear, and Nisi Shawl read selections from their works.
961 Writing and Racial Identity in Revere, Sat 5:00 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Rachel L. Silber, Dash, Adam Nakama, Jaime Garmendia
What does your race have to do with what you write? Depending on your race, are certain topics forbidden to you? Obligatory? None of the above? If your race matters, how do you know what it is? By what people see when they look at you, or by what you know of your genetic background? By your cultural upbringing? By what you write?
687 The Heroine's Journey in Burroughs, Sat 8:00 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Ellen Kushner, Sarah Smith, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert
If one takes a classic hero's journey plot and changes the gender of the character, how does the story shift and change? Are there differences we can see in literature between stories told with women and girls as their protagonist, and the ones told about boys and men?
965 Writing the Other in Independence Sun 11:00 AM (Duration: three hours) led by Nisi Shawl
Experience the workshop that became the benchmark Writing the Other book. Nisi Shawl teaches a hands-on writing class featuring exercises and explorations of ways to create believable characters of a different race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or ability. Sign up at the con or beforehand; attendance is limited to 18 people. Participants will be asked to bring some of their own writing to work on, but sharing is not required. Expect to spend three hours learning by doing.
1029 Carl Brandon Awards Ceremony in Commonwealth Ballroom C, Sun 3:30 PM (Duration: two hours)
Jack Dietz, Victor J. Raymond, Ellen Kushner, Rachel L. Silber, Dash, Cecilia Tan, René Walling, Andrea Hairston, Nisi Shawl
The Carl Brandon Society presents their Kindred and Parallax Awards for 2008 and 2009. The Carl Brandon Parallax Award is given to works of speculative fiction created by a self-identified person of color. The Carl Brandon Kindred Award is given to any work of speculative fiction dealing with issues of race and ethnicity; nominees may be of any racial or ethnic group.
824 Divination in Fantasy in Revere, Sun 9:30 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Mary Catelli, Cecilia Tan, Catherynne M. Valente, Gail Z. Martin
Divination takes a fundamentally random process (the fall of playing cards, the position of tea leaves) and regards it as fated and meaningful, and hence indicative of the future. What are the motivations of authors who use divinatory systems in their fiction? What do such works end up saying about causality? It‘s possible to borrow an existing system or invent your own; what are the rationales for doing one or the other?
1123 Nisi Shawl and Seanan McGuireAutograph Session in Galleria - Autograph Space, Mon 9:30 AM
Autograph session with Seanan McGuire and Nisi Shawl.
I have many panel. And signing. And ceremony. And workshop. And reading.
One panel with the mighty Cathrynne Valente. Two with the mighty Andrea Hairston.
I sing at all my readings (not sign--sing).
Here is my schedule:
ARISIA 2011 SCHEDULE
215 Species as Analogy for Race in Quincy, Fri 9:30 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Walter H. Hunt, Renée Johnson, Jessica Belisle, Andrea Hairston.
"Avatar," "District 9" and even "Star Trek" are among recent SF films that have offered us aliens who arguably are standing in for real races or ethnic groups. How does SF film handle racial issues? Is it a way of avoiding painful topics or a way of addressing them by other means?
962 Cotton-Gin Punk in Burroughs, Sat 9:30 AM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Mario Di Giacomo, Sarah Smith, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, David Camacho
Is steampunk in danger of becoming a reactionary literature of racism and imperialist colonialism due to its affinity for an alternate British Victorian Empire? What can we do to keep it real as well as real fun? What about the non-literary submovements associated with steampunk, where people of color are heavily represented? Are they bellwethers? Outliers? Rebel voices?
963 Carl Brandon Awards Panel in Griffin, Sat 11:00 AM
Victor J. Raymond, Rachel L. Silber, Andrea Hairston, Nisi Shawl
A discussion of the Parallax and Kindred Awards, including new winners receiving $1000 each at this Arisia. Why are these awards so important to the genre? Who is eligible? How are winners nominated and selected? How can you get involved?
1018 Readings by Kushner, Longyear, and Shawl in Hale, Sat 12:30 PM
Ellen Kushner Kushner, Barry B. Longyear, Nisi Shawl
Authors Ellen Kushner, Barry Longyear, and Nisi Shawl read selections from their works.
961 Writing and Racial Identity in Revere, Sat 5:00 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Rachel L. Silber, Dash, Adam Nakama, Jaime Garmendia
What does your race have to do with what you write? Depending on your race, are certain topics forbidden to you? Obligatory? None of the above? If your race matters, how do you know what it is? By what people see when they look at you, or by what you know of your genetic background? By your cultural upbringing? By what you write?
687 The Heroine's Journey in Burroughs, Sat 8:00 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Ellen Kushner, Sarah Smith, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert
If one takes a classic hero's journey plot and changes the gender of the character, how does the story shift and change? Are there differences we can see in literature between stories told with women and girls as their protagonist, and the ones told about boys and men?
965 Writing the Other in Independence Sun 11:00 AM (Duration: three hours) led by Nisi Shawl
Experience the workshop that became the benchmark Writing the Other book. Nisi Shawl teaches a hands-on writing class featuring exercises and explorations of ways to create believable characters of a different race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or ability. Sign up at the con or beforehand; attendance is limited to 18 people. Participants will be asked to bring some of their own writing to work on, but sharing is not required. Expect to spend three hours learning by doing.
1029 Carl Brandon Awards Ceremony in Commonwealth Ballroom C, Sun 3:30 PM (Duration: two hours)
Jack Dietz, Victor J. Raymond, Ellen Kushner, Rachel L. Silber, Dash, Cecilia Tan, René Walling, Andrea Hairston, Nisi Shawl
The Carl Brandon Society presents their Kindred and Parallax Awards for 2008 and 2009. The Carl Brandon Parallax Award is given to works of speculative fiction created by a self-identified person of color. The Carl Brandon Kindred Award is given to any work of speculative fiction dealing with issues of race and ethnicity; nominees may be of any racial or ethnic group.
824 Divination in Fantasy in Revere, Sun 9:30 PM
Nisi Shawl (mod), Mary Catelli, Cecilia Tan, Catherynne M. Valente, Gail Z. Martin
Divination takes a fundamentally random process (the fall of playing cards, the position of tea leaves) and regards it as fated and meaningful, and hence indicative of the future. What are the motivations of authors who use divinatory systems in their fiction? What do such works end up saying about causality? It‘s possible to borrow an existing system or invent your own; what are the rationales for doing one or the other?
1123 Nisi Shawl and Seanan McGuireAutograph Session in Galleria - Autograph Space, Mon 9:30 AM
Autograph session with Seanan McGuire and Nisi Shawl.