SPWF Recapitulation: Day Two
I woke up at like six in the morning so I took a walk around to the Radisson. Everything was so still and quiet.
I posted the quick update on the hotel computers and then went to breakfast at the Embassy Suites (food was consistently better there and more often than not, free! Thankyou for 2 breakfasts and a highball on the house)
Then I went to the Social Issues in Steampunk panel! As soon as I came in Jha came over and gave me a hug! There were no seats left, but Jha offered hers to Kristen and the two of us sat on the floor.
Emilie P. Bush was there. I had met her the night before when she had complimented my hat at G.D. Falksen's reading. Unfortunately I got so distracted that I missed her reading, but I did get a chance to buy her book Chenda and the Airship Brofman.
Let me just say that the panel was genius! it was an open roundtable discussion and it went super smoothly. Everyone was completely respectful and had such interesting viewpoints.
I think the most valuable part of the discussion for me was the discussion about class. I really enjoyed that because in my communities we are always trying to ignore or avoid discussions of class. In America it's hard to see class stratification because they are very strongly tied to region and education rather than the outward expressions of dress or material weath. Although that was something that Jha brought up was how we were dressed, that some of us could afford to be costumed. How our involvement in steampunk was seen as art or a frivolous hobby and therefore something elite and not accessible to everyone.
This is something that I try not to think about cause it's very much where my privilege shows. I can do Steampunk because I'm in my father's home and he can afford to support me, therefore I don't have to work enough hours to make a living wage or pay for my education (yet). If I were supporting myself I might not have the ability.
Then looking at Outland Armor, modern culture has created a support system and an economy for those of us living and working out in subculture. Somehow someone got them out there to New Jersey even though they lost their bus in Tennessee, and the Penny Dreadfuls hosted a poker game to raise money to get them back on their feet. Just like we all raised money for tropigalia which helped her family stay in their house for months after the bank threatened to foreclose. If subculture is where we are inspired and where we can depend for help, why do we still live in normal society?
that's another post for another day, back on track.
More panel attendees.
Guess what! Jake von Slatt was there. He is my Steampunk hero. Most of my information about steampunk comes from the Steampunk Workshop blog. Here is an unflattering picture of him inside his rennovated housebus.
There is the back of Jha's head. (Excuse my loseriffic photography, she looked far more awesome than the picture tells)
(Jha, what was her Dreamwidth or LJ? I can't remember it now.)
Then I stopped taking pictures.
Wonder upon wonders Jha invited me to lunch with Jake, Ay-Leen, Lucretia, Daniel, and even more people. We spoke of tumblr-ing, and Dr. Who, and the merits of Dreamwidth and Flickr. I told Jake about my Canal Towboat Regatta idea, and he told me about how as a kid he had taken a trip on narrow boats through the early industrial factory towns in Europe and how it inspired his love of the Industrial Revolution. Then he told me that the Great Cardboard Regatta might be a good model for what I wanted to do.
JOY!
Lunch ended and unfortunately I had to report for volunteer shift duty. I didn't get to see the Wimhurst demonstration but that was fine. I kind of screwed up, I only gave out 250 wristbands when I was supposed to give out 350, bah. Oh well. I did get to hear ENSMB play Sexyback which was pretty cool. Then I was hungry.
The caesar salad I had an the Radisson was completely insufficient so I ordered an indian food feast! Garlic Naan, Mutter Paneer, Palak Paneer, and something like Mutter but with yummy little balls of mashed potato that were kind of like meatballs. They put in pickle and yogurt for me too. Jersey knows how to do Indian food right (incidentally, my delivery man was from Langley Park).
Pearson snatched us some plates and serving utensils from the Radisson kitchen, so we did it up right and we ate till we were busting out of our corsets.
Then we went to the Gaslamp cabaret, the first act was kind of slow, so we went to see the Circus again instead. This time there were four troops performing. A fire troop called Hubris, Honor Amongst Thieves, Mr. E and Street Circus. The most charming thing was seeing how afraid Geffrey was of cutting himself or beaning himself in the in the head with a bowling ball because the performance space was so dark. There ended up being three nailbed tricks. First two layers of people stacked on nailbeds, then the nailbed sandwich, then a nailbed sandwich with breaking three boards on top. And I saw Jersey Lilly climb a ladder of swords, I've never seen that before.
VOLTAIRE!
It was fun. He is exactly what you expect and full of self-deprecating humor. The concert was awesome and we had great seats. Afterwards I tried to go back and enjoy more of the Cabaret, but I was tired.
/end Day 2