WisCon 31 schedule

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WisCon 31 Program Schedule

Friday May 25, 2007

Saturday programs

Sunday 5/27

Readings•Conference Room 2• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Gwenda Bond, Richard Butner, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Christopher Volan Rowe

Readings•Conference Room 4• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Suzy McKee Charnas, Tenea D Johnson, Rebecca K. Rowe, Jennifer Stevenson

142 The Object In the Story, the Story In the Object

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Conference Room 5• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Objects of significance often play a part in fairy tale and fantasy. This panel would discuss the history and current use of the magical object in writing and examine the process and work of artists that create mythic arts. Are there objects that have been used repeatedly in stories? Are there similarities in these objects? How does the artist incorporate story into their art work? Does the viewer need to know the story connected with the object?

M: Kat A. Beyer, Catherine Anne Crowe, Wendy Alison Walker, Terri Windling, Erzebet YellowBoy

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Capitol A• Sunday, 11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Get your blood moving again! Stand up and shake out the kinks from travel and hotel chairs with a brief warm up and some basic moves from Middle Eastern Dance. Learn hip figure eights and circles, a simple shimmy, and other classic elements of bellydance. You'll end up refreshed and ready for your next intense panel!

M: Tracy Benton, Laurie Toby Edison, Taryne Jade Taylor

Sunday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Readings•Senate A• Sunday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Kelly D. Link

Readings•Conference Room 2• Sunday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Haddayr Copley-Woods, Alan DeNiro, Lena DeTar, Kristin A. Livdahl, David J. Schwartz

  • 158 TBA

Kids Programming•611• Sunday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.


159 A Room Of Your Own

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•629• Sunday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Create creative space for yourself out of a wet basement, a hot attic, or a shed.

M: Holly Black, Elizabeth Bear, Davey Snyder, Caroline Stevermer

Science and Technology•634• Sunday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Famed physicist Enrico Fermi originally posed the question around 1950. The Universe has been around for 15 billion years, he noted, more than enough time for intelligent, space-faring civilizations to have spread to every star system in the galaxy. So where are they all? Indeed, where are any of them? Needless to say, SF authors picked up this ball and ran with it — in 30 different directions. We'll try to go over as many as possible, and maybe even come up with some new ones.

M: Richard S. Russell, Suzanne Alles Blom, Chris Hill, Jordin T. Kare

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Senate A• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Is the new BSG the most pro-feminist SF show ever, or is it a secret sexist scourge? Opinions differ — markedly. So, let's debate! Instead of a panel, this programming item will consist of one pro-BSG representative, one anti-BSG representative, and one moderator.

M: Lyda Morehouse, Annalee Newitz, Jef a. Smith

165 Writing About War

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Senate B• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

War — sometimes against True Ultimate Evil, sometimes against the Hatfields or McCoys — is the backdrop of countless SF and fantasy novels. When writers write about war, do we have any ethical obligations beyond simply telling a good story? How do we write in a way that reflects our beliefs, but does not devolve into propaganda for our cause? Do any of us worry about convincing people when we're playing devil's advocate?

M: Naomi Kritzer, Eleanor A. Arnason, Yoon Ha Lee, Kelly McCullough

166 Little Girls on the Hero's Journey

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Wisconsin• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Young girls have been featured in fantasy (and occasionally SF) stories from Alice in Wonderland to the Narnia stories to Miyazaki films. Many of these stories follow Joseph Campbell's archetype of the Hero's Journey: separation from home, encountering friends and enemies, gaining tools and skills, overcoming obstacles, and returning home changed. How do these stories reflect or distort the real experiences of growing up female? What can they teach young girls in modern society, and how successful are they at doing that? Does it make a difference whether the stories are told as prose, film, comics, or games?

M: Nisi Shawl, Kate Elliott, David L. Emerson, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Kerrigan Valentine

167 That's Not Scary Anymore

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Capitol A• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

With so much terror in the world today, does horror fiction need to go to new lengths to find something frightening, or is the genre dying out in favor of real-world scenarios and serial killer book deals? What can frighten even the most jaded readers in the genre, and what are editors looking for to send tingles up their desensitized spines?

M: Nick Mamatas, Gary A. Braunbeck, Kelly D. Link, Stephen H Segal, Debbie L. Smith

168 What Do Writers Owe Their Readers?

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Capitol B• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

An audience of readers can sometimes have surprising expectations of an author—just think of the people (including Steven King!) who are begging JK Rowling to spare her most famous character's life. Is that a reasonable request/ expectation/ demand on the part of her fans, or not? What do readers want from authors? What can they expect? What happens when the author disagrees, disappoints, or defies those expectations?

M: Karen Joy Fowler, Dorothy Allison, Holly Black, Melissa Scott

169 This is Not Your Mother's Childhood

Readings•Conference Room 2• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Ellen Klages, Pat Murphy, Delia Sherman, Laurel Winter

170 The Author's Blog: Does It Help? Does It Hurt?

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Conference Room 3• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Many SF/F writers post entries to the web—works in progress, comments on work already out there, and more. This panel will discuss the benefits and pitfalls authors have encountered online. Come listen and consider what works and what doesn't.

M: Lori Devoti, K Tempest Bradford, Michael Mornard, Kristine Smith

171 These Kids Tomorrow

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Conference Room 4• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

With YA so popular in its many incarnations, just what are some of the YA trends going on today? What will be the trends for tomorrow? What will the kids of today be reading tomorrow, and what will the kids of tomorrow be reading? Come and speculate!

M: Hilary Moon Murphy, Gwenda Bond, Sarah Prineas, Patrick Samphire

172 The Human Genome

Science and Technology•Conference Room 5• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Is our culture changing now that the human genome has been mapped? What does it mean that segments of our genes are now patented by individuals as well as pharmaceutical companies? How importan is it to know who our ancestors are?

M: Sue Lange, Vylar Kaftan, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Allan Moore, Rebecca K. Rowe

173 Just How Smart Are Animals, Anyway?

Science and Technology•607• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Did you know that dogs laugh, and wolves can count? Elephants and dolphins recognize themselves in mirrors; ravens display senses of humor; bears have figured out how break into practically every food container designed to keep them out; and cuttlefish apparently communicate by changing color. What do we really know about animal cognition and communication ... and what, if anything, sets humans apart?

M: Cat Hanna, Carol Emshwiller, Paula L. Fleming, Tom La Farge, Heather Kinast Porter

174 TBA

Kids Programming•611• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.


175 Strange Horizons Tea Party

Parties•629• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Strange Horizons' much-beloved tea party! Come drink tea and eat yummy things while mingling with your favorite Strange Horizons staff and authors. Hosted by Susan Groppi, Jed Hartman, and Karen Meisner.

Jed E. Hartman

176 Mad Scientist Japanese Tea Party

Parties•634• Sunday, 2:30-5:15 p.m.

Mad Scientist cafe designed for Otaku-girls serves as an antidote against maid cafe which has long fascinated Otaku-boys. At this cafe, Mad Scientists in white with a pair of glasses, who can't communicate with ordinary women, serve to the visitor whatever he or she would like to drink, while wind-up chambermaids and Geishas keep supporting them.

Mari Kotani

177 Speculative Fiction Theatre

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•623• Sunday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

There’s a small but vocal group of theatre lovers in the speculative fiction community that wonders why the genre has consistently been ignoring the fertile ground of fantastic drama--that is, staged dramas and written plays with speculative elements. Yet for many years, playwrights and artists like Caryl Churchill and Julie Taymor have quietly been earning prominent raves in the mainstream media for their original plays and adaptations of works with fantastical--and, often, feminist or politically radical--content. Let’s talk about particularly effective speculative fiction theatre, on the page and on the stage, that we’ve seen or read in the last year (or five years or ten years). What are the strengths and liabilities of the theatre medium that help these works achieve their particular stripe of weird and wonderfulness?

Liz L. Gorinsky, Andrea D. Hairston, Reina Hardy, Wendy Alison Walker

Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

178 Fun Home

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Assembly• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Time magazine named Alison Bechdel's graphic novel Fun Home as its top book of the year, and it spent a good chunk of 2006 on the New York Times best-seller list. Bechdel is the artist/writer best known for her syndicated comic strip "Dykes To Watch Out For". It's pretty rare for (a) autobiography, (b) lesbianism, or (c) a graphic novel to be at the top of any critical list of best books of the year; hitting the trifecta is unprecedented. Which of these three aspects is most surprising? Does Fun Home's success bode well for the future?

M: Rachel Sharon Edidin, Janet Lafler, Jenni Moody, JJ Pionke, Vicki Rosenzweig

179 John M. Ford: In Memoriam

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Caucus Room• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

There are many in the WisCon community who knew John M. Ford, either through his works or through meeting him in person. Not as formal as a wake or a panel memorial, this is a space, set aside, for people to come, talk, meet, recall the good things he brought us, and have the chance to share that with others.

M: Davey Snyder, Debbie Notkin

180 "Overnight" Success and the Experienced Writer

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Senate A• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Most writers don't sell their first book. Many don't sell the second or third either. When articles and reviews talk about your "first" book or refer to you as a "new" writer when it's actually your third and you've been writing for fifteen years and selling shorts for eight, it can all feel a bit surreal. Especially because in many ways they're absolutely correct to use those terms. How does a writer cope with feeling old and new at the same time?

M: Ellen Klages, Shana Cohen, Lori Devoti, Kelly McCullough, Jennifer Stevenson

181 Feminism, Submission And Loving-Kindness

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Senate B• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Although some feminists in the 1970s stated with great assurance that "no woman would ever want to be dominated and no woman would ever want to dominate another," the experience of most SM practitioners is quite different, with some women quite enjoying all sides of power exchange. There is a certain overlap between the genderqueer, feminist, and BDSM communities. Can a political stance for equality and a sexual propensity for dominance/submission co-exist? And can one be a committed pacifist and a BDSM practictioner? Can one find the ideals of respect and compassion in kinky life?

M: Lyn Paleo, Anna Feruglio Dal Dan, Lynn Kendall, Betsy Lundsten, Laura Mina

182 SF & The Escape From The Body

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Wisconsin• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Science fiction, preeminently the literature of the mind, has historically had an uneasy relationship with the body, from (one of) its seminal text(s), Frankenstein, to modern works like The Ship Who Sang, "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," Old Man's War, the Alien movies. Vernor Vinge's notion of the Singularity provides a way for science fiction to escape the restraints of the body entirely. But should we want to?

M: Anne Harris, Elizabeth Bear, Mary Kay Kare, Alicia Kestrell Verlager, Élisabeth Vonarburg

183 How To Do Good Work in High Fantasy

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Capitol A• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

How do writers work within the genre expectations of traditional high fantasy? What limitations do they face, and how do they challenge and stretch those limits? It's possible to write good fiction without churning out yet another young-man-in-a-remote-village-discovers-his-hidden-destiny plot, isn't it? Let's explore inspirations and ideas for this popular but critically suspect genre.

M: Delia Sherman, Patricia Bray, Kelly D. Link, Sarah Monette, Jennifer W. Spirko

184 Love, Marriage, and Feminist Pair-Bonding

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Capitol B• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Last year's fairy tale panel included a spirited discussion on the fact that many traditional fairy tales end with a marriage. Even subversively rewritten fairy tales (such a "CinderEdna") frequently wind up with a marriage — though it's between people better suited to each other — and many books that would be shelved well outside the Romance section find their happy ending from pair-bonding as well. Is this inherently unfeminist? Are there books that deal intensely with relationships that don't feel the need to tie a tidy romantic bow at the end? What do feminist relationships look like?

M: Laurie J. Marks, Kate Elliott, R. Emrys Gordon, Victoria McManus, JoSelle Vanderhooft

185 Desire and Disappearances

Readings•Conference Room 2• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Christopher Barzak, Richard Bowes, Alice Kim, Meghan McCarron

186 Inherited Traits: Race, Gender, and Intertextuality in Heroes

Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Heroes, NBC’s series about everyday people who develop superpowers, features a racially diverse ensemble spanning national and class lines, but bearing a common genetic marker. Inherently intertextual, Heroes references cultural tropes, media archetypes, earlier shows’ structures, and fandom culture. While it has adopted a number of previous innovations, the progress made elsewhere in treatments of gender and race has largely been disregarded. Will Heroes be able to take its sophisticated intertextual approach and use it to take its superhero tale beyond one-dimensional portrayals of race and gender issues, or will it be more of the same? This paper will explore some of Heroes’ more problematic heroes and discuss the show’s potential.

Candra K. Gill

187 Writing Violence

Solo Presentations•Conference Room 4• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Writing violence: how we do it, what we focus on, not to mention what we avoid, our assumptions and what we think it actually accomplishes, and how all this relates to class.

Dorothy Allison

188 Third Culture Kids

Reading SF&F•Conference Room 5• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Not everyone is born in one country and grows up there. Some are born in one country and then grow up in another, or several others; these are third culture kids. Often, they find themselves out of synch with both places. What is it like to a third culture kid and where can we find ourselves in sf/f? Is Temeraire of the Naomi Novik novels a third culture kid?

M: Lawrence Schimel, Alma Alexander, Yoon Ha Lee, K. Joyce Tsai

189 Welcome Back to Riverside!

Solo Presentations•607• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

When my first novel, Swordspoint, came out in 1987, I never imagined it would become the touchstone of the "Fantasy of Manners" or "MannerPunk" movement—let alone that I would go on to write two more connected novels, set 60 years (The Fall of the Kings, 2002, written with Delia Sherman) & 20 years (The Privilege of the Sword, 2006) after it! It's been a long, strange trip, and I'd love to describe, discuss and answer readers' questions about the process, the characters and the world—and what's next!

Ellen Kushner

190 SF Swim

Kids Programming•611• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.


191 Strange Horizons Tea Party

Parties•629• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Strange Horizons' much-beloved tea party! Come drink tea and eat yummy things while mingling with your favorite Strange Horizons staff and authors. Hosted by Susan Groppi, Jed Hartman, and Karen Meisner.

Jed E. Hartman

176 (cont) Mad Scientist Japanese Tea Party

Parties•634• Sunday, 2:30-5:15 p.m.

Mad Scientist cafe designed for Otaku-girls serves as an antidote against maid cafe which has long fascinated Otaku-boys. At this cafe, Mad Scientists in white with a pair of glasses, who can't communicate with ordinary women, serve to the visitor whatever he or she would like to drink, while wind-up chambermaids and Geishas keep supporting them.

Mari Kotani

192 Updates on Decluttering

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•623• Sunday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Two years ago several of us discussed how we were attempting to downsize and declutter our lives. This is a continuation of that subject. Where have we succeeded? Are we still struggling? Suggestions? Failures?

M: Karen Babich, Katie Clapham, Magenta Griffith, Joyce K. Scrivner, Laurel Winter

Sunday, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

193 Dessert Salon

Events•Wis/Cap• Sunday, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

The Dessert Salon is held immediately before the Guest of Honor speeches. Buy your tickets early—the yummy desserts make this sure to sell out!


Sunday, 8:30-10:00 p.m.

194 GoH Speeches and Awards Ceremony

Events•Wis/Cap• Sunday, 8:30-10:00 p.m.

This Guest of Honor event is the high point of WisCon programming; it's the formal event at which we honor our guests and listen to what they have to say to us. In the past, guests have given us rallying calls to political action, humorous anecdotes, scholarly treatises, exposés, autobiographical histories, earthshaking ideas and passionate and lyrical speeches. Sometimes they have even had far–reaching consequences. For instance, Pat Murphy initiated the Tiptree Award as part of her 1991 GoH speech at WisCon 15.


195 Sunday Night Fancy Dress Party

Parties•607• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


196 Diversicon Party

Parties•611• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


197 LiveJournal Party

Parties•627• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


198 The Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts

Parties•629• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


199 Doctor Who & Torchwood

Parties•634• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


200 Wyrdsmiths Party

Parties•623• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

201 Fantasy Films of 2006: The Year the Critters Ran Wild

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Assembly• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

In this and the companion panel, "SF Films of 2006", moderator Richard S. Russell will try to explain the mysterious Rise of the Penguin and why Cars count as "talking animals." Handouts. Video clips. Mandatory audience participation.

M: Richard S. Russell

202 What If You Don't Want to Have Children?

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Senate A• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

Is not wanting kids is the last feminist taboo? There are lots of Wiscon programming items about being a parent/being pregnant/whatever — how about the rest of us?

M: Sharyn November, Carrie L Ferguson, Paula L. Fleming, Annalee Newitz, Isabel Schechter

203 Words Like Icebergs

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Senate B• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

Our language is formed by the place we were born: the names for the hills, the rivers, the trees. Our writing is about our history; the etymology of place and personal names. Words are like glaciers—most of the meaning is hidden, but with great mass. Growing up speaking Creole, Yorkshire, a Down East dialect—it changes what we write. Let's talk about what we've written and how it was shaped. Let's guess where Famous Feminist Fiction of the past came from, and why.

M: Nicolle Minnerly, Nicola Griffith, Natasha Minnerly, Lawrence Schimel, Catherynne M. Valente

204 Staged Reading Performance: Juvenilia

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Wis/Cap• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

For the first time ever, WisCon presents a staged reading of a new fantasy play, rehearsed at WisCon, with a cast of WisCon-goers. Juvenilia, a comic drama about an abandoned world, will thrill your senses and break your heart. Keep an eye out for your friends on stage! Followed by discussion.

M: Liz L. Gorinsky, Reina Hardy

205 Sailing Strange Winds: Heave To and Prepare to be Boarded!

Readings•Conference Room 2• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

Kelly Regan Barnhill, Michael Merriam, Hilary Moon Murphy, Benjamin Micah Rosenbaum

206 Writing as Spiritual Practice

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Conference Room 5• Sunday, 10:00-11:15 p.m.

Convention panels on writing tend to focus either on the craft of fiction or on the business aspects of being a writer. For many of us, writing's also part of our spiritual practice. Let's talk about it! How are writing and spirituality connected? Do fantasy and science fiction lend themselves more naturally to spiritual expression than, say, writing computer manuals would — or vice versa? How do the spiritual aspects of writing intersect with the artistic and business aspects?

M: Susan Palwick, Lori Buschbaum, Patrick James Rothfuss, Nisi Shawl

195 (cont) Sunday Night Fancy Dress Party

Parties•607• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


196 (cont) Diversicon Party

Parties•611• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


197 (cont) LiveJournal Party

Parties•627• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


198 (cont) The Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts

Parties•629• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


199 (cont) Doctor Who & Torchwood

Parties•634• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


200 (cont) Wyrdsmiths Party

Parties•623• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


Sunday, 11:30pm -12:45 a.m

207 Glorifying Terrorism

Readings•Conference Room 2• Sunday, 11:30pm -12:45 a.m

Vylar Kaftan, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Rachel Virginia Swirsky, James A Trimarco

195 (cont) Sunday Night Fancy Dress Party

Parties•607• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


196 (cont) Diversicon Party

Parties•611• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


197 (cont) LiveJournal Party

Parties•627• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


198 (cont) The Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts

Parties•629• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


199 (cont) Doctor Who & Torchwood

Parties•634• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m


200 (cont) Wyrdsmiths Party

Parties•623• Sunday, 8:30-12:45 a.m

Monday 5/28

Monday, 8:30-9:45 a.m.

208 Workshop: Morning Taekwondo

Solo Presentations•Capitol B• Monday, 8:30-9:45 a.m.

A short introduction to the korean martial art of taekwondo. This workshop will emphasize the applications of the two basic forms (Taeguek One and Palgwe One). No previous experience necessary. Taught by a third degree black belt.

Adrian Alan Simmons

209 InterFictions Anthology Reading

Readings•Conference Room 2• Monday, 8:30-9:45 a.m.

K Tempest Bradford, Shelley Jackson, Tom La Farge, Catherynne M. Valente

Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

210 The Future of Feminism

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Assembly• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Some of the most intense and fruitful conversations I've had at past WisCons are about how feminism needs to change as the first generation of "post-feminist" women grow up and step into a still-unequal and complicated world. Third Wave feminism is associated with everything from Suicide Girls to PowerPuff Girls to radical postmodern re-thinkings of race, gender and identity. Is "Girl Power" all we need, or is it time for a dramatic re-assessment of what it means to be a feminist today? And how can we take more action, besides rolling our eyes when another person on TV describes how boob jobs boost confidence?

M: Susan Marie Groppi, Janet Lafler, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Meghan McCarron, Andrea Diane Rubenstein

211 Teaching SF&F

The Craft And Business of Writing SF&F•Caucus Room• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Bringing SF & F into the classroom: what are some different approaches for primary school, high school, undergrad, postgrad? Creative approaches to introducing SF & F (examples: as an ethics course, in film studies, pop culture, in gender studies, science programmes, etc.) Devising syllabi and reading lists: go with the "classics," or take a cannon to the canon? What if your department head thinks science fiction has cooties?

M: JJ Pionke, Trent Hergenrader, Kelly McCullough, Cat T. Rambo, Patrick James Rothfuss

212 Boy Books? Girl Books?

Reading, Viewing, and Critiquing SF&F•Senate A• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Ever have a conversation with someone about a piece of literature and found yourself surprised and to have it dismissed (or lauded, or simply suggested) as a “boy book” or a “girl book”? Let’s discuss the characteristics that may cause a book to get one label or another. Is it the gender of the author? Of the characters? Of the readership? Its violence, or lack thereof? Its language? Its cover design? Is there any value in these designations for finding and attracting audiences, or do they just wind up ghettoizing whatever they’re applied to? How do these values apply specifically to the SF&F world and the (dying, hopefully?) perception that boys write science fiction for boys and girls write fantasy for girls? And how do non-binary gender systems play into or against these conventions?

M: Sharyn November, Lori Devoti, Liz L. Gorinsky, Laurie J. Marks, Pat Murphy

213 But The Master Has A Black & Decker Cordless Drill

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Senate B• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

How can we question literary standards that support the patriarchy/establishment/Man without suppressing critical judgment, and while maintaining a common critical language?

M: Jesse Kaysen, Jennifer Dunne, Micole Iris Sudberg, Catherynne M. Valente

214 Farthing Magazine/Nights at the Gauntlet

Readings•Conference Room 2• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Charlie Allery, Wendy Bradley, Anna Feruglio Dal Dan, Debbie L. Smith, Deb Taber, Greer Woodward

215 “Wait and See What I Become”: Gender and Performativity in James Robinson’s Starman/The Woman's Superpower: Ghosts, Empaths, and Psychics in Contemporary American Prime-Time Television

Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

1) Starman is a story about generations of families, one that presents two ages of heroes—the simply-themed, brightly colored superstars of the Golden Age and their grittier, more morally complex modern counterparts—as a foil for the relationships between parents and children. In this capacity, writer James Robinson has—and takes—the opportunity to examine and split from not only Golden Age idealism, but also more modern superhero tropes. This paper is a feminist exploration of the roles of performativity and gender in the personal and public identities of three characters: Jack Knight (Starman), the protagonist of the series; Nash (Mist), Starman's primary antagonist and Starman's only major female character; and Mikaal, a minor character whose nature as an alien and relative tabula rasa makes his perspective a particularly interesting lens on constructed social norms. I will examine each character through the lenses of superhero archetypes and culture, Judith Butler's theories of performativity, and my own perspective as a reader; and ultimately address the question, "Is Starman a feminist comic?" 2) In the wealth of supernaturally-themed television currently airing, those programs centered on women protagonists display a curious emphasis on the ability to "sense" emotions or events and to communicate with a spirit world. Scripted dramas such as Medium, Ghost Whisperer, and the now-defunct Joan of Arcadia and Tru Calling are joined by reality-style programs including Life Among the Dead: Lisa Williams. By endowing female protagonists with supernatural abilities, these shows encourage an allegoric reading of women's power in contemporary America. The leads struggle with their gifts as both blessing and curse, as they negotiate their own experience of their powers, the professional demands they face, and the integration of these abilities with a white, middle-class, heterosexual domesticity. Notably, these women find greater overall satisfaction than powerful action heroines of the past. However, the feminist potential of these programs is truncated by the emphasis on traditionally feminine characteristics of communication, care, spirituality and service to others. This feminine supernatural genre is neither coincidental nor a simplistic reinforcement of gender ideology.

Rachel Sharon Edidin, Elizabeth Ellcessor

216 How Dense Can We Get? Options for Making a Better Future

Feminism, Sex, and Gender•Conference Room 4• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

As of January 2007, the world population had passed the 6.5 billion mark, and many people feel we’re headed for trouble. Overpopulation has been linked to a whole series of possible catastrophes – global warming, resource depletion, and starvation. What should feminists do, who care about the future of the planet, and our future on it? If we need to change course, what should the new one be. The panelists will be giving short presentations on the problems associated with overpopulation, and their ideas for solutions, after which there will be time for discussion.

M: Nancy Jane Moore, Paula L. Fleming, Philip Edward Kaveny

217 The Religious Left Takes to the Streets

Politics, Race, Class, and Religion•Conference Room 5• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Last year's "Where is the Religious Left?" panel determined that the Religious Left is right here at WisCon. Now it's time for the second part of the conversation. What specific actions can we take both to make ourselves more visible and to work on the social-justice issues dear to our hearts and our faith traditions? How can we do this without falling into the "us/them" dichotomy the Right has used so destructively? In the current climate, is it even possible to avoid the politics of opposition?

M: Susan Palwick, Alyson L Abramowitz, Lynn Kendall, Jean Mornard, Pamela K. Taylor

218 Board and Card Games

Kids Programming•611• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.


219 The Crutch of Religion in Moral Behavior

Politics, Race, Class, and Religion•629• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

One of the many points of contention between "the faithful" and "the rest of us" is how to tell whether we are living a moral life. For many of "the faithful," this means living in accordance with the precepts of their religion—while to "the rest of us" the externalization of authority seems like an abdication of moral responsibility. For many of "the rest of us," the nearest thing to a moral compass would be some kind of individual test such as "if it feels good, do it" or "to have and to offer no guilt, no shame, and no regrets" or "the golden rule"—while such moral relativism seems like an abdication of religious responsibility to "the faithful." This panel will focus on the "moral compass" of SF characters who grapple with these questions, such as Lauren Oya Olamina of (the late) Octavia E. Butler's Parables books and Father Sandoz of Mary Doria Russell's Sparrow series. We will also consider SF characters who are seemingly oblivious to the issue such as the heroine of Suzy McKee Charnas' Holdfast series and the protagonist of Ken MacLeod's Cosmonaut Keep series.

M: lucy ann synk, Ian K. Hagemann, Isabel Schechter

220 Charting Interstitiality: Choosing stories for InterFictions

Solo Presentations•634• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.

Delia Sherman

Monday, 11:30am-12:45pm

221 The SignOut

Events•Wis/Cap• Monday, 11:30am-12:45pm

Come and sign your works, come and get things signed, come and hang out and wind down before you leave.

Alma Alexander, Charlie Anders, Elizabeth Bear, Steve Berman, Gary A. Braunbeck, Lori Devoti, L. Timmel Duchamp, Carol Emshwiller, Kelley Eskridge, Alicia Ellen Goranson, Nicola Griffith, Andrea D. Hairston, Rosemary Kirstein, Ellen Klages, Naomi Kritzer, Ellen Kushner, Kelly D. Link, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Will Ludwigsen, Laurie J. Marks, Sarah Monette, Nancy Jane Moore, Pat Murphy, Annalee Newitz, Nnedi Nkemdili Okorafor-Mbahu, Susan Palwick, M. Rickert, James P. Roberts, Benjamin Micah Rosenbaum, Patrick James Rothfuss, Rebecca K. Rowe, Melissa Scott, Kristine Smith, Lucy A. Snyder, Midori M. Snyder, Kassandra Grace Sojourner, Catherynne M. Valente, Kerrigan Valentine, JoSelle Vanderhooft, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Ysabeau S. Wilce, Terri Windling

Monday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

222 Post–Mortem

Events•Assembly• Monday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

The last panel of WisCon is your opportunity to let us know how things went for you. Committee members who are still able to walk will answer your questions and listen to your suggestions.


223 Mid Career Writers Gathering

Solo Presentations•Senate A• Monday, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Pat Murphy

Monday, 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Monday, 3:00 p.m.- 3:00 a.m.

224 OddCon/Dead Cow Party

Parties•629• Monday, 3:00 p.m.- 3:00 a.m.

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