Inside the Little Plastic Castle

Just a few words from a GREAT article by Stephen Graham Jones, a writer in horror, fantasy and the really wobbly genre that is non fiction. He speaks from participating in one too many panels where the focus is on speakers' identity instead of their art.

Open Letter to Cons From the Indians No Longer in the Background of a John Wayne Movie

by Stephen Graham Jones

We’re Here to Talk Books and Writers, not representation and diversity. So, if you can resist that urge to put us all on the same panel to talk about “The West” (we’re not all from the West…) or “The American Myth” (myth being what the big religion calls the little religion), that doesn’t mean that the big change sorter has to deposit us on the representation and diversity panels. And, anyway? Listen to the Q&A of most of those panels. The subtext is always a request to validate parking, to give some sort of tacit permission for people to cosplay as us for a story or two. Never mind that none of us are authorized to give that particular permission. What to pay more attention to is that that’s asking us to cut out construction-paper feathers for people to wear home from school, because being Indian is fun, harmless dress-up—it’s a way of honoring us, really. Or, you know: “honoring” us.

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/19/open-letter-to-cons-from-the-indians-no-longer-in-the-background-of-a-john-wayne-movie

Yep, I'm going. Last year was the best one ever, so I'm taking a chance...

I'm also on one panel:

Beyond the Fix or How Do I Live this F***ing Life?
Sat, 10:00–11:15 am
Conference 5

M: R. Elena Tabachnick; Shayla D, Lenore Jean Jones, Jesse the K

When you know there's no fix, your disability's never getting better, might get worse, and acceptance is the only possibility, it's time to share (aka vent). On this panel, we'll air our pet grievances, exchange survival strategies, and discuss the challenges—both surprising and predictable—of life with disability. We'll also share stories we've used to keep going.

I'm always eager to meet first-timers, and of course I'm thrilled to see my con-pals. I'll be at the hotel & therefore available for most any occasion.

Well then. The deadline for programming submissions is Saturday! Saturday! Saturday as in day-after-tomorrow. I have some sketchy ideas which need fleshing out. Open up your brain and let the thoughts pour out.

Each idea has its own thread. I've got sketches — WisCon need 800-character submissions.


ETA all threads frozen, all ideas submitted, thank you very much for playing!