Tomorrow I’m headed to Madison, WI for WisCon, a feminist/activist SF/F convention. This trip also kicks my summer convention season, which will be intense. I have two back-to-back cons this month, then three conventions back-to-back-to-back-to-FLOP at the end of June July, which will culminate in coming home after ReaderCon, dying for a night, and then rising like a Literary Phoenix to celebrate the release of Celebromancy.

I really like WisCon, and one of the big reasons is that the default level of discussion tends to be equivalent to a graduate seminar – so I get to utilize my grad school brain without the other trappings of being in school again (always having more work I should be doing, living simultaneously below the poverty line and performing high culture status, and having no chance of explaining my career choice to people on the street).

Other reasons include a chance to see friends who live in the area, the hilarity that is the Tiptree Auction (seriously, if you ever come to WisCon, you owe it to yourself to spend an hour or so at the auction. It’s awesome), a GenderFloomp Dance party, and close proximity to about 20 amazing restaurants.

 

This year, I’m doing a reading, several panels, and leading a novel section for the WisCon Writers’ Workshop. The rest of the time, I expect to kick around, visit friends’ readings, pop my head in on some thought-provoking panels, and generally soak in the awesomeness.

 

Here’s my complete schedule:

 

Friday:

Writers’ Workshop 9AM-Noon.

 

Reading: Oxford Comma Bonfire 9PM-10:15PM at Michaelangelo’s coffee shop.

with Nancy Hightower, Vylar Kaftan, and LaShawn M. Wanak.

 

Saturday:

 

Steal Like an Artist 4:00PM – 5:!5 PM – Conference 4

with S.N. Arly, Kater Cheek, Alexandra Erin, and Brooke Wonders

 

Patriarchy Hurts Men Too 10:30-11:45 PM – Senate B

with Alan Bostick, Kay Johnson, Philip Kaveny, and Joselle Vanderhooft

 

Sunday:

 

Fear and Masculinity in SF/F 2:30 PM-3:45PM – Senate B

with  Gregory G. H. Rihn, Liz Argall, and Mary Anne Mohanraj

 

Monday:

 

The Sign-Out 11:30AM-12:45 PM – Capitol/Wisconsin

 

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If you’re going to WisCon, I hope you’ll swing by one of these panel sessions or say hello during the weekend. And if you’re elsewhere (like BaltiCon), I hope you have an awesome weekend there!