Wiscon 2013 programming, first look!
Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 01:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterI blame kate_nepveu. Also, so much love to laceblade for probably doing a lot of the anime/manga panel descriptions and nominating!
Panels I am considering being on
Please!
Romance, revised and reconsidered-can we make smart feminism sell?
Romance crosses onto SF/F turf with authors such as Jennifer Crusie visiting ghost stories in MAYBE THIS TIME; Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series (one of the mothers of paranormal) and JD Robb's "in Death" procedurals. The strong-willed central characters drive the story and sell the books--but are they feminist? Julia Quinn writes more "classic" romance--but what does that mean in Regency terms given PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES et al? Kerrelyn Spark's heroines set romance tropes on end with a great deal of humor as does Jennifer Stevenson, and Jayne Anne Krentz revisits romance, paranormal, and fantasy under different pseudonyms. What makes them sell? Are there common feminist elements we can identify? Background: http://www.juliaquinn.com/articles/09-Jul-USAToday.php
Avid romance reader who hates gendered critique of the genre by people who don't read it but also gets frustrated by a lot of genre tropes and how they work with feminism (or not)
daughter of Girl Cooties: romance in SF
Last year's Girl Cooties panel on romance was popular but too short. Let's continue the conversation, with a focus on the role of romance plots and subplots in SF. Why is paranormal romance taking over the world, partiularly with the vampires and werewolves? Why are romance subplots so rare in hard SF?
Fan of both romances and sf/f, and really interested by the various paranormal romances/urban fantasies being published by writers who are obviously influenced by both genres
Girl Cooties 2: More consideration of the Romance Novel
There is a lot of internalized misogyny in how we talk about romance novels and other popular writing directed at women, such as chick lit. Let's talk about why we seem to feel so conflicted about works written by and for women. Can a romance be a version of the hero's journey? Authors ranging from Georgette Heyer to JD Robb have lead characters who are independent and feminist--can feminism and romance coexist? Do you read romance novels? Or do you wonder why anyone calling herself a feminist would do so?
Avid romance reader who hates gendered critique of the genre by people who don't read it but also gets frustrated by a lot of genre tropes and how they work with feminism (or not)
Interested
Cultural Appropriation: The View From Outside the West
Let's discuss cultural appropriation from a more global perspective, from people who belong to non-dominant cultures (i.e., not the US, Canada, Western Europe, or Australia),and cultures for which Western culture is a colonizing influence. From the outside, a culture tends to be perceived as monolithic, whereas from the inside it is usually more fractured. How does this affect our views of cultural appropriation?
Always want to noodle around with tensions like China as a colonized nation in addition to China being the colonizing force in many Asian countries
My Gourmet Organic Local Food Puts Your Food to Shame
With a new emphasis on food - local food, organic food, ethically sourced food - there is also a trend toward commodifying poor food in ways that make that food inaccessible to the communities that created it. Gourmet grits are a thing now. How does an interest in good food intersect with food-shaming those who cannot afford or do not have access to the local organic food movement? How does foodie culture privilege gourmet food over the cultures that originate the cuisines they're taking advantage of?
I like eating gourmet commodified poor food but also hate things like trendy Chinese food when I got made fun of for eating untrendy Chinese food in college
Intended Audience (vs?) Fan Enjoyment
When you consume a source text that wasn't meant for you, does it affect your enjoyment? The male gaze affects how women are drawn in US comics, yet many women read Young Avengers, Wonder Woman, etc. Many women & others who don't identify as men enjoy sienen moe anime shows that feature the interactions of young girls, which are marketed toward men. A subculture of "bronies" has emerged from the dudebros who enjoy My Little Pony. Does the creator's intended audience matter? When the source material is marred with fanservice for its intended audience, does it betray the other readers/viewers?
Conflicted fan of a lot of seinen moe series
Monstrous Females and Female Monsters
What does it mean for a woman to turn into a monster? Or for a monster to turn out to be female? Lamias, hags, vampires, Grendel's mother, Medusa, Lilith, even the occasional werewolf--our dreams and nightmares are full of terrifying women. What can we make of these stories? Do they influence our writing, our readings, our movies? What kinds of female monsters terrify you? What kinds would you like to see more of?
Would also like to talk about non-Western examples
The Author is Dead, The Author is Among Us
The "Death of the Author" school of literary criticism holds that the intentions and biographical experiences of the author should not be considered when analyzing and critiquing creative works, that the impressions and interpretations of readers matter more than the intentions of the writer. But, on the Internet, the author is not only very much alive, but may be only a click and a comment away. How do we reconcile this argument against authorial privilege within a community where the author is often a participant in the critical conversation? Can we talk about the author being dead, even as the author sits among us?
The Xenogenesis Panel
Let’s delve into some of the many issues – feminism and racism, among others – which Octavia Butler explored in her groundbreaking trilogy.
In depth book discussion!
Three Books Four Ways: The Jo Walton Edition
Four panelists commit to reading Farthing, Ha'penny, and Half a crown. They discuss the books in depth, and welcome audience participation.
In depth book discussion!
OK
The Glitch Memorial Panel
Let's talk about the late, lamented MMORPG Glitch and other online multiplayer games. How can game mechanics (and moderation, etc) inspire and encourage cooperative behavior and a sense of community, encouraging players to be good citizens of the game world? How does the nature of the game and its goals influence who plays and how they behave? Are there games or game plots and mechanics that inspire altruism? Kindness? Selfishness? Cruelty? Finally, let's celebrate the wacky, whimsical world of Glitch.
Not really a gamer, but Glitch really drew me in and I find the game mechanics interesting
Apparently, I really want to talk about romances.
Panels I want to attend
2nd wave feminism - a dialog between participants and the younger generation
At WisCon 36 younger women asked specifically for a discussion which focused on communication between their generation and former generations. Veterans of 2nd wave feminism talk about the historical context of that wave of feminism in relation to the Civil Rights, Free Speech, Black Power, Anti-Vietnam War and Gay Liberation movements.
Crafting, making, and the intersection of gender and creation
The Maker movement has done a lot to bring crafting out of the fusty perception of the past. Younger women and men are taking up skills that seemed like they might be lost in the digital age. But what if you aren't making arduino clothes at your makerspace? Or what if you are, but it feels like it doesn't count as "real" making? Join in and talk about the difficulties of owning and claiming your craft, especially if it is coded as female. Is it hard to make time for doing what you love? What are the barriers to entry at makerspaces? Handcrafting encouraged in this panel.
Dispelling Trans Myths 2
Last year, we blew minds and scared the horses. Not every trans person cares about passing! Some of us are really happy with our bodies! Some of us transition really easily! Come see more myths about trans people get blasted to smithereens.
Fandom and the Male Gaze
The male gaze describes the tendency of fictional narratives to focus on a straight male point of view and portray female characters as sex-objects and subjects of visual appreciation, in a way that male characters are not. How can fan-made fiction, vids and art be used to confront and subvert the male gaze? In what ways does the objectification of male characters serve to support rather than counter the status-quo?
Feminism in Gaming, 2013
2012 was a watershed year for discussion of misogyny in gaming, in many ways: Anita Sarkeesian's kickstarter to examine misogyny in gaming, the backlash against it, and the counter-backlash; discussion of art direction in D&D Next; attacks on Felicia Day; the launch of the Gaming as Women blog; and other developments. What has happened so far in 2013? Is the amount of backlash more an indication that misogyny is getting worse, or that we're finally getting around to the painful but necessary conversations? How much progress have we made, and what still needs to be done?
Gendered communication styles in the workplace
Interpersonal communication styles are influenced by the cultural experience of gender, but add in office power dynamics and things get... interesting. Men finding themselves in a woman-dominated workplace may find how things work to be alien. Women entering a workplace that values a robust debate of ideas may find it intimidating. Unlike your social life, you *have* to work with these people, and that means finding out how to talk to them constructively.
How To Be a Fan of Problematic Things
Lord of the Rings. A Song of Ice & Fire. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Many of us like things that are deeply problematic! Liking these works doesn't (necessarily) make you a jerk. How can we like problematic things and not only be decent people, but good, social justice activists? How does one's background matter? How does one address the problems? This panel will discuss how to own up to the problematic things in the media you like, particularly when you feel strongly about them. Inspired by http://www.socialjusticeleague.net/2011/09/how-to-be-a-fan-of-problematic-things/ .
I Really Don't Have Preferred Pronouns
Many people have gender identities; some don't. Come discuss what it is like to not identify with gender, especially as a feminist and a trans* ally. When did we figure out that this wasn't how everyone was? How weird is patriarchy when the groups appear completely arbitrary? Have we chosen paths of least resistance in identity and presentation? This panel will be a place to talk about our personal experiences: What is it like to work in gendered professions when we don't identify with the premise? How have we found health professionals who support us? Does everyone else end up talking about gender an awful lot, or is that just me?
No Longer a Maiden, Not Yet a Crone: Queens, Evil or Otherwise
Regina on Once Upon a Time is evil, yet she's also a mother and an adult abuse survivor. Ravenna in Snow White and the Huntsman is evil, yet also trapped and frightened and looking to save herself. What's going on in these depictions of mature women? What power does a forty-year-old woman have? How is this a threat? What images of adult women do we see in recent popular culture, and what do we want to see going forward?
Social Justice and Remix Culture
Remix Culture encourages the combining, editing, and recontextualizing of existent media to create new works. How can remixing text, videos and music be used to critique the original sources and bring attention to issues of social justice and marginalized communities?
Transfeminism
Last year's panel raised the question of how trangender issues intersect with feminism, only to find out that trans people have already answered that question and more. No longer willing to be silent props in a Ph.D. dissertation on gender theory, or held up as boogey"men" used to frighten legislators, a new generation of trans people have taken up the mandate of feminism's battle for equality. What is the science behind the struggle? What does it mean for the debate when a man can get pregnant? Just what is empowered femininity and how can it change the face of feminism for cis and trans alike?
Class in the novels of Jo Walton
Let's discuss the many ways our guest of honor, Jo Walton, addresses class in her works.
Race and Class in Urban Planning
How does centralized planning divide our cities along lines of race and class? Subsidized housing, elevated freeways, new condos, zoning regulations: who decides where these are placed, and for what purposes? From Tyrion Lannister scouring King’s Landing during war to Ariane Emory programming the populations of Cyteen and Gehenna, these issues affect our fictional worlds too. Let’s talk about how power and urban planning interact.
Teaching Children Age-Appropriate Agency
We want to raise intrepid, compassionate, strong children to change the world and smash the kyriarchy through their Powers of Awesome ... but it's hard navigating the line between our egalitarian, agency-centric ideals and past authoritarian habits of parenting. Pushing boundaries is very age-appropriate for preschoolers, but so is having limits imposed by your parents. Sometimes even the most Free-Range of parents has to put their foot down and forbid something. We'll share tales from the parenting trenches and recent reearch.
Trans* Bodies in SF/F
Science fiction and fantasy narratives involving trans* characters often fall into two categories: the spectacle of the transsexual transition, or the magical sex swap for quick plot fuel and humor. But these tropes often ring hollow to those who have experienced first hand what it means to change their body, and the tropes rarely do more than reify existing gender stereotypes. The panel will discuss which stories get it right, which stories get it wrong, and the hows and how nots of presenting trans* characters in literature.
Towards an Intersectional Fat Acceptance
Let's discuss the realities of creating spaces that amplify a variety of fat voices - without rehashing the culturally standard (and oppressive) pro-diet narrative. This panel is meant to discuss practical strategies for building an intersectional movement rather than debating the importance thereof - because fat acceptance will be intersectional or it will be bullsh*t.
When bodies and jobs are the same: The meta
Storytelling is very important to a social change movement, and we also need time to discuss the wider social pressures and expectations. Often, we feel that the choices we make about our bodies are individual, but it's almost impossible to separate the subject from the context. How our looks and physical abilities affect what we can make money at is one aspect of this issue. This panel is a place to discuss the ways that living in the kyriarchy affect the choices we can make and why we choose what we choose. The decision to try to pass is qualitatively different from the choice to not try to pass.
Microbes
Microbes play crucial ecological roles. Many are directly or indirectly required for human health. They form a large part of the earth's total biomass. They can perform some amazing metabolic tricks, yet all too often science fiction has ignored microbes, or focused on their role as human pathogens. But not this panel! We have plentiful fare for discussion: microbial ecology,biofilms and microbial mats, microbiomes, microbial genomics, microbial diversity, antibiotic resistance, horizontal gene transfer, microbial evolution, microbial exobiology and the role of microbes in human health.
Aging While Female
Age discrimination is usually not listed among the issues of oppression and/or identity politics. But older people, especially women, are seldom portrayed in SF/F; when they are, they are usually supporting characters, or villains. What are some positive images of older women in SF/F, and how can we encourage better images of the older woman?
Contemporary Fantasy and Science Fiction from the Muslim World
A lot has happened since "A Thousand and One Nights". Come and hear panelists discuss contemporary fantasy and science fiction from the Muslim world! We'll talk about works by Muslim authors from different countries, both those available in English and those still awaiting translation. We welcome audience participation, so come with questions; we'll bring our reading experience and boundless enthusiasm. A dystopian Cairo, a water planet and a magic library await you!
Discworld and Gender Issues
In 39 books to date, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series does a lot of good things with gender themes and some less than good things. Let's talk about the wide range of female characters in Discworld, their different kinds of agency, the number of stories that center on female relationships, and the problematic of strains of gender essentialism and heteronormativity, especially in Discworld's non-human species.
Gay and Lesbian Characters in Anime & Manga
Is the Boys Love genre an appropriation of gay male sexuality, or an expression of female sexuality? Are there realistic series about gay men outside of BL that were written by/for men? What about realistic lesbian characters? Let's talk about the representation of LGB characters in anime & manga--what we've seen, and what we'd like to see.
Is the World Still Worth Saving?
Jo Walton claims that "save the world" stopped being the primary focus of fantasy with the publication of Robin Hobb's _Assassin's Apprentice_ in 1995. However, that ignores works such as _Thieves' World_, _God Stalk_, _Another Fine Myth_, and _War for the Oaks_ -- and that's just the 1980s. Where does "save the world" fit into the whole fantasy genre? http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/12/not-saving-the-world-how-does-that-even-work
LBGTQ Paranormals
Beyond the sparkly vampires and the teen love triangles and the women in leather pants with heavy weaponry lurk queer werewolves, bi vampires, lesbian witches and gay demons looking to share their stories. LGBTQ Paranormals have been coming into their own for the last few years; let's talk about what's out there and where we see the subgenre going. It's time to read the stories that insist that Dumbledore gets a boyfriend.
Realistic And Unrealistic Sex In Fiction
What makes sex in fiction realistic or head-twistingly not? Do we want realistic sex? Is fanfic better at it?
Representations of Disability in Anime & Manga
Let's talk about how people with disabilities are portrayed. Are disabilities more prevalent in the characters who struggle in shounen action series than in the shoujo series that focus on everyday life? Who are some of your favorite characters with disabilities, and do you like how they're portrayed? What could be done better?
The Women of Once Upon a Time
Queens, evil and otherwise, princesses, warriors, lovers, mothers. This panel will discuss the many female characters in television's "Once Upon a Time".
Trans People in Anime & Manga
Let's talk about how trans people are represented in anime and manga. Suggested series: F. Compo, Hourou Musuko
Vid Party Discussion
We will discuss some of the vids shown at the vid party, and fan vids in general.
Why is pleasure so problematic?
Panels on 'our guilty reading pleasures' seem to be recurrent phenomena, but why are pleasures guilty? What is the shame associated with enjoyment? Is it the pleasures that we feel guilt about, or the feeling of pleasure? What is wrong with pleasure? Why are we made to feel guilty about it? Let's explore this.
The Influence of Octavia Butler: A case of “Strange Matings”
Octavia Butler’s publisher Dan Simon said, “Does it ever seem to you that there are people among us who hold up the sky and make the rivers flow.… Octavia comes to my mind as first among that group of people.” One of the few African-Americans writing sf, she was a true sf pioneer who took on the issues of gender and race and encouraged others to join her. Her work affected the worlds of feminist sf, African American sf, academic feminism, as well as many writers in all the above fields. This spring, Aqueduct Press will publish Strange Matings, an anthology on Butler edited by former WisCon GOH Nisi Shawl and long-time WisCon presenter Rebecca Holden. We propose to use our experience working on this anthology as a jumping off point for a discussion on Butler's far-ranging influence.
Panelists: Nisi Shawl, Rebecca Holden, Timmi Duchamp, Nnedi Okorafor, Kate Schaefer, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Candra Gill
Fannish Spaces
From the perception that people of color aren’t SF fans because of a perceived lack of con attendance to rants against "fake geek girls," there’s an awful lot of gatekeeping in many fannish/geek spaces that are considered white and/or male. When people who aren’t "expected" to be in those spaces move into them, they’re often met with hostility, suspicion, and listserv rants. Ways of being fans outside of marked fan spaces are often overlooked or ignored. There are often discussions about how to be more inclusive, but maybe it’s also time to talk about the ways people are geeky or fans in spaces outside of a definitions of fandom that feel increasingly narrow.
Geek Self-Loathing: Pros, Prose & Hierarchy
How often have you heard someone introduce themself as a writer, but with nothing published yet, or nothing published recently? Or as 'just' a social worker, game designer or mother? Why does a bibliography so often seem to be a necessity to be on a panel, and why do our fannish résumés seem to focus so often on what we've published? How does the Geek Social Hierarchy play out in the Wiscon community? How many of us tacitly believe in a hierarchy where professional prose writers are at the top, and what should we do about this?
kate_nepveu. Also, so much love to laceblade for probably doing a lot of the anime/manga panel descriptions and nominating!Panels I am considering being on
Please!
Romance, revised and reconsidered-can we make smart feminism sell?
Romance crosses onto SF/F turf with authors such as Jennifer Crusie visiting ghost stories in MAYBE THIS TIME; Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series (one of the mothers of paranormal) and JD Robb's "in Death" procedurals. The strong-willed central characters drive the story and sell the books--but are they feminist? Julia Quinn writes more "classic" romance--but what does that mean in Regency terms given PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES et al? Kerrelyn Spark's heroines set romance tropes on end with a great deal of humor as does Jennifer Stevenson, and Jayne Anne Krentz revisits romance, paranormal, and fantasy under different pseudonyms. What makes them sell? Are there common feminist elements we can identify? Background: http://www.juliaquinn.com/articles/09-Jul-USAToday.php
Avid romance reader who hates gendered critique of the genre by people who don't read it but also gets frustrated by a lot of genre tropes and how they work with feminism (or not)
daughter of Girl Cooties: romance in SF
Last year's Girl Cooties panel on romance was popular but too short. Let's continue the conversation, with a focus on the role of romance plots and subplots in SF. Why is paranormal romance taking over the world, partiularly with the vampires and werewolves? Why are romance subplots so rare in hard SF?
Fan of both romances and sf/f, and really interested by the various paranormal romances/urban fantasies being published by writers who are obviously influenced by both genres
Girl Cooties 2: More consideration of the Romance Novel
There is a lot of internalized misogyny in how we talk about romance novels and other popular writing directed at women, such as chick lit. Let's talk about why we seem to feel so conflicted about works written by and for women. Can a romance be a version of the hero's journey? Authors ranging from Georgette Heyer to JD Robb have lead characters who are independent and feminist--can feminism and romance coexist? Do you read romance novels? Or do you wonder why anyone calling herself a feminist would do so?
Avid romance reader who hates gendered critique of the genre by people who don't read it but also gets frustrated by a lot of genre tropes and how they work with feminism (or not)
Interested
Cultural Appropriation: The View From Outside the West
Let's discuss cultural appropriation from a more global perspective, from people who belong to non-dominant cultures (i.e., not the US, Canada, Western Europe, or Australia),and cultures for which Western culture is a colonizing influence. From the outside, a culture tends to be perceived as monolithic, whereas from the inside it is usually more fractured. How does this affect our views of cultural appropriation?
Always want to noodle around with tensions like China as a colonized nation in addition to China being the colonizing force in many Asian countries
My Gourmet Organic Local Food Puts Your Food to Shame
With a new emphasis on food - local food, organic food, ethically sourced food - there is also a trend toward commodifying poor food in ways that make that food inaccessible to the communities that created it. Gourmet grits are a thing now. How does an interest in good food intersect with food-shaming those who cannot afford or do not have access to the local organic food movement? How does foodie culture privilege gourmet food over the cultures that originate the cuisines they're taking advantage of?
I like eating gourmet commodified poor food but also hate things like trendy Chinese food when I got made fun of for eating untrendy Chinese food in college
Intended Audience (vs?) Fan Enjoyment
When you consume a source text that wasn't meant for you, does it affect your enjoyment? The male gaze affects how women are drawn in US comics, yet many women read Young Avengers, Wonder Woman, etc. Many women & others who don't identify as men enjoy sienen moe anime shows that feature the interactions of young girls, which are marketed toward men. A subculture of "bronies" has emerged from the dudebros who enjoy My Little Pony. Does the creator's intended audience matter? When the source material is marred with fanservice for its intended audience, does it betray the other readers/viewers?
Conflicted fan of a lot of seinen moe series
Monstrous Females and Female Monsters
What does it mean for a woman to turn into a monster? Or for a monster to turn out to be female? Lamias, hags, vampires, Grendel's mother, Medusa, Lilith, even the occasional werewolf--our dreams and nightmares are full of terrifying women. What can we make of these stories? Do they influence our writing, our readings, our movies? What kinds of female monsters terrify you? What kinds would you like to see more of?
Would also like to talk about non-Western examples
The Author is Dead, The Author is Among Us
The "Death of the Author" school of literary criticism holds that the intentions and biographical experiences of the author should not be considered when analyzing and critiquing creative works, that the impressions and interpretations of readers matter more than the intentions of the writer. But, on the Internet, the author is not only very much alive, but may be only a click and a comment away. How do we reconcile this argument against authorial privilege within a community where the author is often a participant in the critical conversation? Can we talk about the author being dead, even as the author sits among us?
The Xenogenesis Panel
Let’s delve into some of the many issues – feminism and racism, among others – which Octavia Butler explored in her groundbreaking trilogy.
In depth book discussion!
Three Books Four Ways: The Jo Walton Edition
Four panelists commit to reading Farthing, Ha'penny, and Half a crown. They discuss the books in depth, and welcome audience participation.
In depth book discussion!
OK
The Glitch Memorial Panel
Let's talk about the late, lamented MMORPG Glitch and other online multiplayer games. How can game mechanics (and moderation, etc) inspire and encourage cooperative behavior and a sense of community, encouraging players to be good citizens of the game world? How does the nature of the game and its goals influence who plays and how they behave? Are there games or game plots and mechanics that inspire altruism? Kindness? Selfishness? Cruelty? Finally, let's celebrate the wacky, whimsical world of Glitch.
Not really a gamer, but Glitch really drew me in and I find the game mechanics interesting
Apparently, I really want to talk about romances.
Panels I want to attend
2nd wave feminism - a dialog between participants and the younger generation
At WisCon 36 younger women asked specifically for a discussion which focused on communication between their generation and former generations. Veterans of 2nd wave feminism talk about the historical context of that wave of feminism in relation to the Civil Rights, Free Speech, Black Power, Anti-Vietnam War and Gay Liberation movements.
Crafting, making, and the intersection of gender and creation
The Maker movement has done a lot to bring crafting out of the fusty perception of the past. Younger women and men are taking up skills that seemed like they might be lost in the digital age. But what if you aren't making arduino clothes at your makerspace? Or what if you are, but it feels like it doesn't count as "real" making? Join in and talk about the difficulties of owning and claiming your craft, especially if it is coded as female. Is it hard to make time for doing what you love? What are the barriers to entry at makerspaces? Handcrafting encouraged in this panel.
Dispelling Trans Myths 2
Last year, we blew minds and scared the horses. Not every trans person cares about passing! Some of us are really happy with our bodies! Some of us transition really easily! Come see more myths about trans people get blasted to smithereens.
Fandom and the Male Gaze
The male gaze describes the tendency of fictional narratives to focus on a straight male point of view and portray female characters as sex-objects and subjects of visual appreciation, in a way that male characters are not. How can fan-made fiction, vids and art be used to confront and subvert the male gaze? In what ways does the objectification of male characters serve to support rather than counter the status-quo?
Feminism in Gaming, 2013
2012 was a watershed year for discussion of misogyny in gaming, in many ways: Anita Sarkeesian's kickstarter to examine misogyny in gaming, the backlash against it, and the counter-backlash; discussion of art direction in D&D Next; attacks on Felicia Day; the launch of the Gaming as Women blog; and other developments. What has happened so far in 2013? Is the amount of backlash more an indication that misogyny is getting worse, or that we're finally getting around to the painful but necessary conversations? How much progress have we made, and what still needs to be done?
Gendered communication styles in the workplace
Interpersonal communication styles are influenced by the cultural experience of gender, but add in office power dynamics and things get... interesting. Men finding themselves in a woman-dominated workplace may find how things work to be alien. Women entering a workplace that values a robust debate of ideas may find it intimidating. Unlike your social life, you *have* to work with these people, and that means finding out how to talk to them constructively.
How To Be a Fan of Problematic Things
Lord of the Rings. A Song of Ice & Fire. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Many of us like things that are deeply problematic! Liking these works doesn't (necessarily) make you a jerk. How can we like problematic things and not only be decent people, but good, social justice activists? How does one's background matter? How does one address the problems? This panel will discuss how to own up to the problematic things in the media you like, particularly when you feel strongly about them. Inspired by http://www.socialjusticeleague.net/2011/09/how-to-be-a-fan-of-problematic-things/ .
I Really Don't Have Preferred Pronouns
Many people have gender identities; some don't. Come discuss what it is like to not identify with gender, especially as a feminist and a trans* ally. When did we figure out that this wasn't how everyone was? How weird is patriarchy when the groups appear completely arbitrary? Have we chosen paths of least resistance in identity and presentation? This panel will be a place to talk about our personal experiences: What is it like to work in gendered professions when we don't identify with the premise? How have we found health professionals who support us? Does everyone else end up talking about gender an awful lot, or is that just me?
No Longer a Maiden, Not Yet a Crone: Queens, Evil or Otherwise
Regina on Once Upon a Time is evil, yet she's also a mother and an adult abuse survivor. Ravenna in Snow White and the Huntsman is evil, yet also trapped and frightened and looking to save herself. What's going on in these depictions of mature women? What power does a forty-year-old woman have? How is this a threat? What images of adult women do we see in recent popular culture, and what do we want to see going forward?
Social Justice and Remix Culture
Remix Culture encourages the combining, editing, and recontextualizing of existent media to create new works. How can remixing text, videos and music be used to critique the original sources and bring attention to issues of social justice and marginalized communities?
Transfeminism
Last year's panel raised the question of how trangender issues intersect with feminism, only to find out that trans people have already answered that question and more. No longer willing to be silent props in a Ph.D. dissertation on gender theory, or held up as boogey"men" used to frighten legislators, a new generation of trans people have taken up the mandate of feminism's battle for equality. What is the science behind the struggle? What does it mean for the debate when a man can get pregnant? Just what is empowered femininity and how can it change the face of feminism for cis and trans alike?
Class in the novels of Jo Walton
Let's discuss the many ways our guest of honor, Jo Walton, addresses class in her works.
Race and Class in Urban Planning
How does centralized planning divide our cities along lines of race and class? Subsidized housing, elevated freeways, new condos, zoning regulations: who decides where these are placed, and for what purposes? From Tyrion Lannister scouring King’s Landing during war to Ariane Emory programming the populations of Cyteen and Gehenna, these issues affect our fictional worlds too. Let’s talk about how power and urban planning interact.
Teaching Children Age-Appropriate Agency
We want to raise intrepid, compassionate, strong children to change the world and smash the kyriarchy through their Powers of Awesome ... but it's hard navigating the line between our egalitarian, agency-centric ideals and past authoritarian habits of parenting. Pushing boundaries is very age-appropriate for preschoolers, but so is having limits imposed by your parents. Sometimes even the most Free-Range of parents has to put their foot down and forbid something. We'll share tales from the parenting trenches and recent reearch.
Trans* Bodies in SF/F
Science fiction and fantasy narratives involving trans* characters often fall into two categories: the spectacle of the transsexual transition, or the magical sex swap for quick plot fuel and humor. But these tropes often ring hollow to those who have experienced first hand what it means to change their body, and the tropes rarely do more than reify existing gender stereotypes. The panel will discuss which stories get it right, which stories get it wrong, and the hows and how nots of presenting trans* characters in literature.
Towards an Intersectional Fat Acceptance
Let's discuss the realities of creating spaces that amplify a variety of fat voices - without rehashing the culturally standard (and oppressive) pro-diet narrative. This panel is meant to discuss practical strategies for building an intersectional movement rather than debating the importance thereof - because fat acceptance will be intersectional or it will be bullsh*t.
When bodies and jobs are the same: The meta
Storytelling is very important to a social change movement, and we also need time to discuss the wider social pressures and expectations. Often, we feel that the choices we make about our bodies are individual, but it's almost impossible to separate the subject from the context. How our looks and physical abilities affect what we can make money at is one aspect of this issue. This panel is a place to discuss the ways that living in the kyriarchy affect the choices we can make and why we choose what we choose. The decision to try to pass is qualitatively different from the choice to not try to pass.
Microbes
Microbes play crucial ecological roles. Many are directly or indirectly required for human health. They form a large part of the earth's total biomass. They can perform some amazing metabolic tricks, yet all too often science fiction has ignored microbes, or focused on their role as human pathogens. But not this panel! We have plentiful fare for discussion: microbial ecology,biofilms and microbial mats, microbiomes, microbial genomics, microbial diversity, antibiotic resistance, horizontal gene transfer, microbial evolution, microbial exobiology and the role of microbes in human health.
Aging While Female
Age discrimination is usually not listed among the issues of oppression and/or identity politics. But older people, especially women, are seldom portrayed in SF/F; when they are, they are usually supporting characters, or villains. What are some positive images of older women in SF/F, and how can we encourage better images of the older woman?
Contemporary Fantasy and Science Fiction from the Muslim World
A lot has happened since "A Thousand and One Nights". Come and hear panelists discuss contemporary fantasy and science fiction from the Muslim world! We'll talk about works by Muslim authors from different countries, both those available in English and those still awaiting translation. We welcome audience participation, so come with questions; we'll bring our reading experience and boundless enthusiasm. A dystopian Cairo, a water planet and a magic library await you!
Discworld and Gender Issues
In 39 books to date, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series does a lot of good things with gender themes and some less than good things. Let's talk about the wide range of female characters in Discworld, their different kinds of agency, the number of stories that center on female relationships, and the problematic of strains of gender essentialism and heteronormativity, especially in Discworld's non-human species.
Gay and Lesbian Characters in Anime & Manga
Is the Boys Love genre an appropriation of gay male sexuality, or an expression of female sexuality? Are there realistic series about gay men outside of BL that were written by/for men? What about realistic lesbian characters? Let's talk about the representation of LGB characters in anime & manga--what we've seen, and what we'd like to see.
Is the World Still Worth Saving?
Jo Walton claims that "save the world" stopped being the primary focus of fantasy with the publication of Robin Hobb's _Assassin's Apprentice_ in 1995. However, that ignores works such as _Thieves' World_, _God Stalk_, _Another Fine Myth_, and _War for the Oaks_ -- and that's just the 1980s. Where does "save the world" fit into the whole fantasy genre? http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/12/not-saving-the-world-how-does-that-even-work
LBGTQ Paranormals
Beyond the sparkly vampires and the teen love triangles and the women in leather pants with heavy weaponry lurk queer werewolves, bi vampires, lesbian witches and gay demons looking to share their stories. LGBTQ Paranormals have been coming into their own for the last few years; let's talk about what's out there and where we see the subgenre going. It's time to read the stories that insist that Dumbledore gets a boyfriend.
Realistic And Unrealistic Sex In Fiction
What makes sex in fiction realistic or head-twistingly not? Do we want realistic sex? Is fanfic better at it?
Representations of Disability in Anime & Manga
Let's talk about how people with disabilities are portrayed. Are disabilities more prevalent in the characters who struggle in shounen action series than in the shoujo series that focus on everyday life? Who are some of your favorite characters with disabilities, and do you like how they're portrayed? What could be done better?
The Women of Once Upon a Time
Queens, evil and otherwise, princesses, warriors, lovers, mothers. This panel will discuss the many female characters in television's "Once Upon a Time".
Trans People in Anime & Manga
Let's talk about how trans people are represented in anime and manga. Suggested series: F. Compo, Hourou Musuko
Vid Party Discussion
We will discuss some of the vids shown at the vid party, and fan vids in general.
Why is pleasure so problematic?
Panels on 'our guilty reading pleasures' seem to be recurrent phenomena, but why are pleasures guilty? What is the shame associated with enjoyment? Is it the pleasures that we feel guilt about, or the feeling of pleasure? What is wrong with pleasure? Why are we made to feel guilty about it? Let's explore this.
The Influence of Octavia Butler: A case of “Strange Matings”
Octavia Butler’s publisher Dan Simon said, “Does it ever seem to you that there are people among us who hold up the sky and make the rivers flow.… Octavia comes to my mind as first among that group of people.” One of the few African-Americans writing sf, she was a true sf pioneer who took on the issues of gender and race and encouraged others to join her. Her work affected the worlds of feminist sf, African American sf, academic feminism, as well as many writers in all the above fields. This spring, Aqueduct Press will publish Strange Matings, an anthology on Butler edited by former WisCon GOH Nisi Shawl and long-time WisCon presenter Rebecca Holden. We propose to use our experience working on this anthology as a jumping off point for a discussion on Butler's far-ranging influence.
Panelists: Nisi Shawl, Rebecca Holden, Timmi Duchamp, Nnedi Okorafor, Kate Schaefer, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Candra Gill
Fannish Spaces
From the perception that people of color aren’t SF fans because of a perceived lack of con attendance to rants against "fake geek girls," there’s an awful lot of gatekeeping in many fannish/geek spaces that are considered white and/or male. When people who aren’t "expected" to be in those spaces move into them, they’re often met with hostility, suspicion, and listserv rants. Ways of being fans outside of marked fan spaces are often overlooked or ignored. There are often discussions about how to be more inclusive, but maybe it’s also time to talk about the ways people are geeky or fans in spaces outside of a definitions of fandom that feel increasingly narrow.
Geek Self-Loathing: Pros, Prose & Hierarchy
How often have you heard someone introduce themself as a writer, but with nothing published yet, or nothing published recently? Or as 'just' a social worker, game designer or mother? Why does a bibliography so often seem to be a necessity to be on a panel, and why do our fannish résumés seem to focus so often on what we've published? How does the Geek Social Hierarchy play out in the Wiscon community? How many of us tacitly believe in a hierarchy where professional prose writers are at the top, and what should we do about this?
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Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 11:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 11:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 11:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 11:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 11:13 pm (UTC)I think there's more there compared to when I first started going in 2006, but the progress, it has been slow...
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Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2013 11:46 pm (UTC)The Cultural Appropriation From Outside The West one is interesting and I'd be keen on hearing your thoughts on it! Was also v. tempted by the romance panels but I haven't read that much romance so feel underqualified.
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 12:09 am (UTC)Now I am all unsure about the cultural appropriation panel! I reread the description and am not quite sure what it is actually about.
And I egg you on re: romance panels ;). Especially since Perilous Life does things with a lot of the tropes.
LBGTQ Paranormals
Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 12:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 12:54 am (UTC)Thanks for pulling all these out! I find the whole list overwhelming, and I've even been watching them come in through my email the past few months.
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 02:16 am (UTC)This is exciting, though!
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 02:39 am (UTC)(We'd also love feedback about this years panels- email the offending panel names to program37 at wiscon info, and I'll take a look.)
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 11:31 am (UTC)Not to keep you in suspense, though, what happens is if you click on the Feminism track, these are the first three panels you see:
2nd wave feminism - a dialog between participants and the younger generation
At WisCon 36 younger women asked specifically for a discussion which focused on communication between their generation and former generations. Veterans of 2nd wave feminism talk about the historical context of that wave of feminism in relation to the Civil Rights, Free Speech, Black Power, Anti-Vietnam War and Gay Liberation movements.
Right, interesting, they mean the American historical context obviously (Civil Rights must mean the mid-20th century movement; Black Power, also an American movement; Anti-Vietnam War has very little to do with Vietnam). Next panel --
Aaron Swartz: Internet Activism and Alienation
Many people are still grieving the death of Aaron Swartz. There's a conversation to be had about how the tech community eats its own and then blames outside forces. About the lack of support structures for young technical feminist men because there aren't many old technical feminist men. About the simplification of complex lives of activism into meme-level sound bites that conveniently absolve the Internet of being a terrible place. About how impossible activism feels at times, especially to the young 'uns of the first Internet generation.
Death of American dude, that was sad. I assume they're talking about the American tech community, since they're leading off with the people who knew Aaron Swartz and are grieving him.
Beyond Women in Combat
In January, the U.S. took steps to open combat positions to military women, making a reality of something that has been a panel topic at WisCon and other science fiction conventions for many years. Rather than go back to the old question of whether women are qualified for such service -- earlier WisCon panels have discussed that issue thoroughly and determined that they are -- let's talk about what this means both for our society and our military. Will allowing women in combat lead to a determination that women, like men, have a duty to serve their country? Does this decision take down one of the last serious barriers to full equality between men and women? Will it have any impact on the sexual harassment and assault problems in the military? How can SF add to the discussion?
"Let's talk about what this means both for our society and our military" -- well, it'll probably mean very little for my society and my country's military.
I was going to conclude by saying that this is all fine and these are topics that need to be talked about, and I do still think so, but now I've gone over them I guess I am a bit cross. I only got to less culturally-specific panels when I got to the Cs (there's another before the Caregivers panel that is about traditional folk ballads, which seem to be all European). I can see how it makes sense to namecheck the sources of the idea for the panel and to provide common ground for the panelists to discuss, and given that the vast majority of panelists are likely to be Americans it also makes sense for that common ground and for the examples given to be American. Perhaps it's just unfortunate that the first three or four in the list should have been so specifically framed -- but specificity is probably helpful for panelists.
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 01:04 pm (UTC)How does centralized planning divide our cities along lines of race and class? Subsidized housing, elevated freeways, new condos, zoning regulations: who decides where these are placed, and for what purposes?
When I read the above, "Tyrion Lannister" was not the first name that came to mind! Robert Moses was. I would - have -- attended real-world lectures about this real-world history, so to see the exact same intro sentences attached to fantasy-world settings is pretty funny. I'll probably try to attend that one.
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 02:42 pm (UTC)Words to look for: "We," "Everyone," "Our," etc. - Who is actually meant when these words are used? The answer is usually "a Western audience" or "people who live in the US."
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 05:23 pm (UTC)"The Xenogenesis Panel" was one of my suggestions! But if I end up on it, I really need to re-read, since the last time was over a decade ago. I don't think I even re-read for the Butler GoH panel at Readercon - I ended up being the person who focused on some of her other work instead.
I still need to pull my choices together - I did the checking things off, but have not figured out how to put it into a suitable form for a blog post.
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Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 05:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Feb. 23rd, 2013 05:32 pm (UTC)Re: LBGTQ Paranormals
Mon, Feb. 25th, 2013 05:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Mon, Feb. 25th, 2013 06:23 pm (UTC)Also, I hope the system works okay for you? I don't know how time consuming and bothersome it is...
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Mon, Feb. 25th, 2013 06:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Mon, Feb. 25th, 2013 06:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Mon, Feb. 25th, 2013 06:33 pm (UTC)Maybe next year I will get my act together enough to suggest more book/series specific panels... I remember the Ooku one from 2011 (?) was really fun.
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Mon, Feb. 25th, 2013 06:35 pm (UTC)Also not sure what my bandwidth is like next year (aka I am a horrible flake), but will try to take a look at stuff if pinged!
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Tue, Feb. 26th, 2013 03:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Tue, Feb. 26th, 2013 06:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Wed, Feb. 27th, 2013 11:10 am (UTC)Maybe this is what whoever wrote the description actually meant, but, in contrast to other examples like the seinen moe series some female fans enjoy, etc., the bronies are more a case of an unexpected collateral audience assuming a disproportionately prominent role in the fandom. According to "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" creator Lauren Faust, the target audience for the current version of MLP was specifically intended to be a) little girls, and b) adults and other older people of all genders who would hopefully enjoy watching it with them.
Without the serendipitous critical mass of more dudebro-type bronies (some of whom can be quite fratboyish), there would probably be a lot fewer MLP events and conventions, etc. Unfortunately, the fact that teenage and adult males are sufficiently obsessed with a show inspired by little girls' toys to engage in all this MLP-related fan activity tends to make newspaper write-ups of the conventions in question sound as if the show's audience is largely comprised of the kind of guys who in Japan would probably be fixating on moe underage girl anime characters. This impression is not exactly undercut by the number of brony-authored fanfics whose main concern seems to be fixing up the tomboyish winged pony Rainbow Dash with a "suitable" male love interest.
The main inspiration for artistically dubious fanservice-type developments in the series to date appears to be sponsor/MLP toy manufacturer Hasbro, which allegedly insisted on what struck many viewers as a premature plot development in the recent third-season finale in order to generate demand for new toy versions of the unicorn Twilight Sparkle (who when last seen had unexpectedly also acquired wings). So far, the most notable attempt to cater specifically to bronies/adults active in MLP:FiM fandom seems to have been the writers' giving a goofy-looking fan-favorite background character whom fans had christened Derpy Hooves a speaking role in one episode. However, when the show's use of the crosseyed character's fan-generated name resulted in protests objecting that "derp" was a slur on the developmentally disabled, her name was quickly changed in reruns and iTunes versions of the episode, and she's gone back to making "seen but not heard" visual cameos ever since. So in terms of factors unrelated to the intended target audience muddying the waters from a feminist point of view, the whole "it's not meant for you" aspect tends to arise more in certain areas of the organized fandom than in the source text itself, with crassly commercial plot- and character-altering considerations arguably being more directly disruptive of the actual show.
Marfisa from Livejournal
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Wed, Feb. 27th, 2013 07:17 pm (UTC)