September Risa News
In which I talk about conferences and stories, and share a photo of Sammi.
Hello hi heeeeyyy…
I hope Equinox Eve is treating you well! Where we are, the weather is lovely and lush but still not fall-ish enough to open all the windows. I’m hoping that will change soon, but in the meantime I'm enjoying some of the reblooming around our neighborhood.
It's been Quite A Month, though not as bad as June was. We’re all chugging through it, and I have hopes that next month will be a little better. Once I’m a bit past things and can see them clearly, I’ll update on my blog.
Writing News
I keep chugging along, over here! I haven’t been writing as much as I want to, but I haven’t stopped, either. Considering how my life upheavals have historically affected my writing, I have to admit I made progress. Trying to give myself some grace definitely helps.
I’m also sending this out two days early because I’ll be attending the creative conference Flights of Foundry next weekend! It’s an amazing virtual-only conference, focusing on newer writers and artists, and is fully FREE to attend with registration. (They do ask for donations.) It also has events for every time zone - while there are breaks, it doesn’t stop at like 10 pm on some random American time. It’s continual. It’s such a great con, run by great people.
You can view the program here but it’s a bit busy, so I’ve summed up my schedule in the graphic above.
On September 27th at 4 pm EDT I’ll be a panelist on Disability Representation in SFFH panel. On September 28th at 3 pm EDT I’ll be in discussion with some amazing authors on the New but not THAT New panel. On September 28th at 8 pm EDT I’ll be in discussion with a wide group of folks about Non-Human Perspectives, and on the 29th at 12 pm EDT I will be - EEE so excited - the moderator for the Quiet Spec Fic panel.
I’ll also be at World Fantasy in Niagara Falls for a chunk of one day in mid-October. Several folks will be there who I want to meet in person, like Dawn Bonanno and Amanda Helms. However, WFC’s lack of a COVID masking policy means it’ll be a short day, as I can only mask continually for so long. It also means a number of talented vulnerable folks (like John Wiswell) aren’t able to attend, so I’m not recommending it. However, if you’ve already registered and are going to be there despite the non-policy, let me know! I’d love to say hi.
Other Writing Stuffins
I have a tough time reading with an open mind these days; my emotional tank is pretty low. But I really adored a few things I've read over the past month:
Marissa Lingen's "The Wrong Time Travel Story" in Uncanny Magazine is a terrific, sweet flash story about stymied expectations which takes a surprising turn. CN for religion.
Koji A. Dae’s “And Someone Has to Do It” in Apex Magazine is fierce and unyielding in its critique of emotional labor. It’s incredibly rough to read, but also satisfying somehow. CW for sexism, pregnancy, body horror.
Emma Johnson-Rivard’s “Eyeteeth” in Strange Horizons is deep and powerful, and I found myself repeatedly thinking about how the protagonist changes. Lots of CWs on the website.
And?
Ah yes, it is that time. Have an iPhone cutout of a puppy.
With love and weirdness,
~Risa