| Post-convention rambling |
[Jul. 1st, 2009|08:23 pm] |
The sudden weather change over the weekend made my sinuses quite angry with me, so I've just gotten around to thinking back on the con. My stream-of-anxiety chronological take is at my livejournal. It is long, it isn't proofread, and there might be a cranky part in there too. I had a good time overall, of course. Extra bonus points for being a con experience that uses a major city proper.
I remember that at the feedback session the issue of continuing discussions was raised. I think there is some fruitful territory remaining from "Recognizing Privilege in Theism and Atheism" that the event proper either did not get to, or did not get deep enough into. Continuing engagement strikes me as worthy. Have folks considered how to do that?
Observing that TG's prior electronic discussion mode has always proceeded from posts to this community, would it be acceptable to post a single discussion thread for engagement in the topic area of that panel in the community, and from there thread into particular sub-issues as top-level comments? I don't want to accidentally misuse it, or step on the toes of a different continuing conversation mechanism if something is in the works... |
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| think galacticon con report |
[Jun. 30th, 2009|03:19 pm] |
i'm going to try to write a con report that can be cross-posted and such, so we'll see how that goes. i'm doing this without my program so we're going to be relying on my memory--good luck with that.
the con began friday evening. i am at the height of my busy season, so there was no "leaving work early" possibilities--i did make it out of work a little after five, though. there was much calling back and forth with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) kalmn who was driving in from MN with matt (WINOLJ). i beat her to the con site, which was roosevelt university, paid a small fortune to park my car at taste of chicago rates, managed to find ian, who was helping to set up, helped and kibitzed (more of the latter than the former but i did help ian get the stuff for his bazaar table out of my car), and generally hung out until we were able to meet up with kalmn and matt for dinner.
we had an eh dinner, but fine company, at the artist's restaurant, which we chose for location, but we were late enough that we missed opening ceremonies. however, the con was running a bit late so we did make it to eleanor arnason's reading, which i truly enjoyed. then i'm not sure what ian did but i succumbed to the lure of the crafts table, and sat around and made snowflakes and taught people how to make mobiles. people i recall being at the crafts table (and i know that i'm going to forget people or not know their LJ names, so i beg forgiveness in advance) were chr0me_kitten, bibliofile, sasha_feather, annaoj, heathergalaxy, jesse_the_k, and izzybelbooks. that was a lot of fun (and i kept the mobile i didn't give away and my rose snowflake that made a great mask and they are going to be used to decorate my office, for those who are wondering). we got my car out of hock and proceeded home.
next morning we were up early and on public transportation. we missed about the first half hour of the panel we were headed toward, which was Recognizing Privilege in Theism and Atheism, but we caught the rest of it--i thought it was a respectful and lively discussion -- i wish i had caught the beginning because the bits that i heard really didn't actually deal with privilege, per se. (people who are not used to my con reports--i don't usually have good recaps on what was said because i mostly don't take notes--there's a cause and effect here.)
then i was off to the Cultural Appropriation panel. i will just say right now that there were a bunch of panels that had overlapping panelists and that i will have conflated them since i don't have my program. if i recall correctly, this panel wound up being more about identifying cultural appropriation than about writing without tripping over it. (okay, i just went to check and there's no con reports in the think_galacticon community yet so i can't look at anyone else's notes either, but i remain open to correction by anyone else who was there.) i would say that there was a high level of discussion at all of these panels--people spoke passionately about their own experiences and asked respectful questions.
anyway, then it was time for lunch. i found cassielsander, komainu and aizuchi and we got some food from the consuite and found a table with a view of lake michigan and taste of chicago and gave each other earworms for an hour or so. a note about the consuite--the food there was mostly fresh, predominantly vegan food all weekend--i think from donations and cooking by heathergalaxy--a fantastic effort, though i think the small size of the con is part of what makes it possible.
then i headed to Imagining the Future of Food which was ian's first panel. this panel moved back and forth between food as an issue on our planet and how sf deals with food issues--i think that someone was trying to compile a list of books that had interesting takes on food, but i could just be imagining that. i don't think it would have wound up with many entries, because i think that actual issues on our planet wound up as a focus--there was mention of a few documentaries that deal with food, and a couple of non-sf books that discuss the issues. one might think that taking notes would have given me the ability to illuminate that last sentence with examples.
then i headed to Fighting For Recognition In the SF Community. i do recall that this was the panel of this sort that had eleanor arnason on it because she talked a little about earlier fights for recognition by women and glbt fans/writers, but a lot of the focus was on the aftermath of racefail '09 and the failure of the sf community at large to realize that there are fans of color and have been fans of color for a hell of a long time. there was discussion of people's experiences at wiscon, other cons, why fans of color don't necessarily go to cons. one thing being done to counteract the lack of recognition is the creation of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) verb_noire and the two founders of verb_noire were on the panel (karnythia and thewayoftheid) to talk about their adventures so far. (i haven't been saying who was on which panel because it isn't listed on the website that i'm getting panel titles from and i don't have my program, where it is listed, with me.)
next i went to ian's second panel The Abuse and Exploitation of Children in SF/F. i was a little worried at the beginning of this one because one of the other panelists was someone who had prepared a lengthy presentation about her take on the topic. this led to her talking for about half an hour. however, after that everyone else did get to talk--she wasn't someone with an axe to grind or a book to sell, just someone who was passionate about the topic. of all the panels over the weekend, this is the one that i sort of wished that i had participated in some sort of follow-up spontaneous programming discussion--it seemed like the conversation was just getting started when the panel was over. there might be a book list that emerged from this panel, too--i'm not sure.
then it was time for a dinner break and a large group of us went to corner bakery--i won't even try to list everyone who went because i'll forget someone and make them sad.
we made it back for the evening panel which was Why Are These Brown People Harshing My Squee? there was a lot said at this panel about the emotional cost of being a fan of color, in addition to in person risks that are taken.
i think there was supposed to be a dance at this point but i never made it into that room. there were board games in the con suite -- i talked to people, mainly cassielsander, komainu and aizuchi, and kibitzed during a big boggle game that i will forever remember as the one where ian scored 81 points in one round. also i will remember watching the game of cranium from across the room but will not embarrass anyone by saying why that was memorable.
home via public transportation and back again the next morning. we got there an hour early much to the dismay of the one of us who was not on a panel, to have a chance to discuss with the other panelists what we would talk about on the panel. this was necessary because the one of us who was on the panel, which you will have gathered was me, had removed herself from the panel when her work schedule overwhelmed her. however, the panel had lost another panelist and was down to two, and i was there and hadn't missed any actual discussions, so what the hell. the other two panelists were thewayoftheid and popelizbet.
the panel was Racefail ‘09. i think that the consensus was that the panel went well, but should have been flip-flopped with an earlier panel so that more people would have gone into some of the related panels with more background. we branched out, of course, into mammothfail and earlier go-rounds and much outrage was expressed and many jaws were dropped.
then it was lunchtime and another group that was too large to try to name everyone went to chutney joe's and had indian food. which was tasty, but my lunch felt a little unsettled for the rest of the afternoon--i'm not sure i would go there again in a hurry.
back to the con and i skipped ian's third panel to go to Race & Ethnicity in YA--i *know* that a book list is being planned of the books that were discussed at this panel. there was an interesting side discussion about whether certain communities are better represented in YA fiction than others--for example, the panel and attendees were able to come up with more examples of fiction with chinese protagonists than most other communities. (does that mean that there are more or just that the people in that room could think of more?)
and then the con was over and there were closing ceremonies and a debriefing session of what went well and what could have gone better.
mad props to the concom for a wonderful con! |
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| Location confusion |
[Jun. 27th, 2009|04:37 pm] |
Important clarification: No part of Think Galacticon is being held at the Congress Hotel.
Think Galacticon is being held at Roosevelt University's Auditorium Building (across the street from the Congress) at 430 S. Michigan Avenue. The confusion seems to stem from the name of one of the rooms at the Auditorium Building, namely the Congress Lounge. We apologize for the confusion. Please note that we're well aware of the picket at the Congress and would not hold an event at a venue that was being picketed. |
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| Think Galacticon! This weekend! |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|01:18 pm] |
Some final reminders and information:
- Look at http://www.thinkgalactic.org/convention.htm for directions, schedules, policies, and other such useful information. Schedules will also be in your program books at the con, and you'll be able to pick up area dining guides and other local information.
-Consuite: Trying to save money? Having too much fun to leave the con? Your membership includes food in the consuite! We will have:
Coffee, tea, juice, water, some soy and dairy milk, etc.
Breakfast type items: bagels, bagel toppings, vegan and dairy yogurt, oatmeal
Lunch type items: vegan chili with Upton Natural's sausage, green salad, Vegetable pasta salad, vegetable bean salad, quesadilla or grilled "cheese" made with Teese from Chicago Soydairy, assorted breads.
Snacky items: crackers, cheese, other miscellaneous munchies (childcare will have some kid-friendly snacks; please bring your own and let the childcare workers know if your child has special dietary needs)
-Please bring your reusable water bottles! In order to help reduce our carbon footprint, we will not be supplying bottled water.
- Think Galacticon will be supplying juice and other non-alcoholic beverages at parties, along with various foods. If you'd like to have alcoholic beverages at the evening parties, you are welcome to bring some (we do ask that everyone drink responsibly and that all drinkers be of legal age), and our area resources list includes locations of nearby stores that sell such beverages.
- In other party news, we'd like to encourage you to bring 20-30 minute iPod playlists for the dance party! Share your favorite dancing music with everyone! No iPod? We should be able to take a mix CD. |
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| Stenciling/Block Printing workshop details |
[Jun. 20th, 2009|10:40 pm] |
Hi. I'm chr0me_kitten, and I'll be facilitating the Saturday workshop. Here's the description from the program book:
STENCILING/BLOCK PRINTING/BOOK WORKSHOP
with notable guest Josh MacPhee. Learn the basics of stenciling using recycled materials and how to carve soft media such as erasers for simple block prints. Also learn variations of the pamphlet stitch, an easy binding great for zines, chapbooks, and journals. No experience necessary, and materials will be provided (though anyone who can bring an x-acto knife, scissors, and/or cutting mat should do so). If you already know how to do this stuff, drop by to help teach others. Josh will also show samples of his stencil work at the workshop. Saturday, 10:30am-12:30pm, Room 232
And here's some more information:
( more about the workshop )
You don't have to pre-register for the workshop, but if you plan to come, please leave a comment. I'm trying to get an idea of how much to bring. Tools will be limited, but all that means is that we'll have to share :-) Questions? Leave a comment to this post or email chr0me_kitten [at] yahoo.com
Josh MacPhee is the author of Stencil Pirates: A Global Study of the Street Stencil. You can see some of Josh's work at Justseeds.org.
I make books & do other paper arts stuff. Some photos of some of my stamps and stencils are under the cut: ( photos ) |
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| Who wants to talk about Star Trek? |
[Jun. 19th, 2009|08:20 pm] |
Hello, all, it is almost time for Think Galacticon!
Now, due to circumstances beyond the control of anyone involved, we have openings on a panel, namely the Star Trek panel. That is:
Saturday, 1:30-2:45pm
"INFINITE DIVERSITY IN INFINITE COMBINATIONS... OR NOT? Particularly in light of the "reboot" of the Star Trek universe, let's take some time to talk about what the series has done with issues of race, gender, sexuality, disability, class, and so forth. And let's talk about what we'd like to see next!"
Got opinions on these topics and Star Trek? Consider signing up! We could use between one and three additional people on this panel. Comment here to sign up, or e-mail programming@thinkgalactic.org . |
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| Exciting pre-con update! |
[Jun. 15th, 2009|09:21 pm] |
Hey folks, it is almost time for Think Galacticon! Some updates for you:
Important Information:
The complete panel and events schedule. Includes panel descriptions and a description of the LARP (role-playing game-- friendly to beginners and experienced players!) and other special events.
Think Galacticon's statement on race, privilege, and convention expectations, along with some readings we suggest taking a look at before the convention.
Directions and Parking information (includes public transit info!)
How we and you can work to make Think Galacticon a greener con
Want to help out at the convention? Comment here or email volunteers@thinkgalactic.org . Volunteer for 4+ hours and you can request a partial refund of your membership!
Services available throughout the convention. Includes:
-Childcare-- childcare is free with your membership, but please e-mail us or let us know at registration who needs childcare and for how long. Hours are listed in the above services link.
-The consuite-- free vegan-friendly food and drinks included with your membership, donated by area businesses.
-The bazaar-- a space where members can promote their ideas and creations directly to you! Come and engage with and support your fellow attendees. In addition, leave or take items from the free table, buy some delicious vegan treats to support Think Galacticon (and your belly), and make something at our craft table! Awesome organizations signed up for bazaar tables include Broad Universe, Chicago in 2012, PM Press, and Third Coast Comics.
Exciting Event Updates:
OPENING CEREMONIES
Friday, 7:00pm, Congress Lounge
Come meet our Notable Guests, concom members, and other convention members, and enjoy hors d'oeuvres from The Balanced Kitchen Green Event Catering .
Yummy Dessert Break! Come join us at 9pm on Saturday (during the Boogie and Boggle dance party and board games event) for a dessert break with nummy cupcakes from Delicious Cafe and tasty vegan ice cream from Chicago Soydairy.
Author readings update: In addition to a reading by our featured guest, Eleanor Arnason, we are pleased to announce that Larissa Niec and Moondancer Drake will be reading from their work on Friday evening. We're also holding an open mic for others to share their work-- see the schedule for details, and comment here or e-mail programming@thinkgalactic.org with questions.
Looking for something to do before or after the convention? The exhibit curator, a friend of Think Galacticon, invites you to see The Artist's Telescope: Science Fiction and Illustration at the Charles Deering Library at Northwestern University. Illustrators featured include Richard Powers, Kelly Freas, and Ed Emshwiller. Exhibit preview. Directions to Northwestern's Evanston campus from Chicago via public transit |
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| Want Rider with Car |
[Jun. 13th, 2009|07:18 pm] |
Yes, that subject line is confusing. But then, so is the deal
bibliofile is driving from Madison to Chicago in my household van (it carries the wheelchair & me). We have room for two more riders. MyGuy wants a car for the weekend. bibliofile doesn't have a car.
So we want to give a ride to Chicago to someone who will leave their car in the (very steady, never even a parking ticket) hands of MyGuy.
answer here or my user name at the gmail emporium
Thanks! |
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| Brief policy update |
[Jun. 12th, 2009|12:08 pm] |
Hey folks, we interrupt the usual content to bring you a brief update on this community's policies. From now on, we are asking that posts not directly related to the reading group (this would include anything about books we are reading or have read) or convention be written up as links with some context rather than as longer posts. So while we can take it as a given that most of us might be interested in, say, an interview with Ursula K. Le Guin, there are other topics that are a bit more ambiguous. For example, if you were sharing a Chicago event such as a political event, you'd include a link to a page about the event and then write a little bit about why you thought think_galactic in particular would be interested. We hope this will help keep things on topic and avoid confusion about why content is being posted to this community. The moderators (heathergalaxy, myself, and grrremlinski) may ask you to modify posts that don't follow these guidelines.
For the rest of our guidelines, please see the community profile.
Thanks, and we now return you to your regularly scheduled geekery. |
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| Chicago Riot Cops Reunion |
[Jun. 11th, 2009|09:29 am] |
"The time has come that the Chicago Police be honored and recognized for their contributions to maintaining law and order - and for taking a stand against Anarchy."
"The time was the hot summer month of August '68. The Democratic National Convention was about to start and the only thing that stood between Marxist street thugs and public order was a thin blue line of dedicated, tough Chicago police officers."
"For decades the collective Left has white-washed what really happened during the riots of 1968 and 1969. Chicago Police officers who participated in the riots continue to endure unending criticism - all of which is unwarranted, inaccurate and wrong."
"If you were a Chicago cop who was in the Chicago riots - we want you!"http://www.chicagoriotcops.com/
"Chicago Riot Cops Reunion"
"DATE: Friday, June 26th, 2009"
"LOCATION: Chicago FOP Lodge"
"TIME: 7:00 pm."
"KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Superintendent Phil Cline, others TBA"
http://www.chicagoriotcops.com/3.html
Fraternal Order of Police
Chicago Lodge 7
1412 W. Washington Blvd. |
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| June's Book: The Iron Dragon's Daughter |
[Jun. 9th, 2009|08:56 pm] |
It may not seem like it, but we still hold our monthly book group this Thursday. Don't let all the convention postings fool you, we still find time to read books.
This month it is The Iron Dragon's Daughter, by Michael Swanwick.
See you there... |
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| Looking for a roomie |
[Jun. 9th, 2009|07:35 am] |
I’m hoping to come down on Friday if I can find someone to share a room with for Friday and Saturday night. I’m pretty quiet, even when get up early. I also do not smoke or use perfumes so good if you are scent sensitive. Anyone have room for me in the hotel?
Also anyone know how far from the Blackstone the greyhound station is? I’d like to take the bus if I can. |
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| Night Shade sale |
[Jun. 5th, 2009|06:24 pm] |
from jlassen:
Night Shade Books is having a 50% off sale on all current & forthcoming books (4 book min) thru June 17. Coupon code 50NSB2009.
Night Shade Books
If you enjoyed the stories from Paolo Baciagalupi's Pump Six we discussed [that NS graciously put together as a sampler for us to use], here's a chance to pick pick it up at a nice discount, straight from the publisher.
TG previous selection Maul, by Tricia Sullivan, is also a Night Shade Book. They have much of great quality, including others I probably will recommend [Baciagalupi has a novel coming from them...].
Go forth and support indie preses! |
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| Double vs. King hotel rooms |
[Jun. 3rd, 2009|03:44 pm] |
If you wanted a double double hotel room (two queen beds) at the Blackstone, as opposed to a room with one King-sized bed and were told they were out of those, please e-mail your confirmation number from the hotel to lodging@thinkgalactic.org and we'll get it switched for you. Please also direct any other questions/issues about the hotel to that address (or feel free to comment here).
Remember, details about lodging options in the area at the Blackstone or elsewhere are here:
http://www.thinkgalactic.org/registration.htm
ETA: For some reason, messages to lodging@thinkgalactic.org may be bouncing (although most are still being forwarded to our hotel coordinator). We have a support request in to our host about this. In the meantime, please send questions instead to info@thinkgalactic.org . Sorry about this!
ETA2: E-mail is fixed now! Let's hear it for Dreamhost support. |
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| Panel additions and panelist questions! |
[May. 31st, 2009|11:14 am] |
Hey folks, we've added a few new panels now that we're finalizing our list of programming! If you haven't looked since our initial posting, check out the new ones listed at the bottom of http://www.thinkgalactic.org/programming.htm . Or
( read about them here )
Also,
If you would like to participate in programming please help us by answering the following questions by 6/5. Send e-mail to programming@thinkgalactic.org
1. What panels are you interested in being a panelist on?
2. Are you free to do panels both Saturday and Sunday?
3. Do you have any other time constraints on panels (like you're meeting someone for dinner Saturday night and don't want any late afternoon panels? or you can't get up in the morning so PLEASE don't schedule me for a 9 a.m. panel)?
4. Are there any other programming items you would be interested in attending but not be a panelist on? (This way we will try our hardest not to schedule you against them. It would help if you can put them in order from most interested to least)
5. Do you have a maximum number of panels you want to do per day/during the weekend? What panels are your "MUST BE ON" vs. your "that would be nice"?
6. Are you interested in moderating any of these panels? If so, which ones?
7. Is there anyone that you do or don't want to be on a panel with? (This information will be strictly confidential between the programming coordinators, and could even include us)
8. Is there anything else that we have not asked that will help us in scheduling our panels and panelists?
Thank you so much for your interest! We will try our very best to accommodate your needs in terms of panels.
See you all at Think Galacticon 2009! |
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| Hotel Roommate Post and Reservation Reminder! |
[May. 26th, 2009|08:11 pm] |
Hey folks, this is a reminder that you should make hotel reservations at the Blackstone by June 12 to get our group rate. Rate details and hotel contact information may be found at the bottom of our registration page: http://www.thinkgalactic.org/registration.htm
Also, this post is where you should comment if you are in search of roommates! Please also feel free to make a new post to the community later on for this purpose (you can use the "roommate" tag to help fellow congoers find such posts). |
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| Programming update and Registration reminder! |
[May. 26th, 2009|07:43 pm] |
The Think Galacticon concom is back from Wiscon, where we registered some new convention members, and generated much excitement! We also premiered our initial list of panels and events, which is now available online:
http://www.thinkgalactic.org/programming.htm
Have another panel idea? We are still taking suggestions! Want to sign up for a panel? E-mail programming@thinkgalactic.org or comment here.
Also, register NOW! to get $5 off the at the door admissions rate. Advance registrations help us get panelists and otherwise stay more organized!
Get your friends and SF geek and/or activist acquaintances to register! This
a) gets you pals to hang out with (in addition to all the awesome people you will meet there)
b) saves you an additional $5 with our fantastic Bring a Friend discount! (remember, you get a discount even if you register alone if you have never been to Think Galacticon before!)
c) gets all of us more nifty people to talk SF with.
Register online (or download our mailable form) at
http://www.thinkgalactic.org/registration.htm
Want to help with publicity by e-mailing out our press release or putting up a flyer at your local comic/gaming store, library, or other suitable location? Please comment here or e-mail publicity@thinkgalactic.org |
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