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The Readercon response has continued to build, which is gratifying and speaks, I hope, to a general shift in con culture, but that’s a post for later. In the meantime, there are some more links happening that I want to address, and a couple of brief updates. Firstly, the inimitable BC Holmes has been keeping track of an impressive collection of relevant links and screencaps. Jim Hines has a post on reporting harassment in SF/F., if you choose to do so. Please know that if you have been harassed, your first priority is to secure your own physical safety and peace of mind; there are many reasons why women don’t report harassment, and all of them are legitimate. The formal Petition to the Board is here, though it’s been maxed out (over 300 signatures on Day One). If you wish to sign, you can do so on this follow-up post. Signatures are open until 6pm Eastern time (USA) today, at which point she’ll send the petition to the Board. She’ll also keep the petition open… Read more »

[This is an update to the events of this post.] Harassment Readercon has always had a zero-tolerance harassment policy. Harassment of any kind – including physical assault, battery, deliberate intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome physical attentions – will not be tolerated at Readercon and will result in permanent suspension of membership. As always, Readercon reserves the right to strip membership at its discretion. In 2008, a friend of mine was harassed at Readercon by a man who stared at her fixedly, repeatedly, crowded her in narrow hallways, and followed her throughout the con space. I made a formal complaint to the con committee. An hour later, he was ejected from the con and banned for life. This year, I was harassed repeatedly by a man. Despite several unmistakable shutdowns that I thought each time had ended the problem, the harassment continued through Sunday, at which point I wrote up a report and sent it to the convention as a formal complaint. Earlier today I was contacted by a Readercon representative, who let me know that by… Read more »

[A more fun roundup of things is here.] So, a couple of pretty frustrating things happened this year at Readercon. Programming guidelines decreed I had to be on a panel in order to do a reading; despite not being comfortable on panels as a rule, I signed up for the Frankenstein panel. I was the only woman (which didn’t seem to be a rare thing, this year), and despite making some comments which would indicate I am an adult with a functioning critical-thinking module, the moderator, Theodore Krulik, made me the object of several patronizing comments and the sort of leading questions you pose to a three-year-old. This happened repeatedly. I was the only woman on the panel; I was the only person made the target of these questions. (Apparently at one point, he called me “Missy.” I don’t remember this, though I admit that several times I was trying my hardest to ignore him and actually engage the topic being discussed. If I had heard it, I would have addressed it.) Several people later… Read more »

I got back last night from Readercon. As always, I love seeing my friends and meeting new awesome people. In fact, the best parts of the SF community were on display this week. (Also, so were the worst, but we’ll get there!) On Thursday evening, Neil Clarke had a heart attack. Upon hearing he would be in the hospital throughout the weekend, people stepped in to set up his booth, staff the table, and break down on Sunday, and shoppers and well-wishers stopped to sign get-well posters. It was really nice to see the community supporting its own, and I’m among many others in wishing Neil the best for a speedy recovery. Another highlight of the weekend for me was getting my Shirley Jackson nominee rock; Jackson was an amazing writer, and to be at all associated with her is not too shabby at all. (Her daughter, Sarah Hyman DeWitt, delivered a wry, hilarious, and touching address at the awards ceremony — another highlight of the con.) In book news, those who bought Mechanique are… Read more »

Mechanique‘s release date is only a few weeks away! I’m excited, and have been thinking of possible launch parties that would be both vaguely thematically relevant and actually involve being outside my apartment. (In order to be relevant to my usual interests, I will have to write a book called “Uneventful Weekend: A Story of the Snarky Pajama Party Academy.”) In the end, I decided there was only one way to do this right. So, I’m throwing a circus. On Friday, May 6, from 7-10pm, everyone should come to the House of Yes in Brooklyn for snacks, cheap drinks, and some awesome aerial performances. My book will also be available, hopefully at a discount off the cover price for those inclined to buy, but come on – it’s a warehouse circus. You know it’s going to be good. (It will probably be better lit than this, ideally dimmed to somewhere just between Hipstamatic and Able to Safely Maneuver.) Hope to see you there!… Read more »