Readercon 34 kicks off two weeks from now in Burlington, Massachusetts, and if you’ll be there, too, here’s where you’ll br able to find me pontificating —

The Body (of Work) Keeps the Score: Writing as Therapy
Thursday, July 17, 9:00 p.m., Salon I/J
“Kill your darlings” is a common bit of writing advice. But how about killing your demons? Writing effectively often requires channeling emotional responses and personal memories, so it can also liberate them and be a cathartic experience for the writer. This panel will discuss works where the author was definitely working through some stuff, as well as the experience of using writing to exorcise one’s inner antagonists.
with Barbara Krasnoff (m), Melissa Bobe, Noah Beit-Aharon, and Sophia Babai

Autographing
Friday, July 18, 4:00 p.m., Autographer’s Table

Remembering Barry Malzberg
Friday, July 18, 5:00 p.m., Create/Collaborate
Barry Malzberg (1939-2024) was a man of multiple aspects: a disparager of hack science fiction who could churn out a novel in a weekend, an acerbic observer of humanity’s manifest destiny in space who still won and accepted the first John W. Campbell Award. He was also a frequent Readercon panelist and a good friend to many who attend. Come with your memories of Barry and help discuss what he meant to us and our community.
with Gregory Feeley, Richard Horton, and Jim Freund

Reading
Saturday, July 19, 11:30 a.m., Empower/Embrace

Kaffeeklatsch
Saturday, July 19, 3:00 p.m., Suite 830

Shredding vs. Archiving Drafts
Saturday, July 19, 8:00 p.m., Salon I/J
Some writers want nothing to survive of their written work after death save the final drafts of the stories they love, and so they destroy letters, journals, early drafts. Other writers want the world to witness their process and box everything up for future archivists. This panel will engage proponents of both sides of the spectrum in dialogue and help the audience decide whether to cherish their early own work or turn it into confetti.
with Randee Dawn, Karen Heuler, and Natalie Luhrs

Rod Serling: Centenary of Birth, 50th Anniversary of Death
Sunday, July 20, 11:00 a.m., Salon G/H
Join us as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth, and 50th of the death, of Rod Serling, the pioneering fantasist of American television. Starting with radio in the 1940s as an actor and writer, Serling moved swiftly to writing for television. With his own production company, he created The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), an enduring anthology series that spawned a magazine, a movie, and 3 revivals. Gather with our panel as they explore the range of Serling’s works, “a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of the imagination.”
with Randee Dawn, Jim Freund, Mark Painter, and P. Djèlí Clark

If you’re there, please track me down and say hello!