A few final tweaks have been made to my schedule for Readercon 22, which will be held July 14-17 in Burlington, Massachusetts. My reading has been pushed back an hour, meaning more of you might make it since it’s no longer the first item on the schedule Thurday, plus I’m going to take part in the Wold Newton Reading Extravaganza, where I’ll be declaiming Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer” in honor of this year’s dead Guest of Honor.

Here’s the revised schedule:

Reading
Thursday, July 14
9:00 p.m. NH
Edelman reads “Things That Never Happened,” a short story to be published in Postscripts magazine. [Since my reading will be one of the first things that occurs when the con starts at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday night, I expect a low turnaround. So don’t disappoint me by showing up!]

Writing Within Constraints
Friday, July 15
12:00 p.m. RI
with Elaine Isaak, Michael Aondo-verr Kombol, John Langan, David Malki (leader), and Madeleine Robins
Whether it’s writing on a theme for an anthology, writing on assignment or commission, or simply imposing rules to jump-start your creativity, writing within constraints can be an incredible way to defeat “the tyranny of the blank page.” We discuss the rewards and challenges of starting with someone else’s idea.

Wold Newton Reading Extravaganza: Special Readercon Edition
Saturday, July 16
7:00 PM F
with Matthew Cheney, Theodora Goss, John Kessel, Eric Rosenfield (moderator), Delia Sherman. Eric Rosenfield and Brian Francis Slattery
The Wold Newton Reading Extravaganza Series will be orchestrating an INCREDIBLY FANCY SONIC ART EXPERIMENT consisting of ESTEEMED LITERARY PERSONAGES reading prose, poetry, criticism, and other TEXTUAL OBJECTS in short bursts one after another accompanied by LIVE, IMPROVISED MUSIC. The intent is to create a kind of unbroken MOSAIC of what Readercon FEELS LIKE. Come witness our spectacular SUCCESS and/or FAILURE.

The Shirley Jackson Awards
Sunday, July 17
11:00 a.m. G
In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, the Shirley Jackson Awards have been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work. The awards given in her name have been voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors, for the best work published in the calendar year of 2010 in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology. [Well, that’s how the con describes the Shirley Jackson Awards. The way I think of it—this is the hour during which I’ll learn which other writer’s collection has beaten What Will Come After in the Single-Author Collection category. Because since I’m up against Laird Barron, Stephen Graham Jones, Jeff VanderMeer, and Karen Joy Fowler … well .. let’s just say I’m won’t be bothering to write an acceptance speech.]

Kaffeeklatsch
Sunday, July 17
12:00 a.m. Vin
with James Morrow

See you in a dozen days!

Looks like “Things That Never Happened,” a short story of mine which will be published soon in Postscripts magazine, won’t be the only bit of fiction I’ll be reading at Readercon this year. I’ll also tackle Mark Twain’s famous short story “The War Prayer.”

How did this come about? Blame Eric Rosenfield, he of the Wold Newton Reading Extravaganza. I’ve been invited to take part in a special edition of that reading series, to be held before the Kirk Poland Memorial Bad Prose Competition.

Let Eric explain:

Saturday July 16th, before the annual Kirk Poland Memorial Bad Prose Competition, Wold Newton will be engaging in an INCREDIBLY FANCY SONIC ART EXPERIMENT consisting of ESTEEMED LITERARY PERSONAGES (yes, YOU), reading prose, poetry, criticism or anything else you want, in short bursts one after another accompanied by LIVE, IMPROVISED MUSIC. The goal is to create a kind of unbroken MOSAIC of what ReaderCon FEELS LIKE.

To that end, I am inviting YOU ALL, should you choose to accept it, to READ for approximately FOUR MINUTES apiece. You may read ANYTHING YOU
HAVE WRITTEN, in ANY GENRE, FORM or MODE. You may also DANCE or SING or MAKE A GENERAL RUCKUS as you see fit. You may also DISCUSS WITH multitalented musical maestro Brian Francis Slattery what sort of musical musicness you would like to accompany YOU.

Rather than toot my own horn, I’ve decided to honor this year’s Memorial Guest of Honor, Mark Twain.

I last read “The War Prayer” aloud in high school during the Vietnam War. Seems like it’s about time to do it again!

Readercon 22 will be held July 14-17 in Burlington, Massachusetts, and not only is it the 22nd Readercon, it’s MY 22nd Readercon. Yes, that’s right. I’ve attended every one since the first in 1987. It’s long been my favorite convention.

One way I know it that is my review of this year’s supposedly final program reveals there’ll be several dozen panels, readings, and presentations I want to attend, a bounty which never happens at any other con—and which would require me stepping into a chrono-synclastic infundibulum to pull off.

So until I can go through the grid and nail down my first choices for those hours when I wish I could be in two places at once, the only programming I’m 100% sure you’ll be able to find me at is my own.

Which is …

Reading
Thursday, July 14
8:00 p.m. NH
Edelman reads “Things That Never Happened,” a short story to be published in Postscripts magazine. [Since my reading will be one of the first things that occurs when the con starts at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday night, I expect a low turnaround. So don’t disappoint me by showing up!]

Writing Within Constraints
Friday, July 15
12:00 p.m. RI
with Elaine Isaak, Michael Aondo-verr Kombol, John Langan, David Malki (leader), and Madeleine Robins
Whether it’s writing on a theme for an anthology, writing on assignment or commission, or simply imposing rules to jump-start your creativity, writing within constraints can be an incredible way to defeat “the tyranny of the blank page.” We discuss the rewards and challenges of starting with someone else’s idea.

The Shirley Jackson Awards
Sunday, July 17
11:00 a.m. G
In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, the Shirley Jackson Awards have been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work. The awards given in her name have been voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors, for the best work published in the calendar year of 2010 in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology. [Well, that’s how the con describes the Shirley Jackson Awards. The way I think of it—this is the hour during which I’ll learn which other writer’s collection has beaten What Will Come After in the Single-Author Collection category. Because since I’m up against Laird Barron, Stephen Graham Jones, Jeff VanderMeer, and Karen Joy Fowler … well .. let’s just say I’m won’t be bothering to write an acceptance speech.]

Kaffeeklatsch
Sunday, July 17
12:00 a.m. Vin
with James Morrow

See you in three weeks!

You all remember Edelman’s First Rule of Convention-Going, also known as Edelman’s Schadenfreude Rule of Convention Reporting, don’t you?

It states that all convention reporting must occur while a convention is still ongoing, because it’s insufficient for me to be having a wonderful time. YOU must KNOW I’m having a wonderful time and be miserable because you’re not there also having a wonderful time, and kicking yourself, thinking, “If I jumped in my car, hopped on a plane RIGHT NOW, I could be having a wonderful time, too!”

Which is why I’m sharing the following video taken a scant 12 hours ago here in Columbus, Ohio at the World Fantasy Convention. Alaya Dawn Johnson read from a work in progress, and you could have been there.

Nyah, nyah, nyah!

(more…)

I’ve been so busy I only just realized that though I uploaded my final Readercon clips to YouTube long ago, I never mentioned it here. After my first convention outing with my new Flip camcorder, I posted a total of 13 videos from the weekend. Here are the final five clips.

First, some of the beginning and some of the ending from the panel on “The New and Improved Future of Magazines,” featuring John Joseph Adams, John Benson, Leah Bobet, Robert Killheffer, and Sean Wallace.

(more…)

A week ago today, Kit Reed, Mike Allen, Adam Golaski, Barry Malzberg, Kathryn Cramer, and Peter Straub (who can all be seen in that order in the clips below) took part in the Readercon panel, “Down There in the Gutter: The Fiction of the Unpleasant,” and I was in the front row recording it with my Flip MinoHD.

Here’s how the panel was described in the program book:

In a recent online essay, Peter Straub argues that the only difference between the best horror and “literary” fiction is that the former acknowledges that life is dominated by unpleasantness, by “crappy, low-rent feeling states.” But in making this argument he mentions neither fear nor disgust (the staples of genre horror) but shame, loss, envy, panic, greed, insecurity, and loneliness. There’s no question that we are oddly hardwired to enjoy fear when we intellectually recognize that there is no actual threat. There is, however, much less of a case to be made for the vicarious enjoyment of the other emotional states that Straub lists, so it is harder to see them functioning in a story the same way fear does in genre horror. Is Straub here in fact defining a new literary subgenre entirely, one that just happens to include (but is hardly limited to) the best of horror? If so, can we trace the history of this secret genre and its influence on and interaction with more conventional literary fiction?

Here are the three best chunks from that 55-minute hour. (more…)

I was too busy tweeting and shooting video at Readercon to take my usual number of photos. What few I managed to snap can be seen over at flicker.

And now I find I’m far too busy and tired to write up an account of the weekend. So for now, let this picture of me with Junot Díaz stand in for all the fun I had.

And for those of you who wish you could have been there, you can be. Sort of. Here are four more excerpts from Readercon panels I attended. (more…)

While at my favorite convention in 2010, I read my short story “Tell Me Like You Done Before,” which can be found in my collection of zombie stories, What Will Come After.

If you’re up to finding out what happened to George and Lenny after John Steinbeck got through with them, check out my reading below, which is embedded in three parts!

(more…)

And another thing you missed by not attending Readercon was me reading my short story “Tell Me Like You Done Before,” which can be found in my collection of zombie stories, What Will Come After.

If you’re up to finding out what happened to George and Lenny after John Steinbeck got through with them, check it out below!

(more…)

I’ve told you about something I call Edelman’s Schadenfreude Theory of Convention-Going, haven’t? If not, it goes like so—

It is insufficient for one to have fun at a convention. One’s friends must know about it and feel miserable for not being there with you! Therefore, all convention reporting must occur while the convention is still going on, so they can think, “Why aren’t I there?” So they can wonder, “Should I catch a plane right now to be there tomorrow and join in the fun?”

In that spirit, since words and picture aren’t enough to let you see what you’re missing, here’s VIDEO from a panel held at Readercon Thursday night. “I Know These People. Personally.” featured (from left to right in the clip below) John Langan, John Kessel, Elizabeth Hand (who moderated), Kit Reed, and Barry N. Malzberg.

And here’s how the panel was described in the program book:

“Writers,” Harlan Ellison famously claimed, “take tours in other people’s lives.” In his recipe for a two-month novel, Jeff VanderMeer advised, “Base at least some of your main characters on people you know and really like, BUT make sure they are not people you have spent a lot of time with.” The roman à clef aspects of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando or Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly may be clear enough, but what about that girl on the T with the really interesting face or that actor with the striking name? Using examples from their own work, our panelists explore the continuum between consciously employed technique and unavoidable side effect—the wages of the writer’s magpie mind.

Enjoy!

And remember—it’s only Saturday morning! There STILL time for you to get here yourself!