Katherine Mankiller

Constructing a Narrative

I didn't write much last year, and the reason why is that I was constructing a different kind of narrative. My mother died unexpectedly last year while I was at WisCon, and finding a way to tell yourself the story in a way that makes sense is an important part of grief. Unfortunately, the whole thing was so sudden and unexpected, and so followed by the near death of my father and the death of my friend who was my primary support during this time that I feel like I need to instead retell the story of who I am.

I have, however, learned a lot of things about how much of what I think of as myself is a construct. Having the ground yanked away from under your feet will do that to you.

I've also learned that I have a deep psychological need to write, even if it's just a sentence a night. I think that part of the that is that I like fiction better than life because fiction makes sense. Life seldom does. Life tells the truth, but it's a dry, factual truth. Fiction tells you the truth in a way that won't hurt you.

It's almost the spring equinox, and I am Persephone, returning from the dead. Only it's a sort of reversed version of the story, with Demeter in the earth, and my return is leaving her behind. And the ground opened up beneath me last spring. And I'm not quite back yet.

But I will be.

Dragoncon readings!

I'll be reading with the Broad Universe group at Dragoncon!

The Lit Track Reading is on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 7:30 PM; Fairlee - Hyatt Regency Hotel

The Alternate History Track Reading is MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 11:30AM; Piedmont - Hyatt Regency Hotel

Why, yes.

Jennifer Pelland and I did stuff dollar bills into Geoff Ryman's waistband at the Tiptree Auction. Why do you ask?

Spotted in the Wild!

Check it out! It's the issue of Electric Velocipede with ME! spotted in the WisCon dealer's room at the Wheatland Press table. I now have my own copy to hug and squeeze and call George. Squee!

Packing

I'm headed out to WisCon in the morning, and am packing now. Fret not, I'll try to twitter and blog while I'm in Madison. In the meantime, just a reminder that I'll be in the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading at 10:30pm Friday night. Be there or be square!

My new, revised tentative Wiscon schedule

Let me show you it:

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading participant Fri 10:30 - 11:59PM Assembly
Nancy Moore, J. Kathleen Cheney, Tina Connolly, Lori Devoti, Moondancer Drake, Gwynne Garfinkle, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Kathryn Sullivan, Katherine Mankiller, Morven Westfield, Phoebe Wray.

Resolving Time Travel Paradoxes participant Sat 2:30 - 3:59PM Assembly
Alan Bostick, Sandra Almazan, Stickshift Bear, Staci Straw, Katherine Mankiller.
You invent a time machine, go back into the past, and kill your grandfather. Then where did you come from? SF authors have come up with a variety of ingenious responses to the so-called "grandfather paradox." Interestingly, theoretical physicists have, too. We'll look at a bunch of them.

Take Back the Sci-Fi participant Sun 4:00 - 5:29PM 623
Beth Plutchak, Mikki Kendall, Shira Lipkin, Katherine Mankiller.
Sexual assault and rape frequently get used as symbolic plot devices with no consideration about the realities of how these events effect survivors and the people around them and the larger social realities of this epidemic. Sometimes these stories get told well but often they perpetuate social myths and stereotypes that normalize predatory behavior and make survivors complicit. How do authors work to create a culture where stories that perpetuate rape myths are not acceptable? Examples?

My WisCon Panels

Let me show you them!

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading Fri 10:30pm - 11:59 Assembly
Social Media: What is it and How you Promote Yourself and Your Work Sun 1:00pm - 2:29 Wisconsin

Yes, I've been AWOL.

I work too much. I need to cut that out.

Anyway, I'm back from Dragoncon and have a possible short story idea or two, which is good because I've sold almost all of my short stories and only have two in circulation! I also attended a steampunk panel, which was lots of fun. Anyone want to pimp me their favorite steampunk novels/stories?

Um, hi.

Where was I before I got sucked into email migration hell?

Oh, yeah. Wiscon. Why is the con over again?

My reading went really well. In fact, my favorite author read right before me--she read an excerpt from an upcoming book that I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT!!!--and then she gave me a thumbs up after my reading. Surely there has never been a more squee-worthy event in the history of squee!

Then I came home and started working late every night. One night I came home at 11:30pm. Which is better than the 1:30am I did right before the con, but still.

Don't ask how my writing is going. Ugh. *facepalm* I need to get cracking before I run out of things for my crit group to critique.

Argh!

I'm trying to cut "Grandfather Paradox" into something that will fit into five minutes but still make some form of narrative sense. It's hard. Last year I read "The Last Wasicu," and just started at the beginning and kept reading until I got to a good stopping point, but "Grandfather Paradox" is structurally complex and nonchronological.

I suppose I could give up and try to read from "In the Water" (my other forthcoming story) instead, but "Grandfather Paradox" has more violence, while "In the Water" is just kind of quietly creepy. I think I should go for the story with the blood, if I can. Blooooooood.

Wiscon Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading--Reader List

The readers will be:

Katherine Mankiller, Theresa Crater, Lori Devoti, Gwynne Garfinkle, Morven Westfield, Sandra Ulbrich, Lyda Morehouse, Susan Hastings, Xakara, Moondancer Drake, Sue Burke.

That's at 1pm in Assembly.

Wiscon Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading

I'm going to be in this. I don't have a lot of information, but I do know that Lyda Morehouse will be there, too, and she is awesomecakes with awesomesauce on top, 100% certified grade A awesome. And, of course, there will be me, so you should plan to come see it if you're going to be at Wiscon. I hear it will be Saturday, May 24 at 1pm. I'll update if that changes.

Update: I have a list of who'll be reading.

Have you hugged your soap today?

Only you can prevent fench.

Dragoncon pics!

I'll be adding to the collection over the weekend... unless my camera is dead.

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading

I'll be doing the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading at Wiscon this year. Saturday, May 26, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

People reading:
Kristine Smith, Jennifer Pelland, Nancy Jane Moore, Katherine Mankiller, Lyda Morehouse, Sue Lange, Anne Harris, Rina Elson, Jennifer Dunne, Leah Rose Cutter

Wiscon

I've officially decided to go to WisCon next year, and have bought a ticket.

Broad Universe usually has a rapid-fire reading at WisCon. If they do again, I'll be there, reading something. I have until May to decide what, but if the reading was tomorrow it would probably be "Grandfather Paradox."

I also plan to go to the Writer's Respite.

Wiscon!

I'm thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to talking myself into going. Last time was much fun, and I was sad to not go since. And any excuse to see Jen is of the good. What may push me over the edge is the Broad Universe rapid-fire reading and the writer's workshop.

Now I just have to talk myself into thinking I can afford it.

Dragoncon pictures

Check it out!

The divine Misha gets the credit she deserves for her awesome write-up of the Campbell Award Smackdown at Wiscon. The Smackdown itself was a truly great moment in SF literary history, and one I hope becomes an annual tradition.

How can you resist Tim Pratt, Jay Lake, and David Levine dueling with styrofoam noodles? Go, behold!

Homeward bound

I'm in the Chicago airport right now. Madison was fun, but after all the rain--my flight from Milwaukee was cancelled because of heinous rain, so they drove us to Chicago--I'm ready to be back in Atlanta. In short, WHERE'S THE FUCKING SUN?????

Bounce!

Jen and I bouncing with the discarded chicken suit at the Tiptree auction, courtesy of the divine Misha, roving Wiscon reporter.

Fangirlishness

I just got to fangirl Tim Pratt about "Little Gods" and "Annabelle's Alphabet," and Greg van Eekhout over "Will You Be An Astronaut?" *squee!*

I really love "Little Gods." I found it right after my cat died, and it was very comforting. Also, it's just wonderful.

Also? *squee!*

Tiptree auction and par-tay!

Ellen Klages was the emcee at the Tiptree Auction, and I'm afraid Jen and I sat on the front row and made a bit of a spectacle of ourselves. Ellen had lost a bet with GoH Eleanor Arnason and was dressed in a chicken suit, but Jen and I got the chicken suit when she finally took it off! Yeah! :) At another point, she did some revivalist spiel over brownies that were up for auction, and I got the holy spirit because I beLIEVE in chocolate!

Ah, yes. There was also the moment when someone tripped over her microphone cord, leaving her mute, so she did kind of a Shatner running out of air thing, and we started chanting, "I do believe in fairies! I do believe in fairies!" until she pointed out, "But I'm a dyke!" We switched to "I do believe in dykes! I do believe in dykes!"

Then they auctioned off a book that had me squeeing beforehand: Alice in Jungleland by Mary Hastings Bradley. For those of you who are scratching your heads about this book, well, it has illustrations by and photos of Alice Hastings Bradley. When Alice Hastings Bradley grew up, she married a man named Huntingdon Sheldon and started publishing SF under the name James Tiptree, Jr. *squee!* I squeed at length at the auction, but it quickly became too rich for my blood. Happily, I was outbid by Freddie Baer, who rocks and who kindly let me cuddle the book for 24 hours before she took it home when she realized she'd outbid me. *cuddles book, pets book* I ♥ Freddie! I did get a withdrawn library copy of Tiptree's Byte Beautiful, which I didn't have, so yay.

There was also a hilarious item up for bid where three of the Campbell nominees, Tim Pratt, Jay Lake, and David Levine, auctioned off the location of their "full-contact scizzors-rock-paper match." Until someone said "to the death," at which point David and Tim's SOs dragged them off. LOL!

Then we went and partied. Karaoke! Yes, I lost my karaoke cherry. The microphone sucked so no one could hear me. Feh. Jay Lake was there, and was much fun. It's all kind of a blur because I had too much beer, but I think I've learned my karaoke lesson--no more Prince or Dusty Springfield--go for the shouting.

After, we retired to our room with Cynthia and Bill to torture them with bad prose. Hee!

And now, I seek lunch.

Wiscon

I have to say, Wiscon is of the good. Where else can I get my shoulders rubbed by Jed Hartman? I proposed marriage, but he said that would cost more tickets. Dammit!

Must go eat. :)