Hello from Wiscon

[pegkerr]

There are computers here in the hotel lobby, so I am grabbing the chance to update from Wiscon. Am having a wonderful time. Rob is working this weekend, but the girls are not neglected, but instead have been under the loving care of their Grandma. So I'm guilt-free. I've been staying with kijjohnson and Louise Marley, an author from Seattle who was in a writing group with Kij. The three of us have hit it off quite well. Right now, the Tiptree auction is going on, and Ellen Klages is making everyone double over with laughter as she auctions items off. The James Tiptree, Jr. Award was created because Karen Joy Fowler and some other authors (Pat Murphy, I think, among others) noticed that there were no major sf awards named for a woman, so they decided to create one and call it the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. James Tiptree, Jr. was the mysterious writer who wrote for ten years, winning just about all the major awards in the field, and all people knew about him was that he used a post office box as a return address. James Tiptree, Jr. was eventually revealed to be a woman, Alice Sheldon (ex-CIA operative, ex-designer, ex-psychologist, writer). The Tiptree award is given to the work each year which has most creatively examined the concept of gender--I don't know exactly the mission statement; but you can probably find it at the website (I'm not on my own machine and so am not going to put in the link right now; maybe later). They raise money for the award by holding bake sales, and by doing the Tiptree auction.

I've met some of my lj friends for the first time this weekend: sdn, lcohen and oracne. Have been on three panels. Have gorged on sinfully delicious, fatty food, have blown the budget shopping, have stayed up too late having wonderful conversations with people. The Tor party is tonight, and will probably be up too late again.

Wishing you all were here. Well, not all of you. That would probably make the bar too crowded.

Peg, heading back to the party.

Comments

[kayre]

If that's the Louise Marley who wrote Sing the Light and Sing the Warmth, please pass on my compliments-- very enjoyable reads!

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

I've been reading maradydd's entries from various panels she's been to. I really want to go next year!

bake sales

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I've always been personally pleased and a tiny bit flattered about the Tiptree Award bake sales. You see, years ago, at the Minnstf Pool Party, I had a bake sale to raise money for a plane ticket for Jack Wickwire to come to Minicon.

Terry Garey told me much later that she thought my bake sale was a great idea, and so she borrowed the idea for fundraising for the first Tiptree award.

K. [influencing the world in tiny ways]