Thursday Thirteen: A Month in Thirteen Pictures

I'm a bad blogger. I missed my Saturday blog. But if a picture's really worth a thousand words, here's thirteen pictures I hope will make up for my delay.


Buzzy Multimedia recently asked me to shift from print to video interviews. Not being entirely sure of myself I decided to start with a friend, fantasy and mystery writer Carole Nelson Douglas, who happened to be this year's guest of honor at our local mystery convention, Malice Domestic. The video is posted on the Buzzy blog.



I'd barely finished editing Carole's interview when I learned the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) were holding the 2011 Nebula Awards Weekend a few Metro stops away on May 20-22. So I hauled my trusty camera to Dupont Circle and taped five interviews: Chris Claremont (of Marvel Comics fame), Mary Robinette Kowal, Joe Haldeman, John Scalzi and this year's Nebula Award winner for best novel, Connie Willis (above). I may be mistaken, but I think this year's win makes Connie the all-time Nebula champion, which tickles me no end, since I totally love her fiction. Who says women can't write REAL science fiction?



One of the more interesting aspects of the filming was discovering things I never knew about the interview subjects. For example, I knew Joe Haldeman was an accomplished poet. In fact, he published his first poem (in The Washington Post, no less) before he was ten. But I didn't know he was an amazing artist. The photo above gives you just one example of his work. There will be more in the video. I promise.



One thing I missed was Mary Robinette Kowal's presentation at the Awards Banquet...in a Regency dress she stitched entirely by hand. (I couldn't make it because I was helping out with a Civil War celebration in Alexandria.) But she was kind enough to show me the dress and accessories when I interviewed her the following day.



But I didn't have much time work on all those lovely videos. The very next Friday, May 27, I was off to Balticon 45. As always, the Memorial Day weekend con was a whirl of panels, friends and parties. The Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading was all three. This year's readers were (from left to right) Gail Z. Martin, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Roberta Rogow, yours truly, Phoebe Wray and fellow Samhain writer D. Renee Bagby. The party came courtesy of Vonnie, who brought the most amazing cupcakes from her book launch The Greener Forest, which took place the hour before the RFR. You can see them (but alas, not taste them) in the bottom of the shot.



Balticon also offered great interview opportunities, including romantic fantasy and young adult writer Maria V. Snyder (left). As befits a party con, Maria and I caught up with each other in the bar, where she was relaxing with her friend and fellow writer Judi Fleming (right). My other Balticon interviews included Michael Swanwick and Paolo Bacigalupi.



This year's Balticon boasted an amazing number of book launches including the launch of one of my most anticipated books of 2011, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences: Phoenix Rising by Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris (shown here at right). As befits a book described as a Steampunk Avengers (as in the old TV show), the launch was a Victorian tea, complete with ginger biscuits and a raffle with prizes drawn by a fetching member of the audience in full 19th century dress.



Steampunk was everywhere at Balticon 45, and it really upped the ante on Masquerade costumes, as evidenced by this year's League of Extraordinary Family. Check out the young Captain Nemo's pet Kraken.



But the prize for Best in Show went to writer J.F. Bibeau's The Cat from Red Dwarf. Speaking of steam, I missed seeing his iron. No, not that kind of iron! The kind of steam presser Cat used to for wardrobe emergencies. Really!



A week later I was reveling in a special tour of what I consider the most beautiful building in all of Washington, D.C.--the Library of Congress. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a writer and I love books. Take a look at the Grand Hall. All that white marble, the bronze statues and the paintings peeking through the columns are just a taste of its splendor.



The Library is the nation's great temple of learning, so it's only fitting it has a resident goddess: the Minerva of Peace, a mosaic by Elihu Vedder. Like this depiction of Minerva, the Library celebrates all the arts. In addition to books, it boasts one of the world's great collections of musical instruments, maps and movies.



The library also celebrates all kinds of literature. Although Sappho is the only woman writer celebrated by name in its murals (sorry Jane Austen, Marie de France and George Sand), the branches of literature are all depicted as classical muses, including Romance and (ta da!) Erotica.



But I think my favorite part of the Library is its whimsy. Where else would you find a mosaic of late 19th century football?

That about covers it, for now. But if these photos have only whetted your appetite, please, check out the relevant galleries:

Nebula Awards Weekend 2011

Balticon 45

Library of Congress

'Til next month!

Jean Marie’s Year in Cons, 2011 Edition

The merry month of May marks the opening of my 2011 convention season. To show you why I’m so excited about this year’s roster, I thought I’d share memories of the same conventions from years past—and advertise the dates. Can’t pass up an opportunity for shameless self-promotion, after all.

Balticon 45, May 27-30
Hunt Valley, Maryland



You never know what Maryland's regional science fiction/fantasy convention will serve in the way of entertainment—sword-wielding belly dancers, scientists and Ninjas Vs. Vampires, oh my!—and that’s a large part of its charm. That and a Masquerade which often features appearances from luminaries of the International Costumers’ Guild.


RWA National Conference: Bright Lights, Big Stories, June 28-July 1
New York, New York



RWA’s 2000 National Conference in Washington, DC, was all about the SEALs—the SEALs as written by Suzanne Brockmann (pictured), who won RITAs for her two 1999 novels, Undercover Princess and Bodyguard. Something tells me 2011 will be an even bigger year for manly men in uniform. But the lure for me isn’t more military-themed romance than a dozen editors can shake their blue pencils at; it’s the prospect of a chapter reception at the Algonquin Hotel. “Vicious Circle”, here I come!


Dragon*Con, September 2-5
Atlanta, Georgia



My favorite summer camp for wayward adults—roughly forty thousand of us at last count. Panels! Concerts! Art! Film festivals! Parties! Costumes! Swag! And a parade! What more could you ask? Heck, Frankenstein’s monster and his livid bride consider it the perfect place to honeymoon. Incidentally, the sign trailing streamers from the back of the car read “Made for each other!”


Capclave, October 14-16
Gaithersburg, Maryland



Capclave is my hometown con, specializing in short form science fiction, fantasy and horror. One of its most charming customs is the annual presentation of a commemorative painting to its guests of honor. Here, 2010 Guest of Honor Connie Willis explains the various pictorial elements drawn from her time-travel fiction, in particular, her novel To Say Nothing of the Dog. All hail Cyril—and painter L.W. Perkins who rendered Ms. Willis’s famous fictional bulldog on canvas.

So how are you planning to spend your summer—and autumn—vacation?

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To learn more about my adventures at cons past, check out my Flickr page—or better yet, attend one yourself!

Saturday Six: Snapshots of CapClave 2010

CapClave, the Washington DC SF/fantasy convention focusing on short fiction, is my hometown con and the culmination of most years' con calendar.
This year, however, I didn't get to enjoy it as much as usual. The con was splendid. The problem was all mine. Unfortunately, the dates (October 22-24) fell smack in the middle of the house's last round of Snowpocalypse repairs, and I couldn't leave it for long. Equally unfortunate, I missed a group shot of the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Readers. But I did take home almost twenty memory-perfect photos, and you get to sample six.


Two of my favorite writers, Jeri Smith-Ready (left) and Mindy Klasky sign autographs October 23. Jeri had the big wow moment in Saturday's "Music in Books" panel when she mentioned (casually, no less--she's smoooooth) she once played Crow in a production of Sam Sheppard's Tooth of the Crime. Mindy is gearing up to write several contracted romances for Harlequin's Silhouette line. So many books; I gotta find time!


Laura Anne Gilman models the leather dress I lusted after at this year's Dragon*Con. Much as it pains me, it looks better on her than it would've on me. Among the new experiences at this year's Capclave were costume sightings. Laura Anne wore hers because folks nagged. But several attendees apparently just decided it would be a good idea. I hope that proves to be a trend.


Editors, editors everywhere! Guests of Honor Jeff and Anne Vandermeer (left and right, respectively) and Clarkesworld editor Neil Clarke introduce the 2010 Last Drink Bird Head Awards. The awards were created by the Vandermeers to recognize the often unheralded activities which keep science fiction, fantasy and horror community vibrant, relevant and a good place to be. Now part of the process, Neil was one of the first winners.


Michael Swanwick accepts the Last Drink Bird Head Award for Tireless Energy on behalf of Leslie Howle. Leslie was recognized for his work on behalf of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and Hugo House.


Capclave's own Colleen Cahill (left) just before the Vandermeers announced the winner of the Last Drink Bird Head Award for Promotion of Reading. Colleen received the 2010 award for her work as the Library of Congress's advocate for genre fiction and representative to the American Library Association.


To Say Nothing of the Dog: Capclave 2010 Writing Guest of Honor Connie Willis displays a picture of Montmorency, a key player in her time travel sagas, created for her by Capclave artist Lynn Perkins.

Want more? The rest can be found at my Flickr page. Enjoy!

Jean Marie

Images of Balticon 2008

There’s nothing like a sf/fantasy convention to get me going. And nothing like a series of storm-induced power outages to stop me from blogging about it. Or at least slow me down.But I’m nothing if not persistent. So here, at last, are my photographic impressions of Balticon 2008, May 23-26.


Balticon’s opening ceremonies go beyond program information. The mix includes comedy and live music. This year’s line-up included the Kalisti Tribal Dancers, shown here performing a sword dance.


Danielle Ackley-McPhail models the Bad-Ass Faerie leather jacket she raffled at the launch party for the anthology Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad.


John Jude Palencar was the con’s artist guest of honor. Several of his disturbingly beautiful canvases were on display in the art show and in the pages of the program book. Funny, he looks like such a regular guy. Must be the artist's version of "He was such a quiet guy..."


Master costumer Marty Gear served as monster—er, master of ceremonies for the Balticon Masquerade on Saturday, May 24, which included the annual Bobby Gear Reading Is Fundamental Charity Auction. He and Castle Blood colleague Ricky Dick will also host the 2009 Costume-Con.


The winning entry in the Masquerade took Princess Aurora through every costume change in Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty while still on-stage. Her pink and blue gowns, worn over the green dress shown here, was sewn as a reversible wrap her Prince Charming flipped back and forth as they danced. The winning team comprised Gaia Eirich, Megan Taylor, Sharyn Eirich, Fiona Schram & Brian Harrington.


In her guest of honor interview, writer Connie Willis confessed her love of writing Christmas stories. The one she’s working on now concerns a robot who wants to be a Rockette at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.


Writer Stephanie Burke won the Bad-Ass Faery costume competition at Sunday evening’s Bad-Ass Faeries 2 launch party, hands—er, fly swatter down.


Pamela Kinney (who writes erotic paranormals as Sapphire Phelan) vamps out at the Bad-Ass Faeries 2 launch party.


Writer Catherine Asaro (in the red top) performs with the Baltimore rock band Point Valid. The band is recording a CD for Catherine’s next book, Diamond Star, which features a rock star in the future.


Writer Richard C. White holds up the latest Doctor Who: Short Trips anthology. The anthology, which focuses on the Doctors from the early series, features Richard’s story “The Price of Conviction”.


The Toronto-based filk trio Urban Tapestry thought nobody would attend their combination kaffeklatsch/workshop Monday afternoon. Then they moved it to the bar. Suddenly all the tables were jammed. The group consists of (left to right) Jodi Krangle, Debbie Ridpath Ohi and Alison Durno.

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