Brenda Cooper's Blog, page 43

Someone reading my work to me

At this stage of my writing career, I've gone through a number of the fabulous firsts.  I've sold my first story, and my first novel, had my first awful review and my first stellar one.  I've won my first award, and I've taught writing for the first time.  These are things I'll remember.  Well, today was another first - hearing a piece of my fiction professionally podcast at starship sofa.  It was quiet lovely to listen to my words being read out loud to me from my ipod.  Thanks to Tony and Gran

2Xcreative: Maid Born of Crone

Kyle Cassidy started it.  Actually, for me, the trail started with a picture of Neil Gaiman's dog.  I can't actually find the post that started it all, but it's probably back there in the history on Neil's blog.  He has a very pretty dog.  Anyway, the picture of Neil (also pretty) with the pretty dog sent me to the photographer, Kyle Cassidy.  Kyle started 2Xcreative - a pairing of creative people who had never met before from all over the world to commit joint creation.  He gave us all a month.

Locus Awards and Science Fiction Hall of Fame Report

Kudos to the Locus team for organizing an excellent event.  I had a great time, and enjoyed this year's awards even more than last year's.  A couple of highlights:

Most of the winners were there.  So were a lot of the nominees.  That was very nice.  It's a lot more fun to see someone win an award than to see an award accepted bysomeone else…it just is.  The emotional content is just a better quality.The University Bookstore and Locus did a nice job of supporting the signing - many books appeared.

Hope to see some of you at the Locus Awards this weekend

I will be at the autographing, and probably staying through the induction of the honorees into the SF Hall of Fame.  There will be a lot of us there - I count at least 16 writers!

See you at the Lake Union Courtyard Marriott.

Why I am Green for Iran

I bought green shirts and I am wearing them.  I have turned my twitter icon temporarily green.  I keep getting up from the middle of other tasks and checking on events in Iran, even though I am usually far more disciplined.  But I thought I should write down some reasons since my family asked, and since it’s useful rumination.

The futurist in me is totally fascinated by the role social media and worldwide transparency are playing.The writer is fascinated by the stories and raw emotion.  Everyone

Twitter: A Trail of Transparent Breadcrumbs

I have been thinking about transparency, social media, and government accountability for a while.  At the FiRe conference in San Diego, I ran into fellow sf writer and contrarian, David Brin, who authored  the non-fiction book, The Transparent Society.  This book made a difference in the way I think about government and life, and has made me a firm believer in the idea that transparency begets accountability. 

As a futurist, I knew a long time ago that the Internet would be the doorway to the fut

Bobcat - as seen from my parent’s deck

This is the bobcat my mom spotted yesterday.  It was lying in a little safe spot in the ravine right next to my parent’s house, and graciously allowed us to watch it and photograph it from the upper deck for about twenty minutes before it wandered off.  Photo credit to my dad, who had his camera ready.

It saw us; from time to time it looked up and kind of nodded and twitched its short tail.  We apparently did not present a threat.  Smart cat.

The neighborhood birds saw it and screeched at it from

Reading Recommendation: Bloodhound (The Legend of Beka Cooper, Book 2

This is the second in Tamora Pierce’s excellent YA series about a fantastical keeper of the peace in the realm of Tortall.  You’ll have to venture into the YA shelves to find it.  Frankly, some of the best sf and fantasy adventure is there these days, by the way. 

This book is told through the journal entries of young, precocious Cooper, who has just earned her stripes to be a real dog (translate here as cop).   The language and world-building are lovely, the characters people you’d like to know,

When Reaching an Audience is Hard

I talked to the good folks at the National Association of Consumer Shows this morning in Memphis Tennessee.  I walked away feeling as if I did a good job but not a great job.  I did talk to quite a few of them individually and I enjoyed a nice barbecue lunch with a convention goer, and they were easy to talk with in that context.  But as a room full of people, it felt tough.  In trying to figure that out I came up with two theories — one is undoubtedly true:  I could be more polished as a speake

The Power of the Net

If you’re not on twitter watching the #iranelection or just searching for “iran” which will catch it all, you’ve missed a worldwide conversation.  A worldwide emotional reaction.   This morning, I feel connected to the people in Iran.  I’m glad they have this tool, which was missing from Tiananmen square.  It may or may not be enough, but it has changed the game.  And I feel like I’ve been part of it.

I have engaged a tiny bit in moving it along (by passing along information) I’ve got a green fa