Keeping Up Appearances
Max says “hi!” and also offers life advice and would like treats, please.
Hello from social distancing! I hope you’re all doing as well as can be expected in these topsy-turvy times, and that life is giving you as many breaks as it can from this ongoing anxiety and pressure. If you’re feeling a little down about the lack of conventions and Pride (totally valid to feel that way, even knowing it’s the right thing to do), I have what I hope is some good news for the next few weeks.
As an author, one of the most awesome things you sometimes get to do is conventions, retreats, and events. Gathering with other authors and with readers—and, in my case, other queer authors and queer readers especially—is an amazing feeling. That 2020 seemed bound and determined to cancel everything (again, for good reasons), it’s hard not to feel down about it. But technology can be wonderful, and in fact, thanks to technology, I’ve been able to “attend” more conferences and events than I could have in a non-digital sense.
And a bunch of them are coming up over the next two weekends.
Romancing the Capital
I missed the last Romancing the Capital, hosted by the wonderful Eve Langlais, and I’m delighted to be taking part in a couple of panels for the ongoing digital events the RTC people have been putting together this year. Saturday, May 30th, I’m going to be taking part in two panels: one on Christmas Romance, from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and one on Queer Representation in Romance, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You can find all the information you need to watch here.
Spoiled for Choices
After RTC, I’ve got one heck of a weekend coming up on Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th, as both the Bold Strokes Books UK Bookathon and the Renaissance Press Virtual Conference are happening at the same time, but thanks to the wonders of technology (and a five hour time difference), this means I can attend both. Unexpected upside for the win!
The Renaissance Press Virtual Conference
[image error]The Renaissance Press Virtual Conference is a free virtual conference, hosted by Presses Renaissance Press! There will be readings, panels, an online vendor room, and more. The events will be held from the evening of Friday, June 5th through to Sunday 7th, 2020. You do need to register, and early is better because spots are limited.
I’ll be popping up in two places: At noon on Saturday June 6th, I’m on “Bury Your Tropes,” talking some harmful tropes, and why they cause harm. Our goal is to call out harmful tropes and offer a different story path. If you’ve heard me talk on the subject at all before, you’ve likely heard me talk about some of the queer tropes in specific, but this panel is taking a much wider approach than I usually get to talk about. I can’t wait.
Then, on Sunday June 7th, at 10:30 am, I’m taking part in “Literary and Genre Fiction: Can’t We All Just Get Along?” Why is there a divide between literary and genre fiction, and between certain fiction genres? What can we do to celebrate all fiction? Is cross-genre fiction changing this? I can’t wait to find out the answers to these questions, which I assume the other panelists all have. 
