2023 Zena Sutherland Lecture

I was surprised and honored when the committee informed me last year that I had been selected to deliver the 2023 Zena Sutherland Lecture at the main branch of the Chicago Public Library. I’ll be talking about historical fantasy as a genre and my own research into Scotland’s involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. At our Midland Authors panel this past Tuesday, folks gave me a round of applause when our moderator announced my upcoming talk. Some folks weren’t quite able to hide their surprise that I was this year’s presenter. I suppose compared to Neil Gaiman and Yuyi Morales (last year’s speaker), I’m an unknown quantity. It reminds me of the reporter in VA who interviewed me over the phone and then asked, “Why aren’t you famous?” He subsequently decided not to write or run the interview so I guess my answer wasn’t adequate. I don’t think much about fame but apparently a lot of other people do. Fame has so little to do with talent sometimes…I know I haven’t invested in my social media profile so I don’t have thousands of followers, but I have definitely invested time and effort in my writing. I don’t expect a packed auditorium next month but then academics are used to presenting at conferences before an audience of three or four; my decade as a professor taught me that the content of your talk shouldn’t depend on the number of people who show up to hear it. Say what you want to say, present your findings, act as though your words matter—because they do.

My Store Explorer column is now up in Chicago Magazine—my first feature in a local publication. I hate shopping but appreciate being asked to shine a light on some great local businesses. I’ve been discovering new places in my neighborhood this past week as I try to fill the hours while my contractors are hard at work. I miss working at home but at least the weather has been nice and I’ve mostly managed to meet my thousand-words-a-day quota. Hoped to finish up by the end of this month but next week I’ll be in TX for TLA and then I fly to Toronto for GritLit Fest in Hamilton. I’ll be leading a workshop on the 22nd and chatting with Ainara Alleyne the next day—if you’re in the area, join us!