Appearances: The Publishing Triangle Outspoken Series and Can*Con

I have been remiss in keeping loops… um, looped here on the blog, but I’ve got a couple of appearances coming up, and so today I will… uh… loop. (This is what happens when I have a multi-day headache before a long-weekend that involves a family birthday: you get the same word over and over.)

It won’t be like that on Thursday October 12th, Friday October 13th, Saturday October 14th, or Sunday October 15th, though, because I will be on my game at not one, but two events!

OUTSpoken: The LGBTQ+ Reading Series

So, I’ll be joining The Publishing Triangle’s launch of their new LGBTQ+ Reading Series, OUTspoken, on Thursday, October 12. OUTspoken was presented last June as a joint program with the East Midtown Partnership as part of that organization’s Pride celebration, but now they’re making it monthly and moving it to the Bureau of General Services – Queer Division, the not-for-profit Manhattan bookseller located within the LGBTQ Community Center at 208 West 13th Street, Room 210. (And they’re fully accessible to those with mobility concerns.)

This kick-off event (at 7:00 PM EDT on Thursday, October 12) includes: Jeffery Berg, ‘Nathan Burgoine (joining us remotely from Ottawa, Ontario), Dale Corvino, Allen Ellenzweig, Michael Thomas Ford (joining us remotely from Ohio), Robyn Gigl (joining us remotely from New Jersey), Nina Kennedy and William Christy Smith.

I’m going to read from Stuck With You (for the first time, even!) and I am so chuffed to be in such awesome company. I hope NY friends will check it out, and for the rest of you, there’s the wonderful YouTube stream. I really, really appreciate the efforts The Publishing Triangle took here to add a remote option.

Can*Con 2023: Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts & Literature

On Friday October 13th (that bodes well) through to Friday October 15th, I’ll be at the local Sheraton Ottawa for the always-wonderful Can*Con 2023: Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts & Literature! I’ll be there, in person, masked up (I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this con’s masking policy) and chatting with awesome people who are way smarter than me.

As for where and when I’ll be? Ta-da!

If you’d like to see the full schedule of events (because of course you would), you can see both the in-person and virtual schedules for Can*Con here, but as for my three panels, here’s what you’re in for:

Happily Ever After? Romance as Speculative Fiction—Tall, dark, and handsome, swashbuckling, bodice-ripping heroes — we all recognize that this is a fantasy, even though Romance as a genre historically is seen as having little in common with speculative genres of SFFH. However, what is lost by ignoring this potential connection? What can we learn about our interests and motivations towards fiction by exploring Romance as Speculative? Friday October 13th, 5:00pm EDT, Salon E; Moderated by Regina M. Hanson; panelists Charlotte Ashley, ‘Nathan Burgoine, and Renée Gendron.

That’s Not Queerbaiting, Actually—What do queer creators—and queer characters—owe to their readers (if anything)? As much as we need more queer love stories, a lack of on-page romance doesn’t negate a character’s queerness. A coming out narrative isn’t the only shape a queer story can take, either. Despite the pressure to explore romance and identity struggles, what other kinds of themes are queer writers exploring? How do writers push back against reductive or limiting expectations? Saturday October 14th, 5:30pm EDT, Salon F; Moderated by Erin Rockfort; panelists Claudie Arseneault, ‘Nathan Burgoine, and Cortni Fernandez.

Supporting Queer Writing in an Age of Rising Fascism—From Florida’s eagerness to ban books and trans people alike to Target’s removal of queer-themed merchandise from its shelves, the situation for queer people on this continent is getting worse by the day. What challenges does queer writing face today in American venues, and what threats are on the horizon? How might Canadian institutions support queer writing in an increasingly hostile age? What options are there when the United States is such a dominant hub of the field? Sunday October 15th, 1:00pm EDT, Salon E; Moderated by Nathan Caro Fréchette; panelists Phoebe Barton, ‘Nathan Burgoine, and Sean Dowie.

I hope to see you there, or if you can’t be there, I hope you’ll tune-in virtually! Either way, thank you as always for sticking around here…