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Momentary Taste of WisCon Newsletter, WisCon 41

WisCon 41 at-con newsletter — A Momentary Taste of WisCon, Thursday edition

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Welcome to WisCon 41!  The weather is still looking a bit cool, but at least we’re out of the 50s!

This is the first edition of our at-con newsletter, A Momentary Taste of WisCon, where you’ll find short updates on a daily basis (more often if necessary!).  Momentary Taste will be posted here on our blog, which also feeds into the WisSched app under the “Announcements” section.

Enjoy your WisCon!

Where’s the Registration Desk??

For Thursday night only, the Registration Desk will be on the 2nd floor of the Concourse and slightly further down the hall then its usual space.  At the top of the grand staircase, turn left and you’ll find the desk just beyond the double doors.

On Friday morning it will return to its usual spot at the top of the grand staircase, and then remain there for the rest of the weekend.

hours:

  • Thursday 7-10pm (For pre-registration pick-up ONLY — No new sales just yet!)
  • Friday 8:30am – 8pm

Concourse info

Pool hours have been extended to 1am for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

Check-out time on Sunday and Monday has been extended to 12pm.

Planning to catch a meal or two at the hotel over the weekend? The Concourse sells food discount cards! The card is $10 and can be purchased at the hotel front desk. The discount is good for 20% off at CIRC Restaurant, The Bar, and room service. (It is NOT valid at the hotel Starbucks.) And it’s reusable for the duration of the conference! Basically if you plan on spending more than $50 in total at the hotel this weekend, it’s worth it.

Today’s big event

Guest of Honor reception and reading at Room of One’s Own

The unofficial but traditional start to WisCon is with a Thursday night reception and Guest of Honor reading at Madison’s feminist bookstore, Room of One’s Own.

There reception starts at 6pm. Wine, cheese, and crackers are served. Our Guests of Honor, Amal El-Mohtar and Kelly Sue DeConnick, will each give a reading.

getting there:  Room of One’s Own is just off State Street at 315 W Gorham St, Madison, WI 53703. It’s about 3 or 4 blocks away walking.  Our Room of One’s Own Reception page has both a Google Map and a photo of the storefront.

This year we are proud to offer an accessible shuttle service between the Concourse Hotel and Room of One’s Own. The shuttle will run between 4:30 and 7:30pm.

Got an hour or two to volunteer? #WisConGiveBack

What makes WisCon go are the volunteers. Have a free hour or two? Would you like to help out and earn a rebate on your membership?  If you’re up for volunteering, please email us!  volunteers@wiscon.net

  1. We always have a strong need for folks who can help out in the Con Suite.
  2. We also have a regular need for volunteers at Registration Desk and the Art Show desk.
  3. Other specific needs are added as needed to the blog’s volunteers tag.

Need to contact Safety?

  • email:  safety@wiscon.net
  • phone:  608-957-7233 (957-SAFE)
  • reporting form: wiscon.net/report

Or look for one of our on-call Safety volunteers. They’re wearing bright yellow/green high-visibility vests.

WisCon social media

WisCon 41

A few notes on Access at WisCon 41

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WisCon ConChairs

Every year, our Access Team works hard to make the con space as navigable as possible for all our members. From the unscented soaps in the public restrooms to the travel lanes on the 6th floor, accessibility is an important priority for WisCon.

A new initiative that we’re very excited about this year is….

Accessible shuttle to / from the Room of One’s Own Reception on Thursday night, for the Guest of Honor readings

Room of One’s Own is about five blocks from the Concourse hotel, which is further than some members are comfortable or able to walk. This year we have reserved a fully accessible shuttle which will be running between the Concourse  and Room of One’s Own!

The reception and Guest of Honor readings start at 6pm.  The shuttle will run between 4:30 and 7:30pm.   The shuttle will be on-demand in that it will collect passengers until it’s full, then make a run and return for more passengers.

A few other notes about accessibility through the rest of the weekend

1st floor carpeting

If you have difficulty navigating the carpeted area next to the elevator bank on the first floor, there is a path to the right of the grand staircase past The Cupboard Under The Stairs™ (previously the business center) and around the far side of the elevators.

Accessible and all-gender restrooms

There are single-occupancy accessible all-gender restrooms in several places in the hotel, including in Conference 1 on the 2nd floor and on the 6th floor between rooms 627 and 629. Panels may be taking place in Conference 1 during the day, but you are always welcome to enter to use the restroom.

Blue tape!

Blue tape is used throughout the convention space to define accessible spaces. Blue-taped areas and chairs in programming rooms are for those who use mobility devices or who may need to sit near the front for whatever reason. Blue-taped lanes in the hallways show you which side of the hall is for walking or rolling and which side is for hanging out — please move to one side if you find yourself stopping to chat in the hall. Blue tape can also indicate where lines should form.

Mobility scooters

Do you need a mobility scooter while you’re in town for WisCon?

Access Do’s and Don’ts

Respect Blue Zones: Please don’t stand in the striped zones. Don’t remove the tape

Do Respect Service Animals  Although interacting with animals is tempting, please don’t pet, distract, or take photos of service animals

Do Use the Quiet Space if you need a break. Don’t Make the Quiet Place a loud place. Respect the space

Do Use microphones on panels. Don’t Ignore requests that you use one.

Do Ask for help if you need it. Don’t feel like asking for assistance is a problem.

Questions, comments, requests?

How can we help make the convention more accessible for you? You can always contact us at access@wiscon.net.

WisCon 41

WisCon 41 Guest of Honor — Kelly Sue DeConnick

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Kelly Sue DeConnick
Kelly Sue DeConnick

From the moment we knew Kelly Sue was going to be one of WisCon 41’s Guests of Honor, we all started counting the days until until Memorial Day weekend 2017.  And we knew late last winter so it’s been a long wait!

AT LAST, the wait is over for all of us.  We are so excited to welcome you to WisCon 41 as we honor Kelly Sue DeConnick and celebrate her work!

About Kelly Sue

Kelly Sue DeConnick is best known for surprise hits like Carol Danvers’ rebranding as Captain Marvel and the Eisner-nominated mythological western, “Pretty Deadly”; the latter was co-created with artist Emma Ríos. DeConnick’s most recent venture, the sci-fi kidney-punch called “Bitch Planet”, co-created with Valentine De Landro, launched to rave reviews in December 2014. DeConnick lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Matt Fraction, and their two children. Under their company Milkfed Criminal Masterminds, Inc., DeConnick and Fraction are currently developing television for NBC/Universal.

Kelly Sue @ WisCon 41

Room of One’s Own Reception and Readings

  • Thursday, 6–7:30pm
  • Room Of Ones Own

Readings by the Guests of Honor at Room of One’s Own Bookstore.

Following and Friendship: Social Media Etiquette for Fans

  • Saturday, 10–11:29am
  • Capitol A

When our faves share their thoughts and give us a peek into their personal lives, it’s enticing to engage as much as possible, but when we’re one of their thousands of followers and they’re likely to receive several notifications at once, where should we draw the line? As creators and creatives, the tenuous balance between being approachable and setting boundaries can take a huge emotional toll on us. How do we encourage fan interaction while holding a reasonable amount of space for ourselves to exist as humans? This panel will explore the nuances of being an inclusive, friendly internet community while still being respectful of the privacy and dignity of people with large public platforms.

Kaffeeklatsch and Guest of Honor Reading

  • Saturday, 4–5:29pm
  • Assembly

Guest of Honor Kelly Sue DeConnick reads from her work and chats with her fans over snacks and coffee.

> Attendance may be limited: Please check with the Registration desk to see if there is a sign-up sheet.

Comics Are for Everybody (with Comic Matchmaking)

  • Sunday, 2:30–3:59pm
  • Wisconsin

The lack of access to local comic shops and fandom culture of exclusion can make it hard for people to feel like there are comics out there “for them”. Comics Are for Everybody is all about proving that there is a comic for every taste.The panel will start by highlighting some lesser known comics and creators for the room, then to do some highly interactive matchmaking. Audience members will name a beloved genre/author/movie/etc. and the group will come up with suggestions for comic books they might not have read, the more under-the-radar the better. Web comics, self-published comics, and manga of course would be welcome (and encouraged).

Guest of Honor Speeches (and Tiptree Ceremony)

  • Sunday, 8:30–10pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

This Guest of Honor event is the high point of WisCon programming; it’s the formal event at which we honor our guests and listen to what they have to say to us. In the past, we’ve heard rallying calls to political action, humorous anecdotes, scholarly treatises, exposes, autobiographies, earthshaking ideas, and passionate and lyrical speeches. For instance, Pat Murphy initiated the Tiptree Award as part of her 1991 Guest of Honor speech at WisCon 15.

WisCon 41

WisCon 41 Guest of Honor — Amal El-Mohtar

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Amal El-Mohtar
Amal El-Mohtar

Word is when we asked Amal to be one of our Guests of Honor, she read the email three times to make sure it was real.  When she accepted?  We pinched ourselves to make sure we were really awake.

This is definitely the best reality, because it’s finally time — We are so thrilled to welcome you to WisCon 41 as we honor Amal El-Mohtar and celebrate her work!

About Amal

Amal El-Mohtar has received the Locus Award, been a  is(!) a Nebula Award winner for her short fiction, and has won the Rhysling Award for poetry three times. She is the author of The Honey Month, a collection of poetry and prose written to the taste of twenty-eight different kinds of honey, and contributes criticism to NPR Books and the LA Times. Her fiction has most recently appeared in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Uncanny Magazine, and The Starlit Wood anthology from Saga Press. She divides her time and heart between Ottawa and Glasgow. Find her online at amalelmohtar.com, or on Twitter @tithenai.

Amal @ WisCon 41

Room of One’s Own Reception and Readings

  • Thursday, 6–7:30pm
  • Room Of Ones Own

Readings by the Guests of Honor at Room of One’s Own Bookstore.

Stop, Collaborate and Listen

  • Friday, 4–5:29pm
  • Conference 2

Amal El-Mohtar has a history of collaborating with likeminded souls, from editing a poetry zine to performing with a troupe of writer/musicians to co-writing fiction and beyond. How is it possible to discover fellow travelers and co conspirators across space and time(zones)? What are the benefits of such long distance collaborations, and how do different kinds of collaborative projects come together?

Music & Miscellania

  • Friday, 9–10:29 pm
  • Michelangelo’s

Come and enjoy a musical extravaganza concocted by bewitching sensations Amal El-Mohtar and C.S.E. Cooney. Their repertoire includes singing, musical instruments of undisclosed types, moderate mayhem and poetry.

Direct Payment and the Creator/Fan Dynamic

  • Saturday, 10–11:29 am
  • Caucus

We’re interested in examining, through a feminist lens, the economics around SFF for writers and creators. With many emerging artists asking for support online through sites like Patreon, writers have more income avenues than ever. How does a direct connection between artist and supporter change the power dynamic? Does this give marginalized creators more direct access to the people they want to reach? Does the ability of working class folks to support the creators they admire change when writers seek funds individually? What do artists end up owing their patrons, supporters, Kickstarter backers, or universities that provide graduate student stipends?

Dance Apocalyptic: Dystopian Fiction and Media In a Dystopian Age

  • Saturday, 1–2:29 pm
  • Capitol A

What is the function of dystopian media in a dystopian world? When fans (and academics) talk about the functions and roles of dystopian stories, it is often assumed that they are worse than the world that the storytellers live in. What about worlds where this isn’t true, or might not be true for very long? Does how we react emotionally to these stories change? Has their function changed? What do we learn from these forms of media?

Guest of Honor Reading

  • Saturday, 2:30–3:59 pm
  • Assembly

Consuming Media

  • Saturday, 4–5:29 pm
  • Conference 2

“Geek” seems to be increasingly defined as a form of material “consumption”. We no longer “watch, read, play” but rather “consume”. How does materialism define geek culture, and how doesn’t it? Is it possible — or desirable — to separate geek culture from materialism?

Borders, Boundaries and Liminal Spaces

  • Sunday, 10–11:29 am
  • Capitol B

Politics has us talking about borders constantly. Not just geopolitical borders but also ones around gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and language. We examine and re-examine how they affect feminist discourse and intersectionality, as Gloria Anzaldua did in her semi-autobiographical book on Mexican and Latinx culture, Borderlands / La Frontera. How do our notions of gender, race, and orientation shift? What kinds of liminal spaces and identities exist for people who regularly cross borders (geographical and otherwise)?

Tastes of Honey with Amal El-Mohtar

  • Sunday, 1–2:29 pm
  • Room 627

In The Honey Month, WisCon Guest of Honor Amal El-Mohtar uses the taste of different varieties of honey as gateways into stories, poetry and more. This honey tasting will allow attendees to enjoy a variety of honeys and get a sense of some of the flavors which inspired The Honey Month.

> Attendance may be limited due to room size: Please check with  the Registration desk to see if there is a sign-up sheet.

Comics Are for Everybody (with Comic Matchmaking)

  • Sunday, 2:30–3:59 pm
  • Wisconsin

The lack of access to local comic shops and fandom culture of exclusion can make it hard for people to feel like there are comics out there “for them”. Comics Are for Everybody is all about proving that there is a comic for every taste.The panel will start by highlighting some lesser known comics and creators for the room, then to do some highly interactive matchmaking. Audience members will name a beloved genre/author/movie/etc. and the group will come up with suggestions for comic books they might not have read, the more under-the-radar the better. Web comics, self-published comics, and manga of course would be welcome (and encouraged).

THE SECOND REBOOT OF THE REMAKE OF THE SEQUEL OF THE NOT ANOTHER F*CKING RACE PANEL

  • Sunday, 4–5:29 pm
  • Wisconsin

The ninth installment of this popular and amazing panel! Writers of color working in F/SF face unique challenges, it’s true. But, at the end of the day, being a “person of color” is only one aspect of what makes up our identities as writers. While it’s very flattering to be asked to be on panels, most of these panels never crack the ceiling of Race 101. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be nice for multiple writers and fans of color to sit on a panel that isn’t about race at all? Here’s our chance to do just that. So, what are we gonna talk about, instead? Practically anything! Presented in game show format, SIX SEASON SERIES BASED ON THE THREE-PART TRILOGY BASED ON THE SINGLE BOOK OF THE NOT ANOTHER F*CKING RACE PANEL brings together writers and fans of color to get their geek on about any number of pop culture topics — none of them race related.

Guest of Honor Speeches (and Tiptree Ceremony)

  • Sunday, 8:30–10pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

This Guest of Honor event is the high point of WisCon programming; it’s the formal event at which we honor our guests and listen to what they have to say to us. In the past, we’ve heard rallying calls to political action, humorous anecdotes, scholarly treatises, exposes, autobiographies, earthshaking ideas, and passionate and lyrical speeches. For instance, Pat Murphy initiated the Tiptree Award as part of her 1991 Guest of Honor speech at WisCon 15.

The SignOut

  • Monday, 11:30 am – 1pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

Come and get things signed! Come and hang out and wind down before you leave.

WisCon 41

WisCon badges — A tale of accessibility, affordability, and sustainability

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Chris Wallish
SF3 Communications Committee

Ah, the humble convention badge. In its most basic form, it says simply, “Please let me into all your sweet programming spaces, for I am a member of this convention (having agreed to your Code of Conduct).” Often, it also says, “The name printed here is my nom de convention. Please use this and no others.”

But at WisCon, our badges say so much more.

The back of the badge

The first line on the back of your badge tells you the name(s) you used during registration — there may be two names listed if you indicated you wanted a specific badge name. This line also lists what type of membership you have (e.g., Adult, Teen, Youth) and how many tickets to the Dessert Salon you purchased (D:0, D:1, D:2, &c.).

On the back of everyone’s badge, we also print the contact information for our Safety team. This includes Safety’s phone number and (new this year!) the URL to use to get to Safety’s online reporting form.

Are you participating in programming this weekend? Your schedule is also printed on the back! This includes the day, time, location, and title of each programming item.

The front of the badge

On the front of your badge we print your name as large as we possibly can so that it’s easy to read from a comfortable distance. Under your name (much smaller) we print you home city, state/province, and country.

And that, in a nutshell, is the stock WisCon badge.

But wait, there’s more!

Pronouns

Pronoun stickers at WisCon 40.
Pronoun stickers at WisCon 40.

We also provide — available at our Registration Desk whenever you’d like to stop by to take them — pronoun stickers. This year’s stickers include she / he / they / e / xe / ou / ze / zie. As well as “any pronouns” and “singular they is always grammatical”. You can absolutely choose to not wear a sticker. You can choose to wear multiple stickers! You can change your sticker(s) throughout the weekend if you want! And if you don’t see the pronoun you need, please email us and we’ll try to get one custom printed for you: registration@wiscon.net If you’d like to know more about our pronoun stickers, this post from last year does a great job of covering the etiquette and protocol of navigating pronouns.

Interaction indicators

A full set of interaction cards at WisCon 40.

Our interaction indicators are an idea that comes from the autism community, and we are proud to offer them for everyone who feels it’s helpful to give folks some guidance on the best way to approach you in any given moment. The cards are designed to fit into your badge holder right behind your badge, with the top portion sticking out to indicate which interaction you prefer. Here’s a quick guide to how to use the cards.

First, take the whole set! You’ll need all of the cards — red/hexagon, yellow/triangle, green/circle — for the system to work. Each of the cards is marked in three ways: by color, by symbol, and with text that spells out the name of the color.

  • Red / square*: STOP. Don’t talk to me! (* A change from WisCon 40 when it was a hexagon.)
  • Yellow / triangle: I only want to talk to people I know in person — not strangers or people I only know from the internet.
  • Green / circle: I would like to talk to people, but I may have trouble initiating conversation.

Please respect these badges! It’s okay to mess up at first — you’ll soon learn to look for them and follow their cues.

“Ask Me!” buttons

“Ask Me” — now in button format for WisCon 41!

Who are these folks with the teal/turquoise buttons that say “Ask Me”? These are concom members and other long-time WisCon attendees who have volunteered to share their vast wealth of WisCon information. Have a question about WisCon? “Where’s the Con Suite?” “When is the Tiptree Auction?” “Can I register for next year’s WisCon yet?” “Which way to the pool??” Anyone wearing an “Ask Me” button can likely answer any of these questions — and many more! Don’t be afraid to ask!

Return your badge holder before you leave

As much as possible, WisCon reuses its badge holders from year to year. This saves us money and reduces waste, which is important for our commitments to affordability and sustainability.

This also means that we ask you to please not affix stickers to your badge holder. Please stick them directly on your badge!

And we also ask you to please not stick convention ribbons on your badge. We especially ask those of you planning parties or readings, and so forth, to not have badges for your event. Yes, badge ribbons look totally awesome! An amazing technicolor convention coat of sorts! But… then we can’t re-use the badge holder, and we’d really like to.

So please, as much as it’s possible, keep your badge holder in pretty good shape and return it to the Registration area as you leave WisCon this year. If you forget or something unspeakable happens to your badge holder, no harm done. We’ll have one for you next year!

WisCon 41

Tiptree @ WisCon 41

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Levi Sable
SF3 Communications Committee

WisCon will once again be hosting the Tiptree Award and Tiptree Auction. This year marks the 26th annual Tiptree Award!  We are delighted to welcome back our Tiptree friends and to host the Award ceremonies and (one of) their annual Auction(s).

The Award

A sneak preview of possible auction items — custom Coke bottles, a Wonder Woman doll, and a copy of Octavia Butler’s “Dawn.”

This year’s Tiptree Award goes to Anna-Marie McLemore for her novel When the Moon was Ours.  Anna-Marie will be at WisCon, receiving her Tiptree crown at Opening Ceremonies on Friday night.  Keep an eye out to congratulate the fantastic individual in the Tiptree crown!

Want to learn more about what goes into choosing a Tiptree winner?   On Saturday, 10-11:15am, stop by Room 605 for “Judging the Tiptree.”  Current Tiptree jury members will discuss the process of judging and selecting the Tiptree Award winners.

The Auction

We’ll be previewing the Tiptree Auction items at the Gathering on Friday afternoon. Items this year include specially labeled bottles of Coke; a Wonder Woman doll; a signed, first edition copy of Octavia Butler’s book Dawn; an enamel pin which says “Write Hard, Die Free;” a first edition, boxed set of the 4-volume history Chicago by Mary Hastings Bradley (Alice Sheldon/James Tiptree Jr.’s mother); a Space Babe Blaster; and much, much more.

Sumana Harihareswara will be Tiptree’s trusty auctioneer again this year — we are so happy to have her back. The Tiptree Auction happens on Saturday night at 7pm until late.  We recommend arriving early and to grab a spot for a fun-filled evening!

The Tiptree folks are still collection donations of books, original art, jewelry, Space Babe memorabilia, and other odd items that fit in with the Tiptree spirit. If you’d like to donate a book, please let them know by filling out their auction Google form ASAP. The sooner they know what things are coming their way, the better the auction will be.

Tiptree = Resistance

And something brand new!  This year the Tiptree Motherboard worked with our Workshops coordinators to develop “Reading Tiptree Winners as Models for Resistance”:

Resistance is so vital to our survival right now. Join this session to participate in a discussion of how stories—specifically, Tiptree-winning stories—can serve as a lens for how to enact resistance. Let’s keep each other alive.

Sound interesting but you missed the Workshops’ sign-up period?  The facilitator has confirmed that they’ll take walk-ups as long as space permits!  And you can follow along with the discussion via the #TiptreeAsResistance hashtag.

Tiptree t-shirts

The 2017 Tiptree t-shirt design, by Freddie Baer.

Another way to help support the Tiptree Award is by purchasing a t-shirt.  Tiptree has a new design annually, so they’re worth collecting!  You can pick one up from the Tiptree table in our Art Show.

WisCon 41

WisCon 41 Madison-area construction update

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Are you driving into Madison for WisCon this year?  Here’s our annual construction update to inform your trip.

39/90 between Madison and the Illinois state line is under heavy construction basically all the time, as they’re expanding it to six lanes. Some bridges are also closed. Godspeed.

There are some construction activities in the city, including near the Concourse, but no worse than usual. Gorham Street has been closed intermittently. The south side of the Capitol Square is being rebuilt, so there will be dust and mobility issues over in that area. Navigation tip: the Concourse is on the west side of Capitol Square.

And as always, the marathon is next weekend, which means buses will be detoured and some roads will be closed on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Info on the races is at runmadtown.com and bus detours are at www.cityofmadison.com/metro/detours/.

Travel safe and see you soon!

WisCon 41

Announcing — the WisCon 41 Dealers’ Room!

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Dealers’ Room Coordinator

Hello!

There are a lot of things to enjoy at a convention — seeing old friends, making new friends, discovering new authors, and having a few days away from the rest of the world.  But, be honest, the shopping is a major part of it.  Online shopping cannot compare to actually seeing, touching, and smelling the goods.

And we have the goods!  The vendors who will be with us this year are below.  Enjoy the con!

20th Century Books :: New and used books, magazines, graphic novels, comics and fantasy-related toys.

A Room of One’s Own Bookstore :: A Room of One’s Own is Madison’s local independent bookstore, serving the WisCon community for over 40 years! A few years ago we moved our store from its former location to combine with Avol’s Used Books, and can now be found at 315 W Gorham Street.

Abby Howard :: I create the webcomics Junior Scientist Power Hour and The Last Halloween, the latter of which recently had a Kickstarter for a huge and beautiful book. I create webcomics and enjoy researching ancient beasts in my spare time.

Alex Heberling :: Alex Heberling draws comics and puts them on the internet. Creator of the magical girl webcomic “The Hues”.

Aqueduct Press :: We publish feminist science fiction & fantasy & books about feminist science fiction & fantasy as well as the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Armory Quest :: We specialize in high quality foam weapons, swords, and masks. All of our products are made for all ages and abilities.

Asha’s Homemade Candles :: I hand pour all natural soy wax candles. I’m inspired by finding scents that remind me of my favorite fictional places and characters. I love mixing candle making with all things geek by finding ways to tie fragrances in with my favorite shows in clever ways! Currently I have candles from many fandoms including: Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Firefly and more!

Book Lynx :: We sell used, rare and vintage SF, fantasy and other books.

Broad Universe :: Broad Universe is a group of women-oriented (not necessarily female) fantasy and science fiction writers. The group promotes our books, and the table will sell members’ books.

Clipped Arts :: Clipped Arts creates a variety of unique items, most which are made from and centered around found objects—especially items which may be overlooked or thrown away. Note card sets, magnets, small mixed-media drawings, and coasters are made from old maps, sheet music, Calvin and Hobbes books, as well as other children’s stories and books of interest. Carefully chosen charms and beads adorn dangle-style earrings. Tiny origami paper cranes can be found inside corked glass bottle ornaments, on jewelry, and inside a gumball-style toy dispensing machine.

DreamHaven Books :: One of the oldest and largest Science Fiction/Fantasy specialty bookstores in the world, now celebrating its 40th year.

Dylan Edwards :: Dylan Edwards is a queer trans artist who creates comics focusing on LGBTQIA+ themes. Notable works include Transposes, Valley of the Silk Sky, Politically InQueerect, and QAT Person. His all-ages monster creations, Feeping Creatures, include handmade art and figurines, jewelry, onesies, and other accessories.

Frugal Muse Books :: We’re a Madison based brick and mortar book store that has supported the local science fiction community since 1994. We hold a monthly SF book discussion and offer new and used books.

Fused Glass by Kathie :: I create one-of-a-kind Fused Glass jewelry and mixed media Fused Glass and Metal wall hangings I call my Tiny Universes. Fused Glass inspires me. It’s about mixing varying shapes and colors of glass, often combining dichroic glass with textured glass to get a 3D effect and not knowing what the result will be until I open up that kiln door. And when it works, it’s glorious. When I look into the depths of the dichroic I see a myriad of colors, enough to fill a universe…at least a Tiny Universe.

Geekery Gal :: Geekery Gal Jewelry and Sass lovingly recycles old comics and other materials into wearable art. 10 percent of all sales go to charity. We also design personalized items for cosplayers and undercover geeks who want just a little geek in their bling.

Ginger Kitten Enterprises :: Ginger Kitten Enterprises is run by Sarah, a mixed-media artist, and sells art for display, as well as jewelry and accessories like magnets, planters, keychains, and more!

The Heathersmith :: Erika Hammerschmidt, author of the science fiction novel Kea’s Flight and other works, makes a wide variety of fantasy-style wire-wrapped gemstone jewelry. Pieces include crowns and tiaras, elf-earrings that make the ears look pointed, jeweled-dagger letter openers, gemstone chess sets, rings, earrings, and necklaces made with crystals, geodes, meteorites, and fossils.

Holly Morningstar Art & Illustration :: Holly Morningstar creates fantastical feminist watercolor paintings rooted in symbolism derived from fairy tales, mythology, and pop culture. Her work focuses on feminine empowerment, sexual liberation, and thriving with disabilities.

Jo Edits :: I am offering my editing service as well as sell writing critiques and quick edits to any interested parties. I’m an editor with twelve years of experience in a number of genres–SF, fantasy, horror, and mostly romance these days. I’m the editor of WisCon Chronicles 7: Shattering Ableist Narratives and dedicated to helping writers of all backgrounds, particularly those who are marginalized. I’ve also taught at the writer’s workshop from 2011-2014.

Lethe Press, Inc. :: We are a queer and speculative fiction press that has been in business since 2001. We hope to provide an outlet for authors wherever they might be in the gender and sexuality spectrum. Our books have won numerous Lambda Literary Awards and the Shirley Jackson Award; our titles have also been finalists for the Andre Norton Award, the Golden Crown Literary Award, and the World Fantasy Award.

Lioness: ornament for people and places :: Shinies! So many shinies! Necklace-crowns, earrings, pendants, necklace, and other named jewelry, some bead and charm assortments, and copies of the anthology “Glass Bead Games” containing stories inspired by the shinies.

Mama’s Minstrel :: Mama’s Minstrel offers spiritual growth workshops, retreats, keynotes, and the sale of my book and my CD. Copies of my book “The World is Your Oracle,” just published by Fair Winds Press, will be for sale, as well as “World is Your Oracle” t-shirts, and CDs of “Chants for the Queen of Heaven,” a recording of Goddess chants from around the world.

Maps and scraps :: We make unique sewn goods from repurposed t-shirts, jeans, and other fabrics. We strive to make each item special. Frequent themes are rock bands, nerdy stuff like Doctor Who and superheroes.

Nerdtastic :: Nerdtastic specializes in handmade jewelry, bath and body products with a pop culture inspiration.

O Human Star :: O Human Star is a science fiction LGBT comic serialized online since 2012.

Oooh Pretties :: Handmade sterling silvery jewelry with amazing stones, ranging from small, simple bead work to larger hand fabricated pieces with something for every budget.

Other Side Press :: Melanie Gillman is a nonbinary graphic novelist who specializes in positive YA comics for queer and trans young readers. They’re the creator of the Eisner- and Ignatz-nominated webcomic “As the Crow Flies”, which follows a group of LGBTQ teens who meet in a Christian youth camp. In addition, they are a co-editor of “The Other Side: An Anthology of Queer Paranormal Romance” and the writer of the “Steven Universe” comics series, published by Boom Studios. They currently live in Tulsa, OK, where they are a 2017-2018 fellow in the Tulsa Artist Fellowship program.

Rosarium Publishing :: Rosarium Publishing is a fledgling publisher (est. 2013) specializing in speculative fiction and comics—all with a multicultural flair. We simply believe that talent does not inherently have a gender, race, religion, or region; talent is everywhere, and we will comb the four corners of this globe to find it. We like to be crazy, wild, provocative. We also like to chill, and there’s never a moment where you won’t find us laughing. If you try to paint us in a corner, we’ll go all TAKI 183 on you and cover it with graffiti. We say that we’re here to “introduce the world to itself,” so you never know where you’ll find us.

Semi-Precious Therapy :: Hand-made jewelry featuring a variety of materials, including semi-precious gemstones, crystal, glass, silver, and copper. Custom orders are also available.

Sign of the Unicorn :: Hand-sculptured jewelry — mostly one-of-a-kind — designed in feminist, mythic, science fiction, and fantasy themes using lost-wax casting and incorporating sterling silver, bronze, 14k gold, and semi-precious stones, and including rings, earrings, and pendants in feminist designs. Additionally, Laurie Toby Edison’s books and photographs Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes, Familiar Men: A Book of Nudes, and Women of Japan, all works done in collaboration with social change activists and feminists, will be available.

Small Beer Press :: Small Beer Press publishes short story collections, novels, and translations, and twice a year, a paper zine, LCRW. This year we will publish Sofia Samatar, Christopher Rowe, Lydia Millet, Juan Martinez, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Kij Johnson, among others.

Unlikely Heroes Studios :: An independent comic book company with a team spread out all over America. They create, print, and publish high-quality comics. Their current piece de resistance is Super!, which follows a ragtag team of amateur heroes as they struggle to make a name for themselves in a universe dominated by more popular, established teams. The group is led officially by Max, the billionaire inventor bankrolling the team, but the true leadership lies within Blitz, the daughter of a hero aspiring to be great in her own right. In the grand tradition of “The Venture Bros.” and “Mystery Men”, “SUPER!” is a loving homage to the genre that knows when to laugh at itself and isn’t afraid to poke fun at comic tropes along the way.

We’re sorry to share that Dealers’ Room favorite PM Press aren’t able to join us this year after all. They sent this message to WisCon:

If you and those you know that will miss us this year, want the consolation of cheap browsing on our website instead (a paltry second best, I know), if you use the coupon code FOPM at the checkout page, it’ll automatically apply a 50% discount to your entire order. There’s no minimum order as such, and that code can be used multiple times. So please feel free to share it with any/all deserving Wisconites…

WisCon 41

WisCon 41 — Announcing Activities at The Gathering

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The Gathering

The Gathering is a great place to meet new people — or reconnect with folks you’ve met at prior WisCons — while learning or helping others to learn a new game or skill. We’ve got ten activities this year, all happening 1-4pm in the Wisconsin Ballroom on the second floor.

Looking for a way to strike up conversations with some of your fellow con attendees? We’ll have an Icebreaker Scavenger Hunt, where you can search for characteristics and experiences. To participate, put stickers from the Icebreaker table on a badge card marking which broad categories apply to you, then start conversations with other people with stickered cards in order to fill out your own scavenger list.

Continuing this year are two well-loved swaps: Clothing and Nail Polish. Calling them “swaps” is a little misleading, everyone is welcome to peruse and take home anything that strikes your fancy — there’s no need to bring things in exchange, though we love it when you bring items to donate!

Our Clothing Swap is a great place to bring those treasured pieces of clothing that you can’t quite bear to donate without assurance that they will be loved by their next owner. The formal gown that no longer fits, the perfect waistcoat that you just can’t justify keeping, or parts of that well-crafted cosplay for a fandom you’ve lost interest in — they can all find new homes! Any clothing is welcome, but we do ask that you don’t just clean out your closet. Rather, bring a few things that you think other WisCon members will love.

New this year for the Clothing Swap:  Please mark whether you’re clothes have been washed with scented laundry products or if you’ve used scent-free.  The scents from laundry products can linger for years in garments, so please only mark your donations as “scent-free laundry products” if you’ve never used scented products!  Our valiant Clothing Swap volunteers will be working to keep scented and scent-free items separate this year.

This is the third year of the Nail Polish Swap. Is your nail polish stash overflowing with colors that looked promising in the store but not quite right on your nails? Come trade for something more your style! Bring some unloved bottles and your enthusiasm for sparkly fingers and find some new colors to experiment with. Even if you don’t have polish to swap, come pick up a bottle to take home. We know you’re eager to swap your neglected polishes for some new pretties, but remember to make sure they haven’t dried out before you pack them up!

When do you drop off your donations for the Clothing and Nail Polish swaps?  You can stop by the ballroom on the 2nd floor of the Concourse on Friday starting at 11am.

In addition to swaps, the Fiber Circle returns for those who knit, spin, crochet, embroider, and more. Just bring your yarn, needles, thread, scissors, and beads.

The Gadget and Device Petting Zoo isn’t a swap, but it is a way to share any neat devices you own, and to try out some of the neat devices belonging to other folks in the WisCon community. The table will be staffed throughout the Gathering, but nonetheless we strongly recommend that if you don’t want to lose it, don’t leave it unattended.

Returning this year is the ever-popular Fancy Hair Braiding, with a braiding expert in attendance to teach techniques and demonstrate rope, round, French, Dutch, and crown braids, shapes like hearts and spirals, and other advanced ideas like 5- and 7-strand fingering techniques. Unfortunately, our second braider, with expertise in kinky, coily hair, is no longer able to attend.

Local makerspace the Bodgery is running a simple e-textiles activity where participants can learn how to combine fiber arts with electronics. As part of this activity, they’ll teach people how to sew a simple circuit using some felt, an LED, a coin-cell battery, and some conductive thread.

We’ll have Tabletop Games, too. You can join the WisCon Gaming team for some light and accessible games while you learn about the variety of gaming offered at WisCon 41. Browse our board game selection, meet GMs and fellow players, and sign up for role-playing games running this year!

Have you ever wished you knew how to pick locks? You can learn at the Gathering this year! Locks and picks will be provided; you just need to bring a steady hand and a sense of curiosity.

As always, the Tiptree Auction Preview will be happening at the Gathering so you can you can view and write bids in advance of the auction on Saturday, where all proceeds support the James Tiptree Jr. Award for thought-provoking SF&F that expands and and explores gender roles.

WisCon 41

Volunteering at WisCon 41 — Lots to do!

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Kristin Livdahl
Volunteers

WisCon is organized and run by volunteers and there are many ways to help out this year. We’ve highlighted a few of those opportunities in recent posts, but we also have opportunities in almost every department. Below is a list of many of the departments that use volunteers — most still need more help. We hope you will give a little bit of your time to help keep WisCon the great event it is!

Each year volunteers receive a special commemorative thank you gift that is only available to volunteers — we’re excited to offer badge wallets/holders this year. After requests for a more neutral color,  we’re going with a black holder with white printing this year.

Also, if you volunteer 6  or more hours (participating in programming counts, too!), you can receive a $20 rebate on your registration as funds allow. Volunteering can be a great way to give and also get a little back to help with convention expenses!

For more information on these or any other volunteer opportunities, please contact Kristin Livdahl, Volunteer Coordinator: volunteers@wiscon.net

Logistics

Often needs someone local to help with directing the movers for convention set-up and tear-down on Thursday and Tuesday.

Con Suite

This area is often understaffed. We need volunteers throughout the convention to provide hospitality to congoers. We also have a need for a few more volunteers who are SafeServ certified or willing to become certified.

Art Show

This area is also often understaffed. Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, tear-down, sales during open hours, and during the show preview.

Access

Needs 1-2 people throughout the convention to set up blue tape — early mornings and before the Opening Ceremony, Tiptree Auction, and Dessert Salon.  Also needs 1-2 more people to help put up signs on Thursday and take down signs on Monday.

Green Room

Needs volunteers throughout the convention as programming runs.

Registration

Is open almost the entire convention and needs volunteers throughout.

Safety

Various shifts open throughout the weekend. Training provided.

Bakesale for Tiptree

Needs volunteers for shifts from on Saturday.

The Gathering

Volunteers are needed to help with set-up and tear-down and to give the people staffing booths breaks during the event.

WisCon 41

Volunteering at WisCon 41 — Art Show, Registration, & Green Room

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Kristin Livdahl
Volunteers

Are you looking for a quiet place to get away from the big crowds for a couple hours? Do you need a way to meet new people at the convention but are more comfortable having people approach you? Do you want to help out with the convention but need a position where you can sit or stay sitting most of the time? We have volunteer opportunities that allow for all of those.

Art Show

The Art Show is usually a quiet oasis during the convention and there are many shifts available during the convention. Volunteers staff the desk during the show preview, assist with sales and check out sold items near the end of the convention. This area has traditionally been understaffed.

Registration

Helping check people in and register new arrivals is one of the best ways to meet new people and put faces with names. Email in advance if you are interested in taking a shift — or stop by at the beginning of the convention to see when they need help. Volunteers are needed for shifts from Thursday until Monday.

Green Room

We can always use a few more dependable volunteers to take shifts helping in the Green Room which is open during all the hours programming runs. Volunteers count attendance at programs, assist programming participants with name tents and other duties. The Green Room is great way to meet some of the interesting people who are participating in panels, readings and other programming in a relaxed environment.

For more information on these or any other volunteer opportunities, please contact Kristin Livdahl, Volunteer Coordinator at volunteers@wiscon.net

WisCon 41

Volunteering at WisCon 41 — the Con Suite

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Kristin Livdahl
Volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeblood of WisCon and essential to keeping the convention the wonderful, diverse gathering that it is. We will be featuring a few of the many volunteer opportunities available during the con over the next few days and hope you will consider giving back to WisCon by volunteering.

Providing hospitality is part of our commitment to making WisCon affordable and accessible to everyone and the Con Suite is one of the busiest places during WisCon. Because of this, it is also the one that often needs the most volunteers. We have ConSuite shifts available starting at noon on Thursday (for set-up) and running throughout the convention. Please help us out by signing up for a shift or two. Most shifts are two hours long and we have times to fit everyone’s schedules.

We also still have a need for ServSafe certified (a requirement of our providing food for congoers) volunteers to take the lead on a four hour shift . There is still time to get certified: the course and test is online and will only take a couple hours and WisCon will reimburse you for the course fee of $15-16.

(This post from last year provides some useful info about ServSafe — what it is and why we need it.)

For more information on these or any other volunteer opportunities, please contact Kristin Livdahl, Volunteer Coordinator at volunteers@wiscon.net