Sirens

Sirens Shuttle

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:29:33 GMT

We have good news—and even better news! First, we have finished our research on the Sirens Shuttle, so we have dates, times, and other information for you. Second, and even better, the ticket price is cheaper than last year!

Just like in past years, as the logistics and cost of arranging transportation between the closest airport and the Sirens hotel can be daunting, we're offering the Sirens Shuttle, a charter bus reserved just for Sirens's attendees. We hope this helps you travel more cheaply, ride in comfort, and enjoy the company of friends along the way.

When will the Sirens Shuttle run?
The Sirens Shuttle will pick up from Portland International Airport at 3:30 p.m. on both Wednesday, October 10, and Thursday, October 11. The Sirens Shuttle will pick up from Skamania Lodge at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 14. The Sunday departure time is admittedly strange, but we noticed that some major connecting flights depart for the East Coast at 12:15 p.m., and we wanted to make sure those flights were an option for riders.

What flight times work?
We recommend that you book a flight arriving in Portland no later than 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday or Thursday (depending on which day you arrive). We recommend that you book a flight leaving Portland no earlier than 12:15 p.m. on Sunday.

What does the shuttle cost?
Round-trip tickets on the Sirens Shuttle cost $75. That’s actually less than a one-way trip on a commercial shuttle—and, of course, less than half the cost of a round trip!

What is the Sirens Shuttle route?
Our shuttle will follow the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway from Portland to Skamania (and back). The view is majestic, with the Cascade Mountains rising on either side of the Columbia River. And the nice thing about a bus is that you can do all the gawking—and picture-taking—that you like! The shuttle will make a brief stop at Multnomah Falls in Oregon, one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the United States, for sight-seeing on Wednesday and Thursday.

How do I buy a shuttle ticket?
Our shuttle tickets are now available in our registration system. If you've yet to register for Sirens, just add the shuttle when you do. If you've already registered, just log back in to your registration and add the shuttle. You won't need your flight information to add a shuttle ticket yet, but if you don't have your information now, please make sure to add it to your registration later this summer so we can track your flights.

What if I have questions?
Ask! Just shoot us an e-mail at (registration at sirensconference.org) and we'll be glad to help.

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 7 (May 2012)

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:37:57 GMT

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens message boards, mailing list, LiveJournal, and Facebook. Certain other updates are posted on the conference’s Twitter. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you’ll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives to this longer post, please click here.

Volume 4 – Issue 7
May 2012

Programming Proposal Deadline
The deadline for proposing programming is Sunday, May 6, 2012. That’s just 4 days away! We can’t emphasize enough how important it is that you take part. Your thoughts on everything from this year’s theme, tales retold, to fantasy by and about women, to craft-focused presentations and even general fantasy discussion are welcome—but we do need you to submit them for consideration! Even though the proposal deadline is now, you’ll have until October to finish your paper or presentation, polish your panel, refine your workshop, firm up your roundtable discussion questions, or add the finishing touches to your afternoon class.

Where to Get More Information
We highly recommend the following links:
The programming section of the Sirens website
This is where we go over our requirements for programming in a formal manner, and where you can find the submissions system to provide us with your proposal.

The archive section of the Sirens website
For all of your questions about whether something has ever been presented before.

The Sirens LiveJournal programming tag
For a series of informal posts on how to put together a proposal.

(programming at sirensconference.org)
Where to e-mail us for more specific questions or for clarification.

Where to Find Collaborators
Folks have ads up and are looking for people to partner for presentations at...
This brainstorming post
The Sirens Chat LiveJournal
Facebook
Sirens message boards

Programming Deadline Chat
Just ahead of the programming deadline, we’ll open the chat room so that you can get last-minute feedback from others, ask questions, or just hang out to be a cheerleader and talk about books. Please note that this chat is at an unusual time for us!

DATE: Friday, May 4, 2012
TIME: 9 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. Pacific), lasting about two hours
LOCATION: www.sirensconference.org/chat/

Remember, you won’t need any special software or a login; the page will turn into a chat room during the chat time. (You will need to refresh the page if it isn’t in chat mode when you arrive.)

You’re Excited About...

Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue, a companion book to both Graceling and Fire, was released on May 1! Veronica Roth’s Insurgent, sequel to Divergent, was also released on May 1! --Sabrina

And Kristin Cashore, a past Sirens's guest of honor, is going on tour for Bitterblue. More info is on her blog: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/--Amy

Flora’s Fury, the third book in Ysabeau Wilce’s Flora series, about a plucky girl in a very strange world indeed, is coming out May 8. --Sarah

Travel Tip: Sirens Shuttle
Are you waiting for the information on the Sirens Shuttle from Portland International Airport to Skamania Lodge before you finalize your plans? We are too! We’ve been working with local transportation providers on quotes so that we can, in turn, offer you a no-fuss option for getting to and from Sirens at a cost cheaper than car rentals and private shuttles. We just about have the details sorted, and we expect to pass them on to you later this month. Once the Sirens Shuttle information is ready, you’ll be able to add a ticket to a new registration or log in to your existing reservation to purchase your space on the shuttle.

Travel Tip: Hotel Reservations
Skamania Lodge is part of the same hotel system as the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, so you might already be familiar with their reservation policies. If you’re not, Skamania Lodge operates a little differently from most hotels. One of the differences is that you need to make or change reservations in advance of when you might make them at other venues. You can get the discounted Sirens rate from October 7-16, in case you’d like to extend your stay, but reservations and changes must be made by September 18, 2012. For more about Skamania’s policies, please visit the Skamania Lodge page on the Sirens website.

If you missed the pictures from our recent staff trip to Skamania Lodge, you can see them on the Sirens website here.

Questions? You can comment here or write to us at (help at sirensconference.org).

Get Involved with Programming, Part Six: Workshops and Afternoon Classes

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:55:52 GMT

There are just 21 days left to get proposals for 2012 in to the vetting board! Jump on over to the programming section of the Sirens website if you're ready to submit your proposal now.

A brainstorming session is up at http://sirenscon.livejournal.com/45083.html! Also, if you're looking for co-presenters, why not place an ad in one--or all--of these places?
sirenschat
Facebook
Sirens message boards

Reminder: Programming Chat
Want to brainstorm? Looking for collaborators? Need to talk out your idea? We're devoting our next chat to programming: topic discussions, possible collaborator matching, and answering all of your questions about the proposal submissions process. As always, general chatter, book chatter, and conference questions are welcome as well: bring your recommendations of what to read. We hope you'll join us!

DATE: Sunday, April 22. 2012
TIME: 11:00 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. Pacific), lasting about two hours
LOCATION: www.sirensconference.org/chat/
You don't need to download anything or have any special software to participate: the webpage will turn into a chat room when the chat begins.

In this last part of our annual series on programming proposals, it makes sense to us to combine our posts about proposing workshops and afternoon classes because the format for both types of proposals is very much the same.

Workshops
Workshop sessions are led by an instructor and focus on the application and practice of craft. Generally, an attendee will expect to gain or expand upon a particular skill at a workshop, and the opportunity for participation marks this style of presentation. Seating specifics depend on the allotted rooms and overall program schedule, but typically, workshops have limited seating so that the instructor (or instructors) can answer questions and provide assistance to all of a workshop's attendees. These often focus on some aspect of fantasy-related craft, like writing or art, but might also take a practical turn, perhaps helping the audience plan a book club/reading group, addressing professional topics, or providing resources and hands-on time for planning library collections. Workshops are scheduled in 50-minute time blocks; a request in one’s abstract (or lesson plan) for additional time can be considered for more in-depth presentations.

Afternoon Classes
Less formal demonstrations or classes in areas related to fantasy literature may be proposed as well. They are not meant to replace workshops; instead, they are an opportunity for presentations that are of interest to fantasy fans but that are less closely related to the conference's focus or theme, or topics that are fantasy-based but not necessarily related to a particular work. A non-exhaustive list of sample topic areas includes historical dress and music, martial arts, weaponry, battle strategy, costume construction, and so forth. Afternoon classes may be similar to workshops or be more demonstration-based, and may be led by one instructor or a group. Lesson plans are a welcome alternative to abstracts for this type of proposal. These classes are scheduled in blocks that range from one hour to 90 minutes, depending on available spaces during the conference, but instructors should plan for a shorter time block rather than a longer one.

And please note: If you’re unsure about which particular proposal type to choose, we’re happy to help. You can leave a comment here, attend an open chat, or write to (programming at sirensconference.org) for a consultation.

Getting Started
First, you'll need to choose a focus for your workshop or class. What do you know that you can teach to someone else--in about an hour? How can you make your workshop interactive and relevant? Are you aiming your workshop at beginners, intermediates, or advanced participants? Once you've focused your idea, you'll need some information ready to make your proposal.

Personal Information
First, we'll ask you for some contact information (which is not shared with the vetting board). All correspondence about your proposal will be sent via e-mail, so make sure to use a contact address that you'll have through the end of 2012. Please don't use your LiveJournal forwarding address; our correspondence to you will most likely bounce. You should also add (programming at sirensconference.org) to your safe sender list so that correspondence is delivered to your inbox.

Next, we'll ask for name to be published for presenter on website, schedule, and program. While we ask for some personal information to allow our registrar to confirm your status as a registered attendee, we know you might want to use a different name for your presentation, whether that's a pseudonym, an online handle, or a formal name that you use professionally. (Please note that we do drop titles on our schedule and with presentation summaries, but you're welcome to note titles and professional credentials in your biography.) The "name to be published" will be the name we show to the vetting board and programming volunteers, as well as the one connected to your presentation.

We'll allow you to specify professional affiliation. This is for those presenters who wish to note their association with a university, and occasionally, a business or professional organization if their presentation is related in some way. Some people use this field, and others don't.

Finally, we'll need your biography. Tell us, in under 100 words, a little about you. A couple of sentences is fine! You can explain any experience or studies--or even long-term interest--in your topic, tell us where you're going to school, or what you do as a job or as a hobby. Shorter is better, since space is limited.

Proposal Information
There are three items that you'll need for a complete workshop or afternoon class proposal.

First, you'll need a title. Remember that this will be shown to the vetting board, so neither "Untitled" nor "TBA" is a good title idea! On the other hand, you don't have to come up with an obscure or witty title--just one that explains what your presentation is about.

Next, you'll need a summary of no more than 100 words. This is the very short version of your presentation that will be published in the program book and on the Sirens website. This is where you have the chance to impress and attract an audience who will be interested in participating in your workshop and learning from you. It should be concise, written for a general audience (in other words, avoid slang and jargon, if you can), and give people a sense of your perspective on the topic. Here's one example that we've borrowed from "Whose Side Are You On: The Power of Point of View" which was presented at Terminus:

Imagine the story of Harry Potter as told from Dumbledore’s point of view, or how different book seven would be if we were inside Snape’s head. Would we have loved this tale so much if it had been presented from another viewpoint? Choosing the right voice for your story can make all the difference. In this workshop, we’ll explore the different types of point of view, their benefits and limitations, and explore how changing POV can drastically alter a story through a writing exercise.

Finally, you'll need an abstract of no more than 500 words. An abstract is a complete--but short--version of your presentation. For a workshop or afternoon class, you can choose to summarize your workshop in a paragraph or two, or you might put together a lesson plan for your workshop instead. (In fact, a lesson plan is welcomed; an outline of your plans can be more helpful than a summary of your philosophy. Please note, however, that a lesson plan is more than just an outline. A lesson plan includes, very specifically, what a student will learn, how the teacher will go about the lesson, and what the outcome will be.) Here are a couple of resources you might use to put together a brief but cohesive abstract section for your proposal:
An article on abstracts prepared for Terminus, a past event from Narrate Conferences
How to Write an Abstract by Philip Koopman at Carnegie Mellon University (a formal article for those writing academic papers, but a good place to start)
A very detailed lesson plan format (you could condense the main points for your abstract section)

If you’d prefer to write a formal abstract, some of the previous posts in this series included more in-depth information.

Timing and Audio-Visual Requests
If you choose to propose a workshop or class and it is accepted, you'll be scheduled in a 50-minute time block (unless you’ve explained and justified a request for additional time and we’re able to provide it). If you have a workshop or class idea that could be presented in less than one hour, please consider teaming up with another presenter to team teach or present on two items in a 50-minute block.

Workshops seat 25-40 attendees, so the provision of microphones depends on the overall schedule, the size of the room we have available for your workshop, and so on. You can make a request for an easel, LCD projector, or DVD player, but please remember that we prioritize use of equipment for visually-oriented presentations, and consider what you might do if extra audio-visual support isn't available. We do try to fulfill as many audio-visual requests as possible, particularly for presentations like workshops, but it never hurts to have a plan B in mind. Afternoon classes are supported in much the same way, though of course, a demonstration or class where materials aren’t needed might seat quite a few more people.

FAQ about Proposals for Workshops and Afternoon Classes
Do you accept all proposals?
No; we forward all proposals to the vetting board, which selects which workshops will be accepted for Sirens.

If my proposal is declined, can you tell me why?
Unfortunately, we can’t. We simply have too many proposals, and we don’t ask the vetting board members to write up formal feedback. We can say, however, that proposals are never declined because they include unpopular opinions or controversial takes, or on the basis of personal relationships; the board is designed so that no single person accepts or declines a submission. In the past, we've found ourselves in the lucky position of having more excellent ideas than we could include.

Should I contact the vetting board about my proposal?
Please do not contact the vetting board members about your proposal. They make their decisions confidentially, and can’t answer questions about the status of your workshop. Instead, please write to (programming at sirensconference.org).

How many proposals can I make?
As many as you like. If you find that you've had a high acceptance rate and that you're overcommitted, we do request that you consider whether or not you can make that many presentations before we complete the final schedule.

What are the requirements for presenting? Do I have to be a teacher or scholar?
Our only requirement is that you be eligible to attend Sirens, which means that you must be at least 18 years old by October 10, 2012. We have no academic or professional requirements, and in the past we’ve received excellent presentations from high school students, grandmothers, professors, musicians, fans, and teachers, among others.

What is the proposal deadline?
May 6, 2012.

What if I make a proposal and it’s accepted, but I can’t come?
If you find out that you won’t be able to attend before July 1, 2012, you can ask around to see if someone can take your place. Perhaps another attendee would be willing to fill in at the conference if you can provide your lesson plan. We appreciate it when you make an effort to ensure that your presentation can remain on the schedule. If you’re unsure what to do, write to (programming at sirensconference.org) and we'll talk about options.

Can I change the title of my workshop or class later? Can I change the format or focus of my presentation?
If you provide us with the information before the presentation is passed on to the vetting board, then yes, you may make changes to the title or summary, as long as the focus of your workshop is not substantially changed. You may not change your presentation’s direction or format once it has been accepted; the proposal that you entered is the one that the board approved. If you wish to make substantial changes to your presentation, and it is earlier than May 6, 2012, please withdraw your existing presentation and create a new one.

Can I request a specific day and time for my presentation?
Unfortunately, no. While we will take certain immovable factors into account, such as jury duty or presenting at another conference during the same weekend, we have so many presenters that we’re unable to take scheduling requests (everyone wants to present at the same time, but without being at the same time as any other presentation!). The schedule depends on our ability to create thematic tracks of presentations, our need to accommodate presenters who have multiple presentations, any restrictions on space, and availability of audio-visual equipment.

Do you "track" presentations?
We make an attempt to schedule presentations into morning and afternoon tracks by theme and by type of presentation. The advantage here is that an attendee could spend half a day absorbed in a topic or theme without needing to move from room to room. We aren't always able to do so, however, due to the reasons we mentioned above.

How can I connect with other presenters or collaborators?
Please feel free to post responses here, and to check out our message boards to suggest ideas that you’d like to see someone propose, to search for collaborators, and to brainstorm topics.

Questions? Concerns? Please e-mail general queries to (help at sirensconference.org) and questions about programming to (programming at sirensconference.org).

Sirens Site Visit Update

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:59:36 GMT

Happy spring! Our Sirens team, on a visit to Skamania last week, had a beautiful mix of sunshine and temperamental rain, much like you might expect from the Pacific Northwest in April. Which means that our pictures from our rooms at Skamania range from this:

To this:

But don’t let me get ahead of myself with the amazing pictures of the Columbia River and the Cascade Mountains! We were there to do things other than gawk, and I promise we did.

As many of you know, moving a conference takes a lot of time, consideration, and care. Things that we’ve long since figured out about Vail – the conference schedule, the marketplace, Jake the Bus Driver – have to be reconsidered and reconfigured. So off we went to Skamania to meet with our hotel team.

You’ll be pleased to know that Skamania remains simply wonderful: cozy public spaces, thoughtful staff, glorious views. Our team has voted, and we think it’s actually prettier than Vail. (Seriously, take a look at the pictures above.) And it’s only 207 feet above sea level!

The lobby has all-day coffee, tea, and cocoa; a Forest Service office with advice about surrounding trails and wildlife; and a fabulous sitting area that offers a three-story real-wood fireplace:

And, oh, the view from the lobby looks like this:

The hotel has two restaurants, though, alas, no marketplace, so item number one was to discuss how to offer attendees quick-shop meal options throughout the day. I’m happy to report that we’re well on our way to not only doing so, but doing so with locally sourced food. The new chef – who stopped by our breakfast – is charming, fun, and best of all, interested in continuing Skamania’s commitment to local food sourcing. Here are some of his creations:

Green eggs and ham:

And winter desserts:

We’re also well on our way to rolling out custom catering menus for our Sirens meals. We’ve emphasized our desire for local, creative options, so we’re waiting to see if that means Columbia River Gorge fish, pasta with local vegetables, the most fabulous tofu curry, or something entirely different! (Can you tell I’m pulling for the tofu?)

By the way, if you’re taking the Sirens Shuttle, more information is coming soon! But the views along the shuttle route to Skamania look like this:

The view from Vista House:

To the view of Multnomah Falls, the second-highest, year-round waterfall in the United States at 620 feet:

If I were you, I might think about taking the shuttle just so I could gawk without becoming a hazard!

If you feel like relaxing, Skamania – of course! – has a spa and some amazing pools and hot tubs! (We did not take pictures, since there were people, but the outside hot tub is especially fun.) And if you’re feeling more adventurous, there are hiking trails…with evidence of a sasquatch:

Now that we’ve met with the Skamania team, we’ll have more information about our schedule, our menus, our shuttle, and other programs coming in the next couple months. In the meantime, though, remember that our programming submissions deadline is May 6, 2012. And if you have any questions or concerns, just ask!

Get Involved with Programming, Part Five: Roundtable Discussions

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:26:09 GMT

There are just 26 days left to get proposals for 2012 in to the vetting board! Jump on over to the programming section of the Sirens website if you're ready to submit your proposal now.

A brainstorming session is up at http://sirenscon.livejournal.com/45083.html! Also, if you're looking for co-presenters, why not place an ad in one--or all--of these places?
sirenschat
Facebook
Sirens message boards

Next up in our ongoing series on preparing a programming proposal: roundtable discussions!

In brief, roundtable discussions are group chats led by a single moderator, and they depend on audience interaction for success. These discussions are scheduled in rooms that accommodate 20-30 attendees so that all can take an active part in the discussion, and so that it’s possible for the moderator to keep the discussion on track. Roundtables are proposed and led by Sirens attendees, so we hope you'll consider leading one, too.

If you're trying to figure out whether a topic is best suited to a roundtable or a panel, consider the degree of interactivity and the scale of participation. A roundtable is meant to be a small and highly interactive discussion among, say, 25 people, with one person keeping order and keeping the conversation moving; the topic needs to be familiar, or accessible, to most of the audience.

On the other hand, a panel is meant to be a small and highly interactive discussion among 3-5 panelists, with one person keeping order and keeping the conversation moving. The topic can be more specialized, as the panelists can explain the topic as part of their discussion. For a roundtable, the interest is in the discussion the audience brings to the presentation, and for the panel, the interest is in the viewpoints, discussion and knowledge of the panelists.

Getting Started
The first step, of course, is choosing a topic. What do you think will make for an interesting discussion? Is it likely that at least a handful of attendees will be able to contribute to the discussion? Is this a topic that you feel comfortable moderating, even if the discussion becomes heated?

Your topic might be broad; for example, you might propose a roundtable on fantasy that's pushing the boundaries of the genre. It might be narrow; you might discuss characters in a particular book or series. Either way, you'll need to have some information at hand to make your proposal.

Personal Information
First, we'll ask you for some contact information (which is not shared with the vetting board). All correspondence about your proposal will be sent via e-mail, so make sure to use a contact address that you'll have through the end of 2011 and that you check regularly. We recommend that you do not use an @livejournal address, as e-mails sent to those addresses usually bounce back to us. You should also add (programming at sirensconference.org) to your safe sender list so that correspondence is delivered to your inbox.

Next, we'll ask for Name to be published for presenter on website, schedule, and program. While we ask for some personal information to allow our registrar to confirm your status as a registered attendee, we know you might want to use a different name for your presentation, whether that's a pseudonym, an online handle, or a formal name that you use professionally. (Please note that we do drop titles on our schedule and with presentation summaries, but you're welcome to note titles and professional credentials in your biography.) The "name to be published" will be the name we show to the vetting board and programming volunteers, as well be as the one connected to your presentation.

We'll allow you to specify professional affiliation. This is for those presenters who wish to note their association with a university, and occasionally, a business or professional organization if their presentation is related in some way. Some people use this field, and others don't.

Finally, we'll need your biography. Tell us, in under 100 words, a little about you. A couple of sentences is fine! You can explain any experience or studies--or even long-term interest--in your topic, tell us where you're going to school, or what you do as a job or as a hobby. Shorter is better, because space is limited.

Proposal Information
There are three items that you'll need for a complete panel proposal.

First, you'll need a title. Remember that this will be shown to the vetting board, so neither "Untitled" nor "TBA" is a good title idea! On the other hand, you don't have to come up with an obscure or witty title--just one that explains what your roundtable is about.

Next, you'll need a summary of no more than 100 words. This is the very short version of your presentation that will be published in the program book and on the Sirens website. Here's one example:

This roundtable will discuss the character of Luna Lovegood, particularly what we learn about her in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We knew she was a little ditzy, a little unconventional, but in the final book, we find out a great deal more. Let's discuss the girl who isn’t a fighter, but who is integral to Dumbledore’s Army.

For inspiration, you might visit the Sirens archive to read summaries that have been accepted in the last few years.

Finally, you'll need an abstract of no more than 500 words. An abstract is a complete--but short--version of your presentation. For roundtable discussions, however, you have the option of submitting sample discussion questions instead of an abstract, and this option is highly recommended. You'll need at least ten thoughtful questions. An example of how you might approach your abstract as a series of questions is included below.

1. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna refuses to be bullied, in part because she does not respond to that sort of attention. How does this illuminate her decision to become part of Dumbledore's Army?

2. Do you think she's inclined toward resistance due to her beliefs about what is right, or because she's already inclined to be unconventional?

3. How has Harry's understanding of and relationship with Luna changed over the last few books? What about Luna's relationship with other members of The Six?

4. J. K. Rowling uses Luna as the commentator for the last Quidditch match we see in the books. Why Luna? What particular meta commentary can only Luna make here? What other characters might have worked in the same role, if not Luna?

5. What role do you think Luna played in Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

6. How do you think Luna responded to punishment she received while at Hogwarts during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

7. We finally meet someone from Luna's family: Xenophilius Lovegood. Is this the home life you'd imagined for Luna?

8. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Luna is briefly matched against Bellatrix with Hermione and Ginny. Is there something more here--is this partly because Bellatrix and Luna are both guided by faith, or perhaps to show Luna as having "grrl power"?

9. Many of the women in the Harry Potter series could be said to represent ideas for Harry--love, family, etc. What does Luna represent?

10. J. K. Rowling has mentioned in an interview that she imagines Luna going on to become a naturalist and marry a grandson of Newt Scamander. Is this what you imagined for her? What other alternatives would seem likely, given what we learned about Luna in the series?

If you’d prefer to write a formal abstract, some of the previous posts in this series included more in-depth information. View them via the programming tag on LiveJournal.

Timing and Audio-Visual Requests
If you choose to propose a roundtable discussion, these two items are filled in for you. We'll schedule roundtable discussions as 50-minute blocks. Plan for at least 40 minutes of lively discussion, and you'll probably find that audience questions and contributions easily fill 50 minutes!

Roundtable discussions are scheduled in rooms seating 20-30 attendees, so no microphone will be needed or provided, and projection is not available. Need a visual aid? Consider printing out one or two copies to pass around the room.

FAQ about Proposals for Roundtable Discussions
Do you accept all roundtable discussions?
No; we forward all proposals to the vetting board, which selects which roundtables will be accepted for Sirens.

If my roundtable discussion is declined, can you tell me why?
Unfortunately, we can’t. We simply have too many proposals, and we don’t ask the vetting board members to write up formal feedback. We can say, however, that proposals are never declined because they include unpopular opinions or controversial takes, or on the basis of personal relationships; the board is designed so that no single person accepts or declines a submission. In the past, we've found ourselves in the lucky position of having more excellent ideas than we could include.

Should I contact the vetting board about my roundtable discussion?
Please do not contact the vetting board members about your proposal. They make their decisions confidentially, and can’t answer questions about the status of your roundtable discussion. Instead, please write to (programming at sirensconference.org).

How many proposals can I make?
As many as you like. If you find that you've had a high acceptance rate and that you're overcommitted, we do request that you consider whether or not you can make that many presentations before we complete the final schedule.

What are the requirements for presenting? Do I have to be a teacher or scholar?
Our only requirement is that you be eligible to attend Sirens, which means that you must be at least 18 years old by October 11, 2012. We have no academic or professional requirements, and in the past we’ve received excellent presentations from high school students, grandmothers, professors, musicians, fans, and teachers, among others.

What is the proposal deadline?
May 6, 2012.

What if I make a proposal and it’s accepted, but I can’t come?
If you find out that you won’t be able to attend before June 2, 2012, you can ask around to see if someone can take your place. Perhaps another attendee would be willing to fill in for you at the conference if you can provide your sample questions. We appreciate it when you make an effort to ensure that your roundtable can remain on the schedule. If you’re unsure what to do, write to (programming at sirensconference.org) and we'll talk about options.

Can I change the title of my roundtable later? Can I change the format or focus of my presentation?
If you provide us with the information before the roundtable is passed on to the vetting board, then yes, you may make changes to the title or summary, as long as the focus of your roundtable is not substantially changed. You may not change your presentation’s direction or format once it has been accepted; the proposal that you entered is the one that the board approved. If you wish to make substantial changes to your presentation, and it is earlier May 6, 2012, please e-mail us to withdraw your existing presentation and then create a new one.

Can I request a specific day and time for my presentation?
Unfortunately, no. While we will take certain immovable factors into account, such as jury duty or presenting at another conference during the same weekend, we have so many presenters that we’re unable to take scheduling requests (everyone wants to present at the same time, but without being at the same time as any other presentation!). The schedule depends on our ability to create thematic tracks of presentations, our need to accommodate presenters with multiple presentations, any restrictions on space, and availability of audio-visual equipment.

Do you "track" presentations?
We make an attempt to schedule presentations into morning and afternoon tracks by theme and by type of presentation. The advantage here is that an attendee could spend half a day absorbed in a topic or theme without needing to move from room to room. It doesn't always work out that way, due to the factors we listed above.

How can I connect with other presenters or collaborators?
Please feel free to post responses here, and to check out our message boards and Facebook to suggest ideas that you’d like to see someone propose, to search for collaborators, and to brainstorm topics.

Questions? Concerns? Please e-mail general queries to (help at sirensconference.org) and questions about programming to (programming at sirensconference.org).

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 6 (April 2012)

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:14:42 GMT

Volume 4 – Issue 6
April 2012

Programming
Our programming submission deadline approaches! Our programming schedule, from topics to presentation types, is drawn from the submissions we receive from attendees. In other words, if you’d like to see it, you should propose it—or convince someone else to. We certainly hope you’ll consider taking part!

And we’re here to help! Our annual series on programming and how to be involved continues on LiveJournal under the programming tag: http://sirenscon.livejournal.com/tag/programming

There are currently posts on general preparation, papers, panels, and brainstorming (the last one is here: http://sirenscon.livejournal.com/45083.html).

Also, if you're looking for co-presenters, why not place an ad in one--or all--of these places?
sirenschat
Facebook
Sirens message boards

The deadline for proposing papers, panels, workshops, roundtable discussions, and afternoon classes is May 6, 2012. Those five weeks will fly by! If you have questions, please feel free to ask them here or to write to (programming at sirensconference.org).

Chat
The Sirens team will host a chat on Sunday, April 22. We'll make it a combined chat: lots of book talk, lots of reconnecting, and lots of programming brainstorming. Questions welcome!
Date: April 22
Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. Pacific)
You don't need any special software or programs to participate; the page at http://www.sirensconference.org/chat/ will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time. (You may need to refresh the page.)

You're Excited About...

Black Heart, the third book in the Curse Workers series by Holly Black, is due out April 3rd! -- Sabs

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is up for Teen Choice Book of the Year at the 2012 Children's Choice Book Awards. More information about the award, the other finalists and the Children's Book Council can be found here: http://www.bookweekonline.com/voting. Voting ends May 3. -- Faye

April showers will bring Banner of the Damned!! Woot woot. -- Kristen

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson comes out on April 17! -- Hallie

Mt. Rainier

Mt. Hood

Mt. St. Helens

Seattle (take at least one ferry ride!)

Portland (check out: Powell's Bookstore, Voodoo Doughnut, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry)

The Oregon coast, including Seaside, Lincoln City, and Cannon Beach

Maryhill Winery and Maryhill Museum of Art--as well as other wine-friendly stretches of Oregon and Washington

Multnomah Falls, Vista House, and other sights in the Columbia River Gorge

Ka-Nee-Ta Resort on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation

The temperate rainforest and cold Pacific beaches of the Olympic Peninsula

And, of course, you can always extend your stay at Skamania Lodge to read, write, hike, spa, swim, or soak in one of several hot tubs. Our discounted room rates are good from October 7 to October 16, 2012, based on availability.

Sirens Review Squad

In Nalo Hopkinson's Midnight Robber (2000), young Tan-Tan is swept along when her father, an ethically challenged mayor named Antonio Habib, is exiled from their home on Toussaint to a bushland place called New Half-Way Tree, "the mirror planet of Toussaint" (2). This invocation of a mirror bears significance, for Midnight Robber interlaces two narratives: Tan-Tan's obstacle-ridden coming of age, directed transparently to the reader, and its mirror-tale iteration of Tan-Tan the Robber Queen's exploits, which a computer addresses to a fetus about to be born. The two strands become tangled to excellent effect, and they strengthen Tan-Tan--in the reader's mind and possibly in Tan-Tan's--for the final confrontation of an assault-driven trauma.

Like many SF novels, though unlike them in its awareness of the practice, Hopkinson's novel extrapolates its futuristic setting from the cultures with which its author grew up. Thus, the shorthand signifiers that enable science fiction novels to avoid being mired in successive infodumps have a Caribbean-inflected basis here: a personal AI helper is an eshu, for example, and the distributed nanocomputer network that watches over the Toussaint colony is known as Granny Nanny or Granny 'Nansi. Logical. Yet the latter choice is not a simple substitution for "web": Anansi is the ubiquitous spider-trickster of Caribbean and West African tales, traditionally male, and the character's refiguration here as a protective, vaguely maternal social guardian with which everyone on Toussaint is infected moves right through folkloric allusion to ethical declaration. The didactic adventure-tales of the narrative's mirror strand help the reader to comprehend the values and ideals of the cultures Tan-Tan passes through--though, of course, their narration by Granny Nanny, an exceptionally unreliable narrator (and trickster?), also makes them suspect, as the reader sees regarding the douen, a species indigenous to New Half-Way Tree.

With Midnight Robber Hopkinson has not only told a solidly engaging story but knotted into it implicit and explicit critiques of how we envision futures--future individuals, cultures, countercultures--when we write and read.

(If you have trouble with the novel's use of patois, read it aloud to yourself till you find the cadences.) --thistleingrey http://thistleingrey.dreamwidth.org/

Questions? You can comment here or write to us at (help at sirensconference.org).

The Sirens April 2012 Newsletter is available on sirenscon!

Get Involved with Programming, Part Four: Panels

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:48:01 GMT

Brainstorming session is up at http://sirenscon.livejournal.com/45083.html! Also, if you're looking for co-presenters, why not place an ad in one--or all--of these places?
sirenschat
Facebook
Sirens message boards

Next up: panels. We've covered general proposal preparation, papers and talks and presentations, and we've brainstormed a little; you can click this link to see just the posts tagged "programming" in this LiveJournal community.

But on to panels!

Panels usually consist of 3-5 panelists and a moderator. The moderator and panelists discuss a topic of interest, with most of the discussion coming from the panel (though the moderator may take some questions from the audience). Panels are particularly well-suited for finding out about a group's experiences or for discussing a topic among several people with very diverse viewpoints. For example, you might have three people who are really interested in the use of dragons in fantasy; alternatively, you might have five people who are all at different points in their publishing careers. Perhaps you want to address a big question, like the future of fantasy, and host a debate about the genre’s path. If you’re thinking that you’d really like to see these items on the schedule, but you have more questions than answers, you could organize the panel as the moderator!

If you're trying to figure out whether a topic is best suited to a roundtable or a panel, consider the degree of interactivity and the scale of participation. A roundtable is meant to be a small and highly interactive discussion among about 25 people, with one person keeping order and keeping the conversation moving. On the other hand, a panel is meant to be a small and highly interactive discussion among 3-5 panelists, with one person keeping order and keeping the conversation moving. For a roundtable, the interest is in the discussion the audience brings to the presentation, and for the panel, the interest is in the viewpoints of the panelists.

From a moderator's standpoint, panels take a little more prep time than roundtables, because you'll need to ask people to be part of your panel now, and because you'll want to (and probably need to!) have a conversation in advance about the shape of the panel, the emphases, how to manage your time, and so on. Roundtable discussions don't involve others at the proposal stage, but can be more challenging to moderate, because you won't have any idea who will attend or how the attendees will shape the discussion.

Getting Started
First, you'll need to choose a topic and focus for your panel, and you'll need to gather panelists. For panels, it's often a good idea to narrow down your focus with input from your panelists--you never know what experiences they might have to share that can help shape the panel. Also, if you've disagreed amicably with someone on a topic, consider forming a panel that explores different sides of an issue--a panel is more interesting when there are different viewpoints! The panelists can also take a role in preparing the summary and abstract for your proposal, not to mention leading the discussion and asking questions of other panelists at the conference, and they should be prepared to answer questions from the moderator, other panelists, and even the audience.

Once you've focused your idea, you'll need some information ready to make your proposal.

Personal Information
First, we'll ask you for some contact information (which is not shared with the vetting board). All correspondence about your proposal will be sent via e-mail, so make sure to use a contact address that you'll have through the end of 2012 and that you check regularly. Avoid LiveJournal addresses--they bounce, and we'll have no way to reach you. You should also add (programming at sirensconference.org) to your safe sender list so that correspondence is delivered to your inbox.

Next, we'll ask for Name to be published for presenter on website, schedule, and program. While we ask for some personal information to allow our registrar to confirm your status as a registered attendee, we know you might want to use a different name for your presentation, whether that's a pseudonym, an online handle, or a formal name that you use professionally. (Please note that we do drop titles on our schedule and with presentation summaries, but you're welcome to note titles and professional credentials in your biography.) The "name to be published" will be the name we show to the vetting board and programming volunteers, as well as the one connected to your presentation.

We'll allow you to specify professional affiliation. This is for those presenters who wish to note their association with a university, and occasionally, a business or professional organization if their presentation is related in some way. Some people use this field, and others don't.

Then, we'll need the e-mail addresses of the panelists. You won't give us the names or biographies of your panelists at this point--instead, we'll send them a private request for information using the e-mails you provide. Your panelists will need to respond to the information request e-mail for your panel to be considered, so please let your panelists know that this e-mail is on the way and ask them to reply promptly. As with the rest of your information, panelist e-mails must be provided before your proposal is reviewed; you can't submit a panel and find panelists after (or only if) the panel is approved. (Also, a panelist, rather than a moderator, can be the one to submit the proposal, but it's easiest all around if the moderator takes care of this task and becomes the point of contact.)

Finally, we'll need your biography. Tell us, in under 100 words, a little about you. A couple of sentences is fine! You can explain any experience or studies--or even long-term interest--in your topic, tell us where you're going to school, or what you do as a job or as a hobby. Shorter is better, because space is limited.

Proposal Information
There are three items that you'll need for a complete panel proposal.

First, you'll need a title. Remember that this will be shown to the vetting board, so neither "Untitled" nor "TBA" is a good title idea! On the other hand, you don't have to come up with an obscure or witty title--just one that explains what the panel is about.

Next, you'll need a summary of no more than 100 words. This is the very short version of your presentation that will be published in the program book and on the Sirens website. This is where you have the chance to impress and attract an audience who will be interested in attending your panel. It should be concise, written for a general audience (in other words, avoid slang and jargon, if you can), and give people a sense of your perspective(s) on the topic. Here's one example that we've borrowed from "Buffy, Bella and Boys: Staking Your Life on Power and Identity" which was presented in 2009:

Joss Whedon specifically created Buffy, of vampire slayer fame, to subvert the archetype of the fun blonde girl who always dies in horror movies; what if, he asks, the monster followed the girl into an alley and she kicked its ass? Stephenie Meyer, in contrast, dreamed not her heroine but her hero, impossibly dazzling in a meadow. One character is a superhero, a warrior-girl; the other, a paint-by-numbers protagonist who takes nearly four books to find her power and in doing so, loses her humanity. Both fall for the bad guy: one for her enemy, the other for a superpredator. In a world of vampires, victims and vengeance, what do Buffy and Bella say about power and identity?

Finally, you'll need an abstract of no more than 500 words. An abstract is a complete--but short--version of your presentation. For a panel discussion, it should outline the topic you plan to address and points for discussion.

Here are a couple of resources you might use to put together a brief but cohesive abstract section for your proposal:
an article on abstracts prepared for Terminus, a past event from Narrate Conferences
How to Write an Abstract by Philip Koopman at Carnegie Mellon University (a formal article for those writing academic papers, but a good place to start)

And some tips for newbies:

An abstract is the part of your proposal where you get a little more room to convince the vetting board that your presentation should be chosen. Most abstracts range from 100 to 300 words, though they can be up to 500 words, and are 1-3 paragraphs long. Aim for about 300-350 words unless you need the space to explain a theory or cite sources.

The abstract is the short version of your eventual panel, and should be able to stand alone. A good abstract will include your thesis or approach, supporting details or arguments, and most importantly, your results, recommendations, or conclusion. The vetting board wants you to spoil the ending! (In a summary, you probably want to write something more like jacket copy, but for the abstract, summarize the plot.)

Again, make sure that your proposal is complete. The vetting board wants to know that you have a clear plan. No "maybe we'll do this, or maybe someone in the audience will suggest something, or if you want, I could do this or that." There's a difference between allowing room for audience participation and not having a plan!

Include a completed abstract, not your first draft. "See my other proposal for X" usually results in a declined presentation, because the board members may not have access to your other proposal for a variety of reasons: it could be on hold while collaborators check in, the board members may not yet be reviewing your other proposal, or they may simply decide that they are unwilling to search through the proposals to do this comparison for you.

Also, abstracts should be carefully reasoned, even when persuasive in content; presentations are not merely soapboxes for "getting people to see it my way."

Finally, be sure to have a volunteer who is willing to provide you with honest feedback look over your proposal, both to proofread it and to offer suggestions for organization, focus, and purpose. Remember, the vetting board won't know if you're the most engaging speakers to present in a hundred years. They'll decide whether to accept or decline your presentation based on your abstract!

Timing and Audio-Visual Requests
If you choose to propose a panel and it is accepted, you'll be scheduled in a 50-minute time block, and should expect to spend most of that time presenting your panel discussion. (It's okay to build in some time for questions, but have enough discussion prepared in case there aren't any.)

Because panels are scheduled in larger spaces, microphones will be provided; usually, one microphone is available for the moderator with one or more shared microphones for panelists. You can make a request for an easel, LCD projector, or DVD player, but please remember that we prioritize use of equipment for visually-oriented presentations, and consider what you might do if extra audio-visual support isn't available. Generally, panels focus on discussion, so extra equipment is less likely to be available.

FAQ about Proposals for Panels
Do you accept all panels?
No; we forward all proposals to the vetting board, which selects which panels will be accepted for Sirens.

If my panel is declined, can you tell me why?
Unfortunately, we can’t. We simply have too many proposals, and we don’t ask the vetting board members to write up formal feedback. We can say, however, that proposals are never declined because they include unpopular opinions or controversial takes, or on the basis of personal relationships; the board is designed so that no single person accepts or declines a submission. In the past, we've found ourselves in the lucky position of having more excellent ideas than we could include.

Should I contact the vetting board about my panel?
Please do not contact the vetting board members about your proposal. They make their decisions confidentially, and can't answer questions about the status of your panel. Instead, please write to (programming at sirensconference.org).

How many proposals can I make?
As many as you like. If you find that you've had a high acceptance rate and that you're overcommitted, we do request that you consider whether or not you can make that many presentations before we complete the final schedule.

What are the requirements for presenting? Do I have to be a teacher or scholar?
Our only requirement is that you be eligible to attend Sirens, which means that you must be at least 18 years old by October 11, 2012. We have no academic or professional requirements, and in the past we’ve received excellent presentations from high school students, grandmothers, professors, musicians, fans, and teachers, among others.

What is the proposal deadline?
May 6, 2012.

What if I make a proposal and it’s accepted, but I can’t come?
If you find out that you won’t be able to attend before May 6, 2012, you can ask around to see if someone can take your place. Perhaps a panelist can act as moderator for your panel, or perhaps another attendee you know would be willing to fill in at the conference. We appreciate it when you make an effort to ensure that your panel can remain on the schedule. If there are not at least three people able to attend and present your panel, please write to (programming at sirensconference.org) and we'll talk about options.

Can I change the title of my panel later? Can I change the format or focus of my presentation?
If you provide us with the information before the panel is passed on to the vetting board, then yes, you may make changes to the title or summary, as long as the focus of your panel is not substantially changed. You may not change your presentation's direction or format once it has been accepted; the proposal that you entered is the one that the board approved. If you wish to make substantial changes to your presentation, and it is earlier than May 6, 2012 or you haven't heard from us, please withdraw your existing presentation and create a new one.

Can I request a specific day and time for my presentation?
Unfortunately, no. While we will take certain immovable factors into account, such as jury duty or presenting at another conference during the same weekend, we have so many presenters that we’re unable to take scheduling requests (everyone wants to present at the same time, but without being at the same time as any other presentation!). The schedule depends on our ability to create thematic tracks of presentations, our need to accommodate presenters with multiple presentations, any restrictions on space, and availability of audio-visual equipment. In the meantime, you can expect your presentation to be scheduled for October 12 or 13.

Do you "track" presentations?
We make an attempt to schedule presentations into morning and afternoon tracks by theme and by type of presentation. The advantage here is that an attendee could spend half a day absorbed in a topic or theme without needing to move from room to room.

How can I connect with other presenters or collaborators?
Please feel free to post responses here, and to check out our message boards to suggest ideas that you’d like to see someone propose, to search for collaborators, and to brainstorm topics.

Questions? Concerns? Please e-mail general queries to (help at sirensconference.org) and questions about programming to (programming at sirensconference.org).

2012 Brainstorming!

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:41:09 GMT

Do you need a programming idea? Want to encourage someone else to take on an idea that you don't want? Brainstorming posts are a great place for that! Please feel free to add ideas, to take ideas, and to discuss ideas in this post.

Also, if you're looking for co-presenters, why not place an ad in one--or all--of these places?
sirenschat
Facebook
Sirens message boards

Here are some ideas from a recent Sirens chat.¹

A panel of readers discussing satisfying reads (maybe focused as recent reads, recently published, or satisfying retellings)--or what makes a satisfying re-read

Female liars in fantasy literature: "...it seems to me that the lying rogue archetype is one that tends to gravitate to male characters. But not always, and I think there's something interesting there."

"...one thing that interested me in ASOIAF is the parallel stories of Sansa/Arya and how they "disappear" into other identities where male Starks don't."

"One of the things I've been thinking about comes from a discussion at lunch at last year's Sirens where several of us tried to come up with female[main character]s who were over the age of 30, or married, or mothers. I think we came up with eight or nine." And: "I think we also talked about how once a woman becomes a mother, the narrative switches to someone else because a mother can't go adventuring, supposedly."

"There's also, somewhere, a really meaty topic about classic stories about girls retold by men and how successful, or not, they are."

Effects of Disney versions of fairy tales on girls and boys

Who is retelling tales, particularly in visual formats

"I was just thinking about how retellings change to reflect the teller and the culture. I'd love to see a panel or presentation on that."

Retellings as revision of morals, rather than as revisions of story

Parenting in fantasy; can you get away with being good and alive?

Forced marriage/monster or beast marriage, and variations thereof, as well as opportunities to save oneself in this scenario

The recent interest in retelling Greek myth

Retelling vs. incorporating; where does something like Where the Mountain Meets the Moon fit in

Hollywood jumping on retellings for films/TV

Grimm vs. Once Upon a Time

Want to grab one of these ideas? Let us know, and we'll cross it out (with no guarantee that someone else won't propose it--just as a note that someone is working on it).

Have an idea to share? Looking for collaborators? Please leave a comment!

If you're looking for more programming help, check out the programming tag.

1. Summarized here, rather than given in detailed form, or the conversation quoted just enough to give you an idea. We've also left out anything specific that it sounded like was already in progress, or could be soon.

Our Annual Get Involved with Programming Series Part Three: Papers, Lectures, Talks, Presentations

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:54:59 GMT

Brainstorming session coming soon! In the meantime, if you're looking for co-presenters, why not place an ad in one--or all--of these places?
sirenschat
Facebook
Sirens message boards

Recently, we posted some information on programming and different ways to structure your proposal. Today, we're going to give you an in-depth look at how to put together a proposal for a paper.

The papers option includes lectures and presentations, so this presentation style can range from a formal reading of a prepared paper to a more relaxed speech where the presenter refers to notes to make her points. The presenter can go solo or work with others on a paper, and there's also the option for a group of several people to submit pre-empaneled papers, meaning that they have some connection, no matter how small, and the group would like to share a 55-minute time block for presenting. (The only difference in the proposal process is that beyond each person needing to prepare an individual biography, summary, and abstract, the person who begins the proposal in the system will need to provide a title and summary for the group as a whole, as well as e-mail addresses for co-panelists, who will be contacted separately to provide their information.)

This type of presentation is very good for analyses--documenting patterns, looking for hidden or subtle meanings, bringing together knowledge from different areas to expand on what's in the books you've read, comparing and contrasting, reporting on research, or critiquing novels, for example. It's also good if you prefer to speak from a pre-written paper or speech, and you have the option of a shorter presentation or a longer one. It's especially good if you need to lay significant groundwork for your audience; if you suspect that you'll have more information than you audience will, please present it!

We're going to use "paper" as a shorthand through most of this post, but please note that this post applies to other sorts of talks, lectures, and presentations.

Getting Started
As with other types of presentations, you'll need to choose your focus, as well as a target for how long you'll need to present. (See below for the available timing.) From there, while you don't have to write a complete paper to turn in--we won't ask for it at all, unless you'd like to be published in the conference compendium--you'll need to put together a strong abstract.

Personal Information
First, we'll ask you for some contact information (which is not shared with the vetting board). All correspondence about your proposal will be sent via e-mail, so make sure to use a contact address that you'll have through the end of 2010 and that you check regularly. Please don't use your LiveJournal address! We get a lot of bounces from those addresses, even if they're otherwise valid. You should also add (programming at sirensconference dot org) to your safe sender list so that correspondence is delivered to your inbox.

Next, we'll ask for a name to be published for presenter on website, schedule, and program. While we ask for some personal information to allow our registrar to confirm your status as a registered attendee, we know you might want to use a different name for your presentation, whether that's a pseudonym, an online handle, or a formal name that you use professionally. (Please note that we do drop titles on our schedule and with presentation summaries, but you're welcome to note titles and professional credentials in your biography.) The "name to be published" will be the name we show to the vetting board, programming volunteers, and other attendees.

We'll allow you to specify professional affiliation. This is for those presenters who wish to note their association with a university, and occasionally, a business or professional organization if their presentation is related in some way. Some people use this field, and others don't.

If you are starting the proposal for a group of pre-empaneled papers, you'll need the e-mail addresses of the other presenters. You won't give us the names or biographies of your other presenters--instead, we'll send them a private request for that information. Your other presenters will need to respond to the information request e-mail for your pre-empaneled papers to be considered, so please let your co-presenters know that this e-mail is on the way and ask them to reply promptly. As with the rest of your information, presenters e-mails must be provided before your proposal is reviewed; you can't submit a panel of papers and find other presenters only after (or if) the panel is approved. (Also, a co-presenter, rather than a moderator, can be the one to submit the proposal, but it's probably easiest all around if the moderator takes care of this task and becomes the point of contact.)

Finally, we'll need your biography. Tell us, in under 100 words, a little about you. A couple of sentences works fine! You can explain any experience or studies--or even long-term interest--in your topic, tell us where you're going to school, or what you do as a job or as a hobby. Shorter is better, because space is limited.

Proposal Information
There are three items that you'll need for a complete paper/presentation proposal.

First, you'll need a title. Remember that this title will be shown to the vetting board, so neither "Untitled" nor "TBA" is a good title idea! On the other hand, you don't have to come up with an obscure or witty title--just one that explains what the paper, lecture, or presentation is about.

Next, you'll need a summary of no more than 100 words. This is the very short version of your presentation that will be published in the program book and on the Sirens website. This is where you have the chance to impress and attract an audience who will be interested in attending your paper. It should be concise, written for a general audience (in other words, avoid slang and jargon, if you can), and give people a sense of your perspective on the topic. Here's one example that we've borrowed from a paper that was presented at Sirens in 2009:

This presentation examines Holly Black's and Melissa Marr's works of faerie fantasy and explores how each author's series complicates and/or subverts faerie tale conventions both to deconstruct gender binaries and to resist new (and equally constraining) reconstructions of gender roles. Through their respective reimaginings of faerie tale narratives, Black and Marr effectively problematize the traditional dualities of the faerie tale: good and evil, virtue and vice, self and other, and--most particularly--masculine and feminine.

Here are two more, from 2010 and 2011, that we think are excellent examples:

After discussing the fairy godmother as a character popularized in a literary fairy tale by Charles Perrault and in the film version by Walt Disney, the presentation will focus on four modern reinterpretations of "Cinderella": Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carlson Levine, and Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. These four novels present the fairy godmother as a fiction advanced to devalue the heroine; an elderly, guilt-ridden resident of New York; a would-be dictator; and a well-intentioned fool. Although their characterizations vary greatly, all four works underscore the dangers of simplistic faith in fairy tale characterizations and themes.

The myths and legends of India and many of its neighbors feature beautiful snake women and cannibal demons, celestial dancers and nature spirits, most of whom are largely unknown in the West. Through storytelling, discussion, and slides from popular Indian comic books, we will introduce the magical and monstrous women of South Asian tales, with a focus on the fluidity and ambiguity of their classification as monstrous or simply supernatural.

For more examples, please check out the archives of past years' presentations (look for the links in the navigation bar at the top to move from year to year).

Finally, you'll need an abstract of no more than 500 words. An abstract is a complete--but very short!--version of your presentation. For a paper or lecture, it should outline the topic you plan to address and points for discussion, explain your conclusion, and point to major sources or theories that have influenced your thinking.

Here are a couple of resources you might use to put together a brief but cohesive abstract section for your proposal:
How to Write an Abstract by Philip Koopman at Carnegie Mellon University
an article on abstracts prepared for Terminus, a past event from Narrate Conferences

And some tips for newbies:

An abstract is the part of your proposal where you get a little more room to convince the vetting board that your presentation should be chosen. Most abstracts range from 100 to 300 words, though they can be up to 500 words, and are 1-3 paragraphs long. Aim for about 300-350 words unless you need the space to explain a theory or cite sources.

The abstract is the short version of your eventual paper, and should be able to stand alone. A good abstract will include your thesis or approach, supporting details or arguments, and most importantly, your results, recommendations, or conclusion. The vetting board wants you to spoil the ending! (In a summary, you probably want to write something more like jacket copy, but for the abstract, summarize the plot.)

Again, make sure that your proposal is complete. The vetting board wants to know that you have a clear plan. No "maybe we'll do this, or maybe someone in the audience will suggest something, or if you want, I could do this or that." There's a difference between allowing room for audience participation and not having a plan!

Include a completed abstract, not your first draft. "See my other proposal for X" usually results in a declined presentation, because the board members may not have access to your other proposal for a variety of reasons: it could be on hold while collaborators check in, the board members may not yet be reviewing your other proposal, or they may simply decide that they are unwilling to search through the proposals to do this comparison for you.

Also, abstracts should be carefully reasoned, even when persuasive in content; presentations are not merely soapboxes for "getting people to see it my way."

Finally, be sure to have a volunteer who is willing to provide you with honest feedback look over your proposal, both to proofread it and to offer suggestions for organization, focus, and purpose. Remember, the vetting board won't see your entire paper, and won't know if you're the most engaging speaker to present in a hundred years. They'll decide whether to accept or decline your presentation based on your abstract!

Timing and Audio-Visual Requests
When you make your paper proposal, you can choose to request a 25-minute or 50-minute time block, which will include your reading or speech as well as any discussion and questions from (or for!) the audience. We'll match up shorter papers and presentations so that they fill a 50-minute time block. If you'll be reading from what you've prepared in advance, a 6-10 page double-spaced paper is about right for the 25-minute time block--assume 2,000 to 3,000 words. For a 50-minute time block, assume a little less than twice that to leave time for discussion and to catch your breath or take a drink of water. Of course, it depends also on how fast you speak, whether you take time out for explanations, and so on, so determine in advance whether you need to err or the short side to make it to the conclusion during your allotted time.

Paper presenters are routinely provided with microphones when the space is larger than a small classroom, and we request that presenters use the microphone to assist the audience in hearing the entire presentation. An adjustable podium is available, allowing you to stand or sit down. You can make a request for an easel, LCD projector (with computer), or DVD player, but please remember that we prioritize use of equipment for visually-oriented presentations, and consider what you might do if extra audio-visual support isn't available. Some presenters will bring several copies of a handout to pass around and then collect e-mail addresses of those who would like a copy after the conference, which saves room in everybody's suitcase and is environmentally friendly.

FAQ about Proposals for Papers, Lectures, and Presentations
Do you accept all papers/presentations?
No; we forward all proposals to the vetting board, which selects which papers will be accepted for Sirens.

If my paper is declined, can you tell me why?
Unfortunately, we can't. We simply have too many proposals, and we don't ask the vetting board members to write up formal feedback. We can say, however, that proposals are never declined because they include unpopular opinions or controversial takes, or on the basis of personal relationships; the board is designed so that no single person accepts or declines a submission. In the past, we've found ourselves in the lucky position of having more excellent ideas than we could include, and that will likely be true in the future as well.

Should I contact the vetting board about my paper/presentation?
Please do not contact the vetting board members about your proposal. They make their decisions confidentially, and can't answer questions about the status of your paper. Instead, please write to (programming at sirensconference dot org) if you have questions.

How many proposals can I make?
As many as you like. If you find that you've had a high acceptance rate and that you're overcommitted, we do request that you consider whether or not you can make that many presentations before we complete the final schedule.

What are the requirements for presenting? Do I have to be a teacher or scholar?
Our only requirement is that you be eligible to attend Sirens, which means that you must be at least 18 years old by October 11, 2012. We have no academic or professional requirements, and in the past we've received excellent presentations from high school students, grandmothers, professors, musicians, fans, and teachers, among others.

What is the proposal deadline?
May 6, 2012.

What if I make a proposal and it's accepted, but I can't come?
If you find out that you won’t be able to attend before May 6, 2012, you do have the option of withdrawing. After that, we strongly encourage you to advertise--here or on the message boards--for a proxy reader: someone who will be attending Sirens and can read your paper in your place. In order to complete our schedule as quickly as possible--so that we have the necessary lead time to make arrangements for equipment, so that we can proofread and publish the final schedule, and so on--we do not keep a waiting list for presenters, which means that someone else may have lost their chance to present. Our position is that while extenuating circumstances do arise, it is unprofessional to not make an attempt to find someone to fill in for you if you suddenly can't attend.

Can I change the title of my paper later? Can I change the format or focus of my presentation?
If you provide us with the information before the paper is passed on to the vetting board, then yes, you may make changes to the title or summary, as long as the focus of your paper is not substantially changed. We will ask you for a final confirmation upon acceptance, and you will have a short time to make updates before the information is published and final. You may not change your presentation's direction or format once it has been accepted; the proposal that you entered is the one that the board approved. If you wish to make substantial changes to your presentation, and it is earlier than May 6, 2012, please write us to withdraw your existing presentation and then create a new one through the submissions system.

Can I request a specific day and time for my presentation?
Unfortunately, no. While we will take certain immovable factors into account, such as jury duty or presenting at another conference during the same weekend, we have so many presenters and constraints that we're unable to take scheduling requests (everyone wants to present at the same time, but without being at the same time as any other presentation!). The schedule depends on our ability to create thematic tracks of presentations, our need to accommodate presenters with multiple presentations, any restrictions on space and available hours, and availability of audio-visual equipment.

Do you "track" presentations?
We make an attempt to schedule presentations into morning and afternoon tracks by theme and by type of presentation. The advantage here is that an attendee could spend half a day absorbed in a topic or theme without needing to move from room to room.

How can I connect with other presenters or collaborators?
Please feel free to post responses here, on Facebook, on sirenschat, and to check out our message boards to suggest ideas that you’d like to see someone propose, to search for collaborators, and to brainstorm topics.

Questions? Concerns? Please e-mail general queries to (help at sirensconference dot org) and questions about programming to (programming at sirensconference dot org).

Our Annual Get Involved with Programming Series: Part Two

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:12:01 GMT

Also coming up this week: brainstorming! A bunch of you offered fantastic ideas in our recent chat, and we're looking forward to helping you share those.

In our last post in this series, we provided general information on programming, including who can participate, how it's selected, and where to find the information you'll need to make a proposal for something you'd like to see on the schedule.

Today, we want to provide some information on the presentation styles through which you can present topics. This post will cover the following:

Papers, Lectures and Presentations
Pre-empaneled Papers
Panels
Workshops
Roundtable Discussions
Combination Presentations
and
Afternoon Classes.

Papers, Lectures and Presentations
A paper, lecture or presentation is the live, in-person reading of a prepared speech that you give on the topic of your choice. You might have written an essay, a research paper, an article, or an in-depth blog post that could become the basis for a presentation of this type. Most of the time, you'll need to do some research and reading, and at minimum, you'll need to come with speaking notes for yourself. (We don't require you to write a paper, or to turn in a paper to us, but we strongly encourage that you do prepare a written paper, especially because this paper will be eligible for inclusion and publication in the post-conference compendium. It's also helpful to have something written down even if you plan to wing it during your presentation and speak more informally!)

This type of presentation is especially good for analyses, research, comparisons, perspectives from literary and non-literary fields, theories, histories, arguments, deconstructions, critiques, and the like. If you have a lot of information to present to an audience, a paper/presentation is often the best presentation fit.

Most papers are written by a single author, but co-authors and author groups are welcome. At least one author must attend the conference to make the presentation.

A paper, lecture, or presentation may take a 25- or 50-minute time block. If you include 5-10 minutes for questions and discussion following the presentation, that's in the range of 8-12 written pages (or 2000-3000 words--shorter than you might think) for the 25-minute block, and 12-20 pages for the 50-minute block.

Typically, these presentations are scheduled in more spacious rooms, so that as many interested audience members as possible may attend. A microphone will be provided. LCD projection is available for those presentations that are visually-oriented; a good example might be a presentation on portrayals of women in fantasy art, where visual references are necessary. Projection is provided on a most-needed basis and not announced until after the final schedule is complete, so it's best to plan your paper, lecture, or presentation as though you won't be able to show slides, just in case.

Pre-empaneled Papers
If you and your friends, colleagues, or acquaintances want to ensure that you present as part of the same 50-minute block, you might be interested in presenting pre-empaneled papers. One member of your group will make the initial proposal, and provide information about her own paper and the group's overarching theme, if any; then, the other group members will be contacted for more information about their individual parts of the presentation. Essentially, submitting pre-empaneled papers means that you have a 50-minute set of papers, lectures, essays, or speeches and you would like to offer these as a group.

Everything mentioned in the Papers, Lectures and Presentations section above applies here as well!

We encourage pre-empaneled papers to have a connecting theme--portrayals of females in fantasy books of the 1980s, publishing books with female main characters, works by a single author, and so on.

A set of pre-empaneled papers can have an active or an inactive moderator. An active moderator might lead a brief question-and-answer period for each paper, or ask questions of all of the panelists between the lectures. An inactive moderator might be the point of contact for the panel, and during the conference, she might just introduce each panelist and paper in turn. The moderator might make only a very brief statement on the topic and then introduce the panelists, or she might also act as a panelist and deliver her own lecture or paper. The structure and use of the 50-minute period is up to the panel.

We recommend that 2-3 papers, lectures, presentations (or some combination) be included in a set of pre-empaneled papers. That gives you time to read your papers--or excerpts from your papers--and time for discussion. If you have three presenters, we will attempt to give you a little more time for your presentation than the 50-minute time block.

Panels
A panel is designed as a discussion among 3-5 people. For the most part, the panel's moderator directs the discussion: she asks questions of the panelists (as opposed to a roundtable, where the questions are asked of and among the audience) and asks follow-up questions to keep the conversation flowing; she ensures that each panelist has the chance to speak; she has plenty of provocative questions to ask to fill silences; and she keeps everyone on topic and on time. She'd also be the one to decide whether and when to take questions from the audience.

Panelists are the experts, the guests on the talk show. They should think about the panel topic in advance, make notes if necessary, and bring questions for other panelists.

Panels are best suited for gathering several people with shared experience in an area, for weighing pros and cons, for sharing very different viewpoints, and so forth.

Panels may have a large audience, but the majority of the discussion is generated by the moderator and panelists, rather than drawn from audience questions.

Panels are scheduled in a 50-minute period. It's okay to wrap up early if the panel comes to a natural stopping point, but the moderator and panelists should prepare for at least 35-40 minutes of discussion, with more time devoted to panelist discussion than audience questions.

Microphones will be provided. (Panelists may have to share.) Because the panel is focused on discussion, projection is less likely to be available than it might be for other types of presentations. You're welcome to request it; just remember that LCD projectors are prioritized for presentations where visual examples are an integral part of the session. (If you have a lot of visuals, your group might prefer to propose a presentation; each person can provide a few minutes of information and discussion on your topic.)

Roundtable Discussions
In contrast to panels, roundtable discussions involve everyone in the audience. In a roundtable discussion, the moderator comes prepared with a set of open-ended questions to be answered by the audience. Generally, the moderator directs the discussion and engages the audience members, and the discussion is the purpose of the presentation--there's not a formal speech before everyone jumps right in. Also, roundtable discussions might work best when they're constructed in such a way that an attendee doesn't have to be an expert to participate.

Roundtable discussions are well-suited to open-ended questions, subjective analyses, book/character explorations, and conversations where the audience's knowledge and opinions are of highest importance.

Roundtable discussions are designed to be like the discussion session of a big university class. We want these discussions to be very participatory, and we want to ensure that everyone who is in attendance has a chance to speak--and thus, we limit the audience to 25 participants. (A tip: moderators should bring along extra copies of their proposed discussion questions. If time and space allow, volunteers will attempt to set up additional discussion sections on the fly if the originally scheduled discussion fills up.)

Roundtable discussions are scheduled in 50-minute time periods. We recommend preparing at least ten open-ended questions to fill a 50-minute block. You'll probably find that this is plenty--your audience will often have questions of their own to pose, especially on hot topics--but you can, of course, prepare a few extras.

No microphones, recording, or projection will be provided for roundtables.

A roundtable discussion can have only one moderator. We've imposed this restriction because feedback on multiple moderators has been that the audience doesn't always know who is "in charge," that they have trouble following whose turn it is to speak, and that sometimes multiple-moderator discussions turn into panels where only the moderators get to talk.

Workshops
A workshop is an instructor-led presentation designed to help the audience members walk away with a new or expanded skill. As with roundtables, we want everyone who attends the presentation to be able to participate fully and to be able to ask questions and get individualized help, so the seating is limited.

Team-taught workshops are welcome!

Instructors are responsible for acquiring any needed materials for workshops. To keep costs down, instructors might consider using one or two larger demonstration items, providing materials to be shared in small groups, or asking workshop participants to donate a small amount toward the cost of materials. If this will be your situation, please don't hesitate to consult the programming team for assistance in figuring out which will be the best option for you, as well as how to communicate requests to your workshop's attendees.

To ensure that the instructors can assist all workshop attendees, the audience size is limited to a maximum of 40 attendees. Workshops may have as few as 25 seats available.

Audio-visual support is considered on a case-by-case basis. Please do request it at the time you make your proposal, if you need it.

Workshops will be scheduled in a 50-minute time block.

Combination Presentations
Most presentations, even if they make use of multiple presentation styles, can usually be categorized by one of the broad groups above. Some presentations might take elements from two or more categories: a workshop might start out with a short paper on the topic, a paper might be followed by a panel, or a roundtable discussion might be followed with a hands-on workshop. You might also have a more formal offering that doesn't fit neatly into the categories above, such as a screening of your original fantasy film. The combination presentation option allows you to describe your presentation and its components.

Combination presentations will be scheduled in a 50-minute time block.

If you're considering this type of presentation, we encourage you to write to the programming team in advance; we often find that what's planned for a presentation is in fact quite similar to what's normally found in one of the presentation types listed above, and we can advise on which category might be best suited to your proposal.

Afternoon Classes
Finally, we wanted a way to include topics of interest to fantasy readers that might not be directly related to readings of fantasy literature. You might have special knowledge of historical dress or music, martial arts, weaponry, battle strategy, costume makeup, or something similar. Afternoon classes are especially suited to demonstrations and hands-on lessons. Usually, afternoon classes last 50 minutes, but more time may be available during the evening break.

Read more about each type of presentation here.

Keep an eye out on sirenscon for what to put in a biography, summary and abstract, and posts simply for exchanging ideas and finding collaborators.

Quick links:
Programming Overview
Call for Proposals/Guidelines/Proposal Preparation
Specific Questions for the Programming Team: E-mail (programming at sirensconference.org)

Chat Open

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:13:57 GMT

The chat is now open! Details below.

The Sirens team will host a chat on Sunday, March 11, 2012. We'll make it a combined chat: lots of book talk, lots of reconnecting, and lots of programming brainstorming talk. Questions welcome!
Date: March 11
Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern/noon Pacific
You don't need any special software or programs to participate; the page at http://www.sirensconference.org/chat/ will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time. (You may need to refresh the page.)

Chat

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:29:49 GMT

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 5 (March 2012)

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:41:37 GMT

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens News page, message boards, mailing list, LiveJournal, and Facebook. Certain other updates are posted on the conference’s Twitter. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you’ll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives to this longer post, please click here.

Volume 4 – Issue 5
March 2012

Programming Kickoff
We're ready to receive proposals for papers and presentations, pre-empaneled sets of papers, panels, workshops, roundtable discussions, and afternoon classes. The proposal deadline is May 6, 2012, and the vast majority of the programming for Sirens comes from the proposals submitted by attendees.

March is our month of how-to, and the first of our informal posts about how to get involved in programming can be found on LiveJournal under the programming tag: http://sirenscon.livejournal.com/tag/programming

These posts are designed to walk you through the process of proposing programming for Sirens. They're lengthy at times, but please don't be overwhelmed: we want you to have plenty of chances to ask questions.

Chat
The Sirens team will host a chat on Sunday, March 11, 2012. We'll make it a combined chat: lots of book talk, lots of reconnecting, and lots of programming brainstorming talk. Questions welcome!
Date: March 11
Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern/noon Pacific
You don't need any special software or programs to participate; the page at http://www.sirensconference.org/chat/ will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time. (You may need to refresh the page.)

You're Excited About...

From Manda Lewis: "I’m excited about the release of Robin Hobb’s City of Dragons! I’ve been imagining every possible outcome for her characters and now I get to know more. :) I’m also excited to have seen the cover art for Cinda Williams Chima’s Crimson Crown, which she put up on Valentine’s Day! It looks fantastic!"

From Sabrina Chin: "I’m excited about the release for Timeless by Gail Carriger, the fifth and last book in the Parasol Protectorate series, due out on March 1st! I also can’t wait for Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta, the sequel to Finnikin of the Rock, which is due out on March 13th!"

From Hallie: "I forget where I saw this, but I recently heard about Mary de Morgan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_de_Morgan), and she sounds like someone to check out."

What Are You Excited About?
Do you have a book coming out, or are you excited about something new on the shelves? Have you just discovered everyone else’s old favorite fantasy series? Found an interesting fantasy-related link? Send your preferred name, a sentence or two about the exciting news, and any important dates or links to (hallie at sirensconference.org) or leave us a comment, and we'll feature you in next month's newsletter. We love good news!

Registration Tip: March 31 Price Jump
The next price jump for Sirens will happen on March 31, 2012. Right now, the cost to register and receive entry to conference programming and events, including the three keynote presentations by our guests of honor and a conference T-shirt available only to attendees, as well as four meals or receptions, is $180. It jumps to $190 at the very end of March. Visit http://www.sirensconference.org/registration/ for more information or to register now.

Reminder: New News!
If you like to read the news in a blog-style setting but aren't so fond of LiveJournal, we have great news. All newsletters for Sirens going forward--and, eventually, from the past--will be hosted at http://www.sirensconference.org/news/. You can pick up an RSS feed there, comment on posts, and search by tags. To see all of the other ways you can get news about Sirens, please visit http://www.sirensconference.org/connect/newsoutlets.php.

Flying to Sirens
The closest airport to Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington, is Portland International Airport (PDX). You can investigate everything from their extensive shopping to airline carriers to on-site Wi-Fi here. We'll run a shuttle from PDX to Sirens. We'll have more information about riding the shuttle and ticket costs in the summer.

Questions? You can comment here or write to us at (help at sirensconference.org).

The Sirens March 2012 Newsletter is available on sirenscon!

Our Annual Programming Series, Part One!

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:31:55 GMT

Sirens programming gets started many months before we enjoy it in October. Maybe you've been brainstorming already; maybe you're going to attend our upcoming chat and think out loud; maybe you're waiting to see if someone gives away a great idea in a LiveJournal topic exchange post; maybe you're just about to go post a discussion thread on the message boards or Facebook.

Maybe you haven't thought about it at all yet! That's okay--we're here to remind you.

The deadline for proposals is May 6, 2012, so you've got two months to work on a programming proposal. That's plenty of time!

The programming at Sirens--the papers, panels, workshops, discussions, and even afternoon classes--is designed, developed, and presented by attendees. We encourage you to make a proposal to be a presenter, because the perspectives and inquiries of attendees make for an exciting--and relevant--programming schedule.

If you've done research, participated an interesting blog or book club conversation, or worked on something else fantasy-related, you probably have something to share that will be very interesting to other attendees. If you have questions about something related to fantasy literature, if you know something about its production, or if you're fascinated by elements that commonly appear in fantasy, you also probably have something to share that will be very interesting to other attendees. This year, we're encouraging presenters to focus on tales retold, and we particularly want presenters to reach beyond retellings of Grimm and Perrault, and to consider retellings of fantasy and the fantastic beyond fairy tales. That said, we are always happy to consider your proposals related to creating and consuming fantasy, with an emphasis on fantasy by and about women. For inspiration (but please, no copying), take a look at what attendees have presented in the past three years.

Please read on for an overview, and in the coming weeks, we'll tackle how to put together a proposal.

Here are some quick facts about programming in general:

All presenters are selected based on their proposals to an independent board. This board reviews proposals and selects a balanced, diverse schedule from the offerings.

Anyone may be a presenter. In fact, we prefer that the programming be presented by a mix of scholars, professionals, and fans. Readers, authors, publishers, scientists, psychologists, mathematicians, librarians, historians--and any other broad category you might be able to think of--all have interesting perspectives, and we hope that they'll share. We hope, specifically, that you will jump in and share.

We have some guidelines for presentations so that we can create a coherent schedule that will fit in the time and space we have available.

Collaboration is encouraged! Except for roundtable discussions, where the participants need to have a single moderator, you're welcome to make your presentation with another person, or with several others.

Proposals are accepted via our online system and are due no later than May 6, 2012.

You may submit a proposal even if you are not registered yet, but you must be registered by July 1, 2012, to confirm your participation if your proposal is chosen for Sirens.

The Call for Proposals
If you're coming from an academic background, a call for papers or proposals might be somewhat familiar; if you're coming from a fan or professional background, it might not. A call for proposals (or papers) formally sets out a conference's theme, desired presentations, and presentation requirements. It also gives a brief overview of the process by which proposals will be selected.

An independent vetting board will read all of the proposals and decide which proposals to accept for Sirens in 2011. This invitation-only group has knowledge on the topics that we expect the majority of programming proposals will address, and they represent a variety of scholarly, professional, and reader/fan perspectives. We have a board to make sure that proposals are fairly evaluated by people who have a strong collective knowledge of current trends, scholarship, events, and so on; we feel it is most fair to have proposals evaluated by a group of people who know and appreciate what you want to talk about.

Please don't be intimidated by this process! The worst case scenario is your proposal isn't selected for this year. There will likely be some very good proposals that we must decline. You're more than welcome to revamp your proposal and submit it again in the future. Unfortunately, we aren't able to provide feedback for declined proposals; our vetting board has graciously agreed to read the submitted proposals, but we don't ask them to provide written evaluations of each proposal. That said, there are a number of things you can do to increase the chances of your proposal being accepted. We'll post about these in more depth in the future, but keep these tips in mind.

While we ask for contact information and certain preferences to verify your registration status, this is kept confidential and not shared with the vetting board, volunteers, or third parties. The vetting board sees the name you'd like listed on the schedule, the title of your presentation, the summary you provide, your presenter biography, and the abstract (or discussion questions or workshop lesson plan) for your proposed presentation. Make sure you include all requested information when you make your proposal, and if you have concerns about how the information is used, please e-mail us.

If you're working with collaborators--perhaps co-writing a paper, grouping together for a panel, or team-teaching a workshop--have any collaborator e-mail addresses handy when you make your proposal. The collaborators will receive an e-mailed request for confirmation that they're part of the proposal and will also be asked to provide their own contact information, presenter biography, and so on. (This way, you don't have to share all of your real life contact information if you don't want to, though of course we recommend that you keep in touch through e-mail.) If your collaborator(s) do not respond to this e-mail in a timely manner, your proposal will be declined, so make sure your co-presenters are available to respond within a few days of making of your proposal.

And another note on collaborators: Be sure to nail down your co-presenters before you submit your proposal. We can change or add co-presenters before a decision is made on your proposal, but--for example--you don't want the board to review your proposed panel if you don't have any panelists!

Make sure that everything the vetting board sees has been read by a second set of eyes and that it's complete; nothing says "I'm not that serious" like a proposal with typos, that says "I'll fill this part in later," or that ends with "...and then maybe I could see if someone in the audience has an idea for me to talk about." The vetting board wants to see proposals that are presentation-ready! It's expected that you might do some research, reading, and/or thinking between now and next October, but you should have an idea now of what you'd like to discuss then.

Use a working e-mail address that you'll be able to access through next October, and add (programming at sirensconference.org) to your safe sender list. You'll receive all proposal and presentation communications via e-mail. Do not use your LiveJournal address. It will bounce back to us! You'll never receive important e-mails!

We hope these tips help! Keep an eye out here for specific information on different types of proposals; what to put in a biography, summary, and abstract; and posts simply for exchanging ideas and finding collaborators. If you have questions, we're happy to receive them, here or via e-mail.

Quick links:
Programming Overview
Call for Proposals/Guidelines/Additional Preparation Information
Specific Questions for the Programming Team: E-mail (programming at sirensconference.org)

And don't forget: We're hosting a chat on the Sirens website on Sunday, March 11, 2012, at 3 p.m. Eastern, for talking about programming ideas--and for books, travel, Sirens, and meeting potential travel buddies and roommates.

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 4 (February 2012)

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:01:12 GMT

Volume 4 – Issue 4
February 2012

New News!
If you like to read the news in a blog-style setting but aren't so fond of LiveJournal, we have great news. All newsletters for Sirens going forward--and, eventually, from the past--will be hosted at http://www.sirensconference.org/news/. You can pick up an RSS feed there, comment on posts, and search by tags. To see all of the other ways you can get news about Sirens, please visit http://www.sirensconference.org/connect/newsoutlets.php.

Programming Kickoff
We're ready to receive proposals for papers and presentations, pre-empaneled sets of papers, panels, workshops, roundtable discussions, and afternoon classes. The proposal deadline is May 6, 2012, and the vast majority of the programming for Sirens comes from the proposals submitted by attendees.

March will bring our annual series of how-to posts for new and experienced presenters. In the meantime, here are a few quick facts about programming.

Anyone eligible to attend Sirens is eligible to submit a programming proposal. We welcome proposals from a range of perspectives, fields, and experiences.

The 2012 theme is "tales retold," and we encourage you to engage with the theme (and, especially, to think outside the fairy tale retelling box), but we also encourage presentations on topics related to fantasy, with a focus on women as consumers and producers of fantasy.

You don't have to be registered at the time you make your proposal, but accepted presenters must be registered by July 1, 2012, to confirm attendance.

The programming section of the Sirens website has all sorts of information on presentation formats and lengths, things to consider, and the support the conference may be able to provide (projection services, easels, etc.).

If you have a question that's not answered by the website, the programming team can be reached at (programming at sirensconference.org).

Chat
The Sirens team will host a chat on Sunday, March 11, 2012. We'll make it a combined chat: lots of book talk, lots of reconnecting, and lots of programming brainstorming talk. Questions welcome!
Date: March 11
Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern/noon Pacific
You don't need any special software or programs to participate; the page at http://www.sirensconference.org/chat/ will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time. (You may need to refresh the page.)

What Are You Excited About?
Do you have a book coming out, or are you excited about something new on the shelves? Have you just discovered everyone else’s old favorite fantasy series? Found an interesting fantasy-related link? Send your preferred name, a sentence or two about the exciting news, and any important dates or links to (hallie at sirensconference.org) or leave us a comment, and we'll feature you in next month's newsletter. We love good news!

Registration Tip: March 31 Price Jump
The next price jump for Sirens will happen on March 31, 2012. Right now, the cost to register and receive entry to conference programming and events, including the three keynote presentations by our guests of honor and a conference T-shirt available only to attendees, as well as four meals or receptions, is $180. It jumps to $190 at the very end of March. Visit http://www.sirensconference.org/registration/ for more information or to register now.

Questions? You can comment here or write to us at (help at sirensconference.org).

The Sirens February 2012 Newsletter is available on sirenscon!

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 3 (January 2012)

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:10:02 GMT

Volume 4 – Issue 3
January 2012

Guests of Honor

Happy new year!

We're thrilled to announce that with the new year comes wonderful news: our third guest of honor for 2012!

Nalo Hopkinson has published four novels and numerous short stories, and has edited or co-edited four anthologies, most in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. She is a recipient of the Locus Award for Best New Writer, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and the Ontario Arts Council Foundation Award for Emerging Writers. Her works have won a World Fantasy Award, a Gaylactic Spectrum Award, an Aurora Award, and the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic (twice), and have been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the James R. Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the Nebula Award for Best Novel. Brown Girl in the Ring was also a finalist in Canada Reads. Nalo holds an MA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, and is currently an associate professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. She has served as faculty for Clarion East, Clarion West, and Clarion South, and she is a founding member of the Carl Brandon Society.

For more information about Nalo, please visit her website http://nalohopkinson.com/, which includes her blog, or her Twitter http://twitter.com/nalohopkinson.

Nalo Hopkinson will join Kate Bernheimer and Malinda Lo and complete our guest slate for 2012. All three authors have re-written familiar tales, and some unfamiliar tales as well, and the work of each reinvents those tales in unexpected ways. Further, we think that our three guests, collectively, showcase the breadth of what re-tellings can be: myths, legends, folklore, fairy tales, new tales in old traditions, and old tales turned upside-down. We couldn't be more excited!

Programming Ideas and Retellings
The deadline for programming proposals is May 6, 2012, leaving you just under four months to design a paper (or set of papers), panel, workshop, roundtable, or informal afternoon class. For this year's theme, "tales retold," we want to encourage you to use the intervening time to think outside the box.

First, when thinking about retelling tales, you might consider process: What craft goes into reimagining and revamping a story? What might a storyteller need to consider when choosing a tale to retell, or when constructing a retelling? What makes a particular tale interesting or difficult to retell, and why do we retell stories?

Second, you might consider "product," though that's perhaps an ungraceful word to describe stories. What we mean is this: How successful are individual retellings, given particular criteria? How does a retelling illustrate change in society, our reading tastes, our politics and beliefs? Can we compare different retellings?

Finally, while we know that fairy tales and princess stories are always popular, we strongly encourage you to think beyond those ideas this year. There is a plethora of tales that include women in fantasy to think about and discuss--a plethora of stories that have gained (or lost) fantasy trappings through retellings, of stories that have their roots in other genres, of stories that have been passed down outside of the collections of Grimm and Perrault, of stories that are the descendants of folk tales and mythology.

Consider, perhaps, L. Frank Baum's Dorothy, and then MGM's, then The Wiz, Tin Man, and both the book and musical Wicked.

Consider Lewis Carroll's Alice versus Disney's versus American McGee's versus Frank Beddor’s ultraviolent reworking versus Tim Burton's sword-wielding Jabberwocky slayer (and also who is in charge of the retelling, for Alice and for Dorothy Gale).

Consider Ponyo as a riff on "The Little Mermaid," not to mention all the modern retellings of the story that feature not only the Little Mermaid herself, but sometimes her daughter.

Think of retellings of legends and folklore from around the world, from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's Palace of Illusions to Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, from Nalo Hopkinson's Midnight Robber to Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, and consider tales that draw on ancient traditional stories that were themselves shared between different groups.

Remember that mythic retellings are fair game, from Francesca Lia Block’s poetic “Psyche in a Dress” and Sarah Diemer’s lesbian reworking of Hades and Persephone, to Patricia McKillip's retelling of Baba Yaga in In the Forests of Serre and Catherine Fisher's Nordic Snow-Walker.

Think of fantasy retellings of plays, such as Lisa Mantchev's Eyes Like Stars, which takes on much of Shakespeare, and the stories that playwrights have been sharing and re-sharing for centuries.

And if fairy tales are your thing, remember that they're more than just princesses: the Pied Piper, the Little Match Girl, the Snow Queen, Donkeyskin, and the White Cat make a quick list of fairy tales that have fantasy retellings to get you started, and for a look at what a fantastic author can do with the fairytale tradition, take a look at Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby.

In the coming months, we'll help with brainstorming for programming and go over the nuts and bolts of different types of presentations, but in the meantime, please feel free to visit the programming and reading list sections of the Sirens website for some inspiration and a place to start your research.

Review Squad Deadline Extended
If you're interested in writing a handful of reviews for the Sirens newsletter in 2012, please note that we've extended the application deadline to January 31, 2012. Please see this page for more information.

Questions? You can comment here or write to us at (help at sirensconference.org).

The Sirens January 2012 Newsletter is available on sirenscon!

As 2011 Draws to a Close...

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:13:08 GMT

Two last reminders!

One: Today is the last day for the $170 registration rate for the 2012 conference. Please visit the Sirens registration page for more information.

Two: If you have time to write four book reviews next year, we'd love to have you as part of the Sirens review squad. Today is (technically) the last day to apply for 2012, but since we're on vacation, we'll extend that for a few more days. Visit this post on LiveJournal for more information.

Have a safe, happy 2012!

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 2 (December 2012)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:14:45 GMT

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens forums, mailing list, LiveJournal, and Facebook. Certain other updates are posted on the conference’s Twitter. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you’ll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives to this longer post, please click here.

Volume 4 – Issue 2
December 2011

Gift Certificates
We've noticed that the Sirens community is very much just that: a community of people who want ways to help each other, and sometimes that help comes in the form of financial support that allows others to attend Sirens. We're happy to be able to help make this easier logistically, and to announce that you can now purchase Sirens gift certificates.

All you need is a name and an e-mail address to give a gift certificate. Gift certificates can be purchased in any amount. When you purchase your gift certificate, we create the gift certificate in a PDF and send it, depending on your wishes, to either you or your recipient--and we know that sometimes it's about the gift and not the giver, so gift certificates can be given anonymously.

The fine print: Gift certificates purchased between now and next October can be used only for 2012 Sirens registrations, and for Sirens Supper and Sirens Shuttle tickets for 2012 once those tickets are available. Like the registrations and tickets, the gift certificates are non-refundable, but can be transferred. Because the gift certificates are for Sirens attendance, your recipient must be 18 years old as of October 10, 2012. Please note that gift certificates purchased now are only good for Sirens in 2012 and don't roll over to other years; they'll expire in October.

For more information and to purchase gift certificates, please check out our gift certificate page. If you have questions, just shoot them to our registration team at registration [at] sirensconference.org.

Programming in 2012
It's never too early to start thinking about programming proposals. The presentations on the Sirens conference schedule are drawn from proposals generated by attendees. Since our 2012 theme is "tales retold," we of course welcome proposals on topics related to that theme and presenters are invited to explore fantasy based on extant stories. Presenters are not limited to this theme, however, and proposals that address specific aspects of a work or series, works related by other themes, and studies of the fantasy genre across all disciplines are encouraged as well. A non-exhaustive list of sample topics includes literary analyses of novels; studies of genre history; use of fantasy works in schools and libraries for education; examination of related business and legal issues; media and fan studies; craft-based workshops in writing, art, and publishing; and overviews of how fantasy works fit into larger contexts.

The proposal deadline is May 6, 2012. In the spring, the Sirens LiveJournal hosts a series of posts on how to prepare a proposal, but in the meantime, please feel free to explore the programming section of the Sirens website and to put out feelers for co-presenters on the Sirens forums.

Reading List
If you're looking for programming ideas, check out the Sirens reading list, a selection of books that retell tales, myths, and legends.

Sirens Review Squad
We'd like to extend our sincere thanks to Jazz and thistleingrey for being reviewers for our inaugural year of this project. With the end of the year coming up, it's time for us to open applications to be part of the squad for 2012.

We’re seeking a small group of reader-reviewers to continue this project. Each contributor will be part of the online project from January to October 2012, and will write 4-12 book reviews of 300–600 words each. Here are the parameters:

Contributors’ reviews can be written in advance, and must be complete two weeks ahead of their scheduled publication so that the project coordinator can ensure that they’re lightly edited. (We expect that there might be a few typos.)
Contributors work together to devise a schedule; you can contribute a review when you have the time to do so, though you should expect to spread out your reviews or write them earlier in the year so that they can run at a later date. You are responsible for being aware of, and meeting, your deadlines.
About half of the reviews should be drawn from the Sirens reading list or Books and Breakfast reading list, and the other half selected with input from the project coordinator to ensure that there isn’t too much overlap. We'll focus on books by guests of honor over the summer of 2012, so that is an option as well.
You can revamp a previously written review, but it’s nice if you put together new content. Once your review is published, we’ll ask that you give us an exclusive for one month before you re-post it.
Reviews need not be wholly positive, but contributors are encouraged to review books that they’d recommend rather than books they wouldn’t.
Books reviewed should be women-authored or feature female characters; reviewing books that analyze fantasy literature is an option as well.
Your words reflect your own reading experience, not the opinions or positions of Sirens.
We're happy to have reviewers return from year to year, if you've reviewed before.

We’d love to be able to include everyone who’d like to contribute, but having a small group of contributors works best. If you’d like to be considered as a contributor, please write to (help at sirensconference.org) by December 31, 2011, with the following information:

1. The name (and pen name, if that applies) that you’d like to review under
2. Your e-mail address
3. Three books you’d like to review from the Sirens reading list, and why (a sentence or two about each is fine)
4. How you’d like to focus your non-reading list/contributor’s choice reviews (for example, would you be interested in focusing on picture books, or short stories available online, or novels written in the 1980s, or anthologies, or...)
5. If you’re familiar with any particular blogging platforms or similar software, it's nice to know
6. A link to three book reviews you’ve written and posted online OR the text of two sample reviews that we can read, pasted in the e-mail

Thank you for your interest! If you have any questions, please feel free to post them here or to write to (help at sirensconference.org).
* * *

Strange Angels
Razorbill (Penguin), 2009
Lili St. Crow

Lili St. Crow is skilled at breaking down gender stereotypes in depictions of her characters. When a girl pulls a gun on a guy, we expect a writer to have the guy call her bluff. In Strange Angels, we don't see that. Lili shows us emotions without masculine or feminine stereotypes getting in the way. She shows us fear we can feel from both sides of the trigger, and the emotional strength it takes to pull it or not.

Initially, I was skeptical about Strange Angels. The tagline promoting the sequel, "Will Dru discover just how special she really is?," did not give me any confidence that this was going to be anything but a YA paranormal romance with a Mary Sue. I was pleasantly surprised when Dru turned out to be exactly what she should be: the product of an upbringing in which she is motherless and accompanies her father into supernatural territory on what are most likely suicide missions.

Dru is uncouth; she says "goddamn" and belches as often as she pleases. She may be an amateur, but she doesn't curl up in a ball when evil knocks on her door. She does something about it.

In addition to a strong female lead, Lili delivers a solid supporting male character in Graves. A cute half-Asian boy who is afraid he is becoming a werwulf. Graves offers comic relief in the presence of Dru's serious business attitude. He plays a lot of roles throughout the story including the maybe-hopefully-boyfriend and the voice of reason for Dru, whose life is bereft of role models.

I found Graves to be the most interesting character in the book. We learn just enough about his past and everyday life to become intrigued and wonder what it was that got him to where he is (living in an abandoned part of a mall), and how his history will affect his choices now that he knows about the existence of paranormal beings.

Though, dangerous ground is tread when Dru describes Graves as a "half-breed," and thinks it is good that Graves "hadn't drawn the really slit-eyed card a lot of half-breeds have to play." Maybe some racially mixed people like the shape of their thin eyes, Dru.

In the end, Lili shows us more of her skill at depicting the human condition after the shock of terrible events, and ushers in a new setting that will bring more exciting and dangerous adventures, and continue the quest for revenge and retribution to the lives of her characters. --Jazz

Questions? Please ask us here or write to (help [at] sirensconference.org).
The Sirens December 2011 newsletter is available at sirenscon

Gift Certificates

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:13:05 GMT

Good morning, everyone! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you're American) and a wonderful Thursday (if you're not)! This year we're thankful for a lot of things, such as our amazing Sirens community -- but we'd like to highlight our awesome systems team, who has spent the last few weeks putting together a surprise for you.

Gift certificates!

We're thrilled to offer gift certificates for Sirens for the first time. We've noticed that the Sirens community is very much just that: a community of people who want ways to help each other, and sometimes that help comes in the form of financial support that allows others to attend Sirens.

Whether it's a friend, your mom, an author you love, or a total stranger, all you need is a name and an e-mail address to give them a Sirens surprise. Gift certificates can be purchased in any amount, from simply a dollar to whatever amount you can dream up. When you purchase your gift certificate, we create the gift certificate in a .pdf and send it, depending on your wishes, to either you or your recipient -- and we know that sometimes it's about the gift and not the giver, so gift certificates can be given anonymously.

The fine print: Gift certificates can be used only for 2012 Sirens registrations, and when we roll out the Sirens Supper and Sirens Shuttle tickets for 2012, those tickets. Like the registrations and tickets, the gift certificates are non-refundable, but can be transferred. Because the gift certificates are for Sirens attendance, your recipient must be 18 years old as of October 10, 2012. And please note that, for accounting reasons, these gift certificates are good for only 2012; they'll expire next October.

We hope that this gives you a way to support your friends and family in attending Sirens, to help the community of folks who might need it, and perhaps to find a fun way to give a surprise. We promise, our team will be using them early and often!

For more information and to purchase gift certificates, please check out our gift certificate page. If you have questions, just shoot them to our registration team at registration AT sirensconference DOT org. And happy Black Friday shopping!

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 1 (November 2011)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:21:30 GMT

PLEASE HELP US OUT! A number of you have been finding important e-mails from Sirens in your bulk folder rather than in your inboxes. Please check your bulk mail, unmark the items as bulk, and help us retrain e-mail providers. Thank you in advance!

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens forums, mailing list, LiveJournal, and Facebook. Certain other updates are posted on the conference’s Twitter. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you’ll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives to this longer post, please click here.

Volume 4 – Issue 1
November 2011

Sirens in 2011
Thank you again to everyone who attended Sirens in 2011. We had a fabulous weekend: thoughtful presentations and discussions, snow that came and left at just the right time, gracious guests, dedicated volunteers, and engaged attendees. We couldn't have asked for better.

On the down side, just as we prepared to send you updates from Sirens, Photobucket changed its terms of service. We're not so pleased about the changes (and figured that past attendees wouldn't like to have their images used by all and sundry), so our reports from Vail will be delayed until we've had the chance to find a new photo host and get everything uploaded again. This affects pictures from past events as well. In the meantime, please accept our apologies, and please look for 2011 reports from Vail in December.

Auction items and supporting registrations have been mailed out. If you're expecting books by media mail, those might still be in transit. If we recorded your presentation for you, please know that we'll need some extra time to get those to you, and keep an eye on your e-mail in December. Presenters who plan to submit to the compendium have until November 15, 2011, to provide their papers, articles, discussion questions, and lesson plans; please refer to the compendium e-mail from the programming team for more information.

Again, our thanks to those who attended. You made the conference really special.

We're moving!
During the breakfast at the end of Sirens, we spoke briefly about why Sirens came to be in Vail: it was a "hometown" event for Narrate Conferences; we wanted to serve the western part of the United States; the Rocky Mountains in October provided us with many cost savings; our parent nonprofit is exempt from sales tax in Colorado; and we were already near a world-class location for getting away from it all, so it seemed a shame not to share. To consider moving Sirens, at all, was not something we took lightly.

At the same time, we want Sirens to be able to continue for years to come, so as a one-year experiment, we'll be in a new location. In 2012, Sirens will take place near Portland, Oregon, at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington, on the Columbia River, on October 11-14. Skamania Lodge is excited to welcome us--to host our conference, to let us use their library, to have attendees rock in chairs in front of the 85-foot high fireplace in the lobby, to have us hike on their trails or relax in their hot tubs. The hotel offers a rustic but comfortable ambience, and we think that it's a great option for us in 2012.

The nearest airport to Skamania Lodge is Portland International Airport, which is served by Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air, JetBlue, SeaPort Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, United, and U.S. Airways. If you're arriving to Portland by Amtrak or by Greyhound, the station downtown is about 12 miles from the airport, and a quick taxi ride--or bus or light rail ride--away. You can ride the Sirens Shuttle from Portland International Airport to Skamania Lodge; we'll have rider and ticket information ready for you next year, but we expect to be able to reduce the price of a shuttle ticket a little bit and to get you to Skamania from the airport in just under an hour.

Because we'll be in a new location, we expect change--we just don't yet know what or how. We'll be moving into new space and trading one set of perks (and quirks) for another. For that reason, we're not yet posting an exact schedule of events and activities. You can, however, expect keynotes with our guests of honor, book signing time, book discussions, and attendee-generated papers and presentations, panels, roundtable discussions, workshops, and afternoon classes.

The 2012 website can be viewed here.

2012 Theme
In 2012, we'll take on the theme of "tales retold." Potential presenters are encouraged to focus on existing stories that have been imagined and re-imagined in the fantasy genre. This year's logo was inspired by Scheherazade, who saved her own life by retelling takes she knew, and whose tale has been retold countless times.

Of course, as always, other presentations related to women as readers and creators of fantasy fiction and art, workshops for readers and writers, academic analyses, roundtable discussions, and fantasy-related afternoon classes are welcome. Please visit the programming section of the Sirens website for more information, and we'll be looking forward to receiving your programming proposals in the spring.

Guests of Honor
Speaking of things we're pleased to announce, we're thrilled to announce two of our guests of honor for 2012. Young adult author Malinda Lo and author, editor, folklorist, and academic Kate Bernheimer will be joining us to talk about tales retold. We will announce our third guest at a later date, and we'll be featuring the work of all three in our newsletters and on our website throughout the coming year. In the meantime, please feel free to visit the Sirens reading list to find out what tales they and others have retold.

Registration, Travel, and All the Rest
Registration is open on the Sirens website. Information about Skamania Lodge and travel generally is already on our website. Information about the Sirens Supper and Sirens Shuttle will be added in 2012 once we can provide scheduling and pricing.

Sirens Review Squad
The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia
Prime Books
November 2007

The Secret History of Moscow isn't so much about Moscow as it is about the people who live there. Rather, the story is about human connections through shared history.

We meet three main characters: Galina, a woman labeled as a spinster who was formerly institutionalized for seeing and hearing things that were not there; Yakov, a detective with English roots who is keeps himself emotionally distant from his missing persons investigations; and Fyodor, a painter choosing to live on the streets who has an ingrained fear of gypsies thanks to his mother's superstitions, and his willingness to give into them.

All three are in some way estranged from loved ones or their own emotions, and are just unhappy enough to find their way into the underground of Moscow where people who have been turned into jackdaws, and Koschey the Deathless are locals. You'll get a bit of a crash course in Russian folklore from Secret History, but it helps to know the stories to appreciate the in-jokes.

Galina seeks her sister among the humans-turned-jackdaws; Yakov tries to solve the mystery of the jackdaws so the humans can return home; and Fyodor--well, this painter/alcoholic/pickpocket is out to save himself, and redeem himself in the eyes of a Romani girl he wronged years ago. A large cast of characters pass through the pages, and though several of them are inconsequential to the plot, they eloquently illustrate the struggles of the Russian people. Sedia’s prose is elegant, spare—using the right words and the right amount—and able to provoke the harshness of Russian winters as well as the cold, bitter feeling in one’s heart when life throws too many curve balls to handle, leaving you on the outskirts of society.

Galina is the most well-drawn character, and the one likely to interest Sirens readers the most. The book gives us many glimpses into the history her loving, passionate relationship with her younger sister. Through their experiences, Sedia poses the difficult question of what type of life is worth living, what type is worth giving up—though giving up does not mean death, and if any life is lesser than another.

The Secret History of Moscow ends in a shocking and brilliant turn of events that may at once break and warm the hearts of those who would sacrifice all they ever knew for the person they love most. --Jazz

Thank you for your patience and for stepping into the unknown with us in 2012! In the meantime, please feel free to contact us at (help at sirensconference.org) with questions.

See you next year!

From the Conference: Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:19:38 GMT

Wednesday was beautiful, as were the days earlier this week and weekend. It's the height of the aspen season, and while some rain (and a few light snow showers) are on the way, it was great to see the contrast in mountain colors.

On Wednesday afternoon, a group of early-arriving attendees met the bus, and many gathered for our traditional Sirens Supper, a chance to decompress, talk about books, and eat dinner together.

Registration pick-up starts at 2:00 p.m. in the Creekside Room. This is a different time and place from past years. If you got your registration bag on Wednesday, do stop by and play games and join us for tea.

See you soon, and if you can't make it this year, we miss you.

Sirens News - Volume 3, Issue 12 (October 2011)

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:41:28 GMT

Sirens
Volume 3 – Issue 12
October 2011

The Very Special, Going to Vail, Checking In at Sirens Edition

Sirens Shuttle
The Sirens Shuttle will leave Denver International Airport at 3:30 p.m. on both Wednesday, October 5, and Thursday, October 6, and return at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 9. If you'll be riding any of these shuttles, please watch your e-mail for a final instructions e-mail coming between Wednesday and Saturday. For reference, you'll meet the Sirens Shuttle group by 3:00 p.m. at door 515 in the baggage claim area (near carousel #6). You're welcome to bring food onto the bus with you, but please avoid glass, and remove any trash at the end of the ride.

Checking In at Sirens
If you're attending the Sirens Supper on Wednesday, October 5, we'll meet you at the Rocky Mountain Ballroom at 7:00 p.m. with your registration bag. If you're arriving on Thursday, October 6, registration check-in will be open from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Creekside Room on the lower level. This is a change from years past! Please stop in for a sandwich and a cookie, even if you got your registration bag on Wednesday, or for a round of "fantasy books group activity that resembles a popular trademarked game." We'll also set aside a corner of the room for storing luggage until the hotel's check-in time of 4:00 p.m. Please bring your I.D. and a copy of your registration confirmation.

For everyone: Be sure to check out the schedule in the program book and to pick up a page for the Monster Women Stories. If you'd like to arrange a sort-of-impromptu discussion, feel free to use our signup space board and reserve a room when it's not otherwise in use.

For presenters: Please check in with our shiny new programming coordinator, Cora, and provide her with a copy of any presentation files you'd like to have on hand. We'll pre-load them onto the computers in the presentation rooms. (Frequently asked question's answer: You have computer and projector access if you're presenting in Rocky Mountain A or D, and no audio-visual equipment if you're presenting in Rocky Mountain B. Still not sure? Check your schedule confirmation e-mail from August, or write to programming (at) sirensconference.org.)

For volunteers: Please pick up a copy of your volunteer schedule and a volunteer button.

If you arrive later in the evening on Thursday, you can proceed directly to the Cascade Ballroom for the cheese and dessert reception and Justine Larbalestier's keynote presentation. Then, starting Friday morning, the official Information Desk will be in the foyer outside the Rocky Mountain Ballroom on the first floor of the conference center, where most of the programming will take place.

Books!
Yay, books! The Bookworm of Edwards, a local independent bookstore, will be joining us again this year so that you can make your suitcase too heavy to lift into the overhead bin.

Volunteers Still Needed
If you'll be attending Sirens, we could use a few extra hands! Please visit the Volunteers page and fill out the volunteer form. You'll be invited to join a Google Group for occasional information e-mails, and scheduled to help at Sirens. We could especially use help with the open room monitor shifts. There are four available--two on Friday morning, one Saturday morning, and one on Saturday afternoon. If you're presenting during any of those shifts and don't mind introducing yourself (or waving out the door if you encounter an audio-visual hiccup), you're welcome to be both presenter and volunteer. Please note that you'll need to stay for the entirety of a shift. Our very grateful thanks in advance!

Monster Mash
After a weekend of intense discussion, we'll take a break on Saturday evening for the Monster Mash. Starting at 8:00 p.m. in the Cascade Foyer and Ballroom, we'll spin some tunes, open the dance floor, and offer you the chance to participate in our annual murder mystery, which runs until the culprit is found. You're welcome to come and participate in street clothes or your favorite monster wear. A cash bar will be available.

Do you have a request for the music playlist? Please leave a comment on LiveJournal or send your recommendation to help (at) sirensconference.org by October 3 and we'll pass it on to the playlist organizer.

Contact Us
Starting October 1, many staff members will be in transit to Sirens or on site in Vail, and it may take us a little longer to respond if you write to help (at) sirensconference.org. Starting October 6, please bring questions to the Information Desk in person, as we may not be able to respond to questions sent digitally.

See you soon!

Hotel Registration Deadline

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:09:31 GMT

As an update to our post yesterday, re-posted in part below, we wanted to point out that there are active roommate requests at the last LiveJournal post, our Facebook (wall posting is open), and the forums.

Also, there are still a handful of volunteer shifts open. If you're interested, and want to know how you can help, please visit the volunteers page on the website to see open shifts and to sign up.

Reservations for the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa must be made by September 15. After that, the hotel will release our discounted room block and charge you full price for the room.

If you're looking for a roommate, please visit the forums or try posting on the Sirens Facebook.

And if you aren't familiar with the Vail Cascade, you should check out their website! The library is cozy, the bar serves spiced apple cider, and the spa is gorgeous--and it's all right next to a lovely creek and a walking path surrounded by aspens!

Hotel Reservations

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:57:58 GMT

Hello! Now that registration has closed for Sirens, we're busy printing badges, arranging the Sirens Shuttle, and planning registration bag surprises for when you arrive on site.

While we're doing all of that, though, have you made your hotel reservations?

Reservations for the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa must be made by September 15. After that, the hotel will release our discounted room block and charge you full price for the room.

If you're looking for a roommate, please visit the forums or try posting on the Sirens Facebook.

And if you aren't familiar with the Vail Cascade, you should check out their website! The library is cozy, the bar serves spiced apple cider, and the spa is gorgeous--and it's all right next to a lovely creek and a walking path surrounded by aspens!

Registration Deadline Today!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:25:40 GMT

Don't forget that registration for Sirens closes today! Tomorrow, you won't be able to start a new registration, and you'll have to register on-site. On-site spaces are very, very limited.

Also, reservations for the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa must be made by September 15. If you're looking for a roommate, please visit the forums or try posting on the Sirens Facebook.

If you missed it, the September newsletter is available here.