Sunday, July 01, 2007

CONVERGENCE 2007!

It's that time of year again!



As in recent years past, local writers of color will be gathering at CONVergence in Minnesota, one of the largest conventions of the year.

CONvergence attempts to draw together all the various mediums and aspects of the science fiction & fantasy genres as equals. Many conventions choose one aspect as a primary focus (literature, comics, movies, etc.). But by covering this broad spectrum, the organizers hope to show what brings all of us together as fans of the media.

And we just think it's fun.

The theme of CONvergence 2007 is "Creature Feature," which may give many visions of monster movies new and old, and of things that go bump in the night. While those ghouls and goblins will certainly be part of the proceedings, creature characters are not limited to the realm of Horror, and this convention will explore that.

Some panels I'm specifically serving on are:


Adopted! A Roll of the Dice
From the beginning to the present, adopting is a frequent element of mythology, folklore and speculative literature. From Oedipus and the Peach Boy to Damien and Worf, images of adoptees run the gamut, but more than just a plot device, why is this a popular theme, and how is it presented in different cultures?
Shannon Gibney and Jennifer Li will be helping me take this one on.

On The Other Side Of The Eye: Speculative Poetry Reading
Six Twin Cities writers take on the fantastic, the mythic and the cosmic through speculative poetry and spoken word. And once again, the miniature city of Neo-Minneapolis might get destroyed in the process! I'll be reading along with Robert Karimi, Brandon Lacy Campos, Shoua Lee, Bao Phi.

And don't forget our party room on room 401: "America's Nightmare Boutique" where the Twin Cities Nerds of Color will be hosting all sorts of fun party games from trivia matches, pinatas and the Map of Monstrosities!

It's going to be great!

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