I’m happy to announce I’ll be reading at WisCon this year* alongside some very talented writers. Look for me Sunday morning. More details to follow as the program firms up. WisCon is a Midwestern tradition with a great focus and setting.
* that’s 2013. It’s been awhile since I updated, huh?
io9 has a gallery of art, photos and behind-the-scenes goodness from the terrific and grand Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities anthology up here. It’s worth checking out.
So too the book, available from Amazon, Mysterious Galaxy, etc. You will find my short entry, American Night Quilt, toward the back, preceded by a plethora of great writing and wonderful art.
Further proof that the universe is awesome arrives with the news that John Chu’s wonderful story, 30 Seconds from Now, is available in the latest Boston Review. It’s a fitting venue for a terrific story about possibility, filled with John’s trademark precision and insight. Find and read now.
The mail carrier brought a long-anticipated wonder last night: the latest issue of Weird Tales. It’s full of the dark and fantastical goodness that has been its trademark under the expert guidance of Ann VanderMeer. A special treat this issue (#358) was a chance to enjoy Karin Tidbeck’s Jagannath. I had the pleasure of reading and critiquing an early draft of Jagannath while at Clarion in 2010, and it is as delightfully weird and hallucinatory as I remember; a story that evoked wonder and envy in equal measure.
If you’re not already a subscriber, you should pick up the issue here. While you’re at it, think about setting aside some time to read Weird Tales #359 when it’s released. It will feature an amazing story from another Clarion classmate, Tamsyn Muir, that I can’t wait to read again. Full disclosure: I have a story in there, too.
After a lengthy lull caused by my poor choice of (former) web hosts and registrars, combined with the widespread forgetting of passwords, I’m pleased to be back at the helm of the site. Woo! Feel the magic.
While I’ve been away, I’ve missed highlighting some quality fiction by good friends and Clarionites.
Dustin Monk’s El Camino in the Therefore I Am anthology.
Leah Thomas’ Shards in Daily Science Fiction.
You can read charming and hyper-multi-talented Leah’s piece right now, just by clicking that link up there. Plus, while you’re doing that, you can download Therefore I am – which has more than just Dustin, although he’s obviously the highlight because he’s an excellent writer and all around great guy – to your e-reader so it’s ready when you’re done with Shards and want something else to read. Such efficiency.
Clarion announced the lucky 2011 students today. Congrats go out to: Rebecca Adams, Brooke Bolander, Jim Brady, AnneMarie Buhl, Todd Castillo, Jacob Cholak, Gillian Daniels, Peta Freestone, Dennis Ginoza, Joshua Lewis, Mark Philps, Christopher Stabback, Jasmine Stairs, Andrew Stewart, Erin Stocks, Timothy Susman, Brooke Wonders, and James Worrad.
Getting invited to the 2010 class was a bright, wonderful moment; attending qualifies as one of the best experiences of my life. Also: difficult, painful, exhausting.
Congratulations again and good luck. I hope it works out as well for all of you as it did for me.
(Note: I’m _sure_ my class was the best, but yours could be great. Make the most of it. Embrace that Clarion experience.)
Clarion 2010 bonus stories are go. I left out a few forthcoming Clarion 2010 classmate stories yesterday. We can look forward to:
John Chu at The Boston Review (!) in a forthcoming issue. I read an early draft of this story at Clarion. I wish I could read it again right now. I have poor impulse control when it comes to good stories.
Dustin Monk in the inaugural issue of Prime Mincer. Can’t wait to read Dustin’s story? (And I don’t blame you.) He has another piece at Aphelion that I quite enjoyed. You will too.
One of the best things about Clarion was meeting – in addition to a powerhouse set of terrific instructors – 17 other writers of grace and talent. The wider world is getting a chance to see some of that talent on display in a number of recent publications. To wit:
Karen Tidbek in Weird Tales.
Tamsyn Muir in Fantasy Magazine.
Kali Wallace in Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Adam Israel in Crossed Genres.
Go forth and read their words, arranged artfully.
The application period for the new Clarion is at hand. I can say without hesitation that it’s a flat-out wonder of a time, a rough and joyous journey through your writing mind, and not to be missed for those interested. I rank it as one of the best, most rewarding experiences of my life. So I say to you, anonymous web-surfer, that you should go forth and apply. The 2012 lineup of instructors looks fantastic. Go, on, apply: what have you got to lose?
The official Clarion blurb sayeth:
Clarion is widely recognized as a premier training ground for aspiring writers of fantasy and science fiction short stories. The 2011 writers in residence are Nina Kiriki Hoffman, John Scalzi, Elizabeth Bear, David Anthony Durham, John Kessel and Kij Johnson. Each year 18 students, ranging in age from late teens to those in mid-career, are selected from applicants who have the potential for highly successful writing careers. Students are expected to write several new short stories during the six-week workshop, and to give and receive constructive criticism. Instructors and students reside together in UCSD campus apartments throughout the intensive six-week program.
Application period: December 1 – March 1. Applicants must submit two short stories with their application.
Workshop: June 26 – August 6, 2011. http://clarion.ucsd.edu
What is there to say about Clarion 2010? It was one of the best experiences of my life, an amazing, grueling, demanding and wonderful journey with 17 exceptionally talented writers and a series of dedicated and generous instructors. I would do it all again in a flat minute.