If you have ever gone to the woods with me, you must love me very much.
—Mary Oliver, “How I Go to the Woods”
Ramblings of Michael J. DeLuca
If you have ever gone to the woods with me, you must love me very much.
—Mary Oliver, “How I Go to the Woods”
I’ll be at World Fantasy Convention in Baltimore this weekend, November 1-4, 2018. I get to do a reading and a panel.
Time: Saturday – 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Location: Guilford
I think I’m going to read my Reckoning 2 editorial, even though I’ve been avoiding doing so because it’s deeply personal and emotional and hard, because it’s directly relevant to the panel they put me on, because after the IPCC report and three days before the election I feel like it’s time and I’m out of excuses.
Time: Sunday – 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: WaterTable BC
Panelists: Michael J. Deluca, Sarah Beth Durst, Matthew Kressel, James A. Moore, A.C. Wise (M)
Description: The ’00s brought us a glut of dystopian fiction, but in this new dark political era, what value or function can positive or so-called “hope-punk” fiction bring? Is optimistic fiction head-in-the-sand denialism, or is it mindfully visionary? Who are some of the writers creating this type of fiction? #HopePunk
In the interest of all of us working together to help each other mitigate the in-progress climate apocalypse, I thought I’d update my list of actions.
Maybe a lot of this will seem tiny and pedantic, it seems that way to me, but I include it because I don’t want anybody else to think anything they can do is insignificant. Some of it likely also will seem huge and daunting; believe me that it felt that way to me before I built up the momentum to make it happen.
It all matters. What you’re doing matters.
Please–and especially if you’re doing something I’m not–would you share your own version of this?
New as of this week:
Forthcoming:
What I was already doing:
Areas where I’m not there yet:
Thank you for reading and caring. <3
I submitted a lot of panel topic and content suggestions for this year’s Readercon, and lo, they took some, and lo, they even put me on a couple.
Friday, July 13, 1:00 PM: Reading: Michael J. DeLuca
My solo reading, at which I’ll read “Forest Spirits”, a short story forthcoming in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
Friday, July 13, 3:00 PM: Group Reading: Reckoning 2
Contributors to Reckoning 2, the second annual nonprofit journal of creative writing on environmental justice, read from their work.
Featuring contributors Marissa Lingen, Jess Barber and Justin Howe.
Sunday, July 15, 12:00 PM: Solarpunk for Everyone
Solarpunk has become established as a progressive, proactive, optimistic, climate-aware, politically aware field of speculative fiction. As solarpunk authors imagine the future, how can they make sure that future includes everyone? How can solarpunk develop and showcase remedies not only [to] the climatological errors of the present and past but the social flaws of oppression, bias, and exclusion?
This conversation will feature T.X. Watson, Marissa Lingen, Darcie Little Badger and Tom Greene. I’m moderating.
Sunday, July 15, 1:00 PM: Speculative Economics
Many theoretical economic systems have been proposed by economists, academics, and writers. Some of those cross the line—if there is a line—from theoretical economics into speculative economics. What are some of the more interesting and entertaining possible economic systems that could form the basis of speculative stories, from utopian SF to dystopias and horror? What makes a depiction of a fictional economic system feel plausible?
Featuring Sioban Krzywicki (moderator), John O’Neil, Malka Older, Michael Cisco, and me.
Here, for my own convenient reference, I post my schedule for WriteFest 18.
The Resistance Will Be Written: Writing as Activism
Panelists: Michael J. DeLuca, Kari Sutherland
Friday, May 4th, 11:30 – 12:30Throughout history, literature has served as a method of protest and a means of change, and the current day is no different. How can writers use their literary practice to engage with and respond to social unrest? In what ways can literature help shape the arc of history towards justice?
Writing from More than One World: Bilingual and Multilingual Writers Speak Up
Panelists: Saadia Faruqi, Lorenzo Martinez
Friday, May 4th, 3:15 – 4:15Languages all have their own distinct rhythms, storytelling traditions, and cultural contexts and subtexts. Our panel of multilingual writers discuss the experience of writing in multiple languages, the influence other languages have on their English work (and vice versa!), and more.
Submission Tools for New Writers
Panelists: CP Heiser, Michael J. DeLuca, Holly Walrath, Karen Bovenmyer
Saturday, May 5th, 8:30 – 9:30Ready to submit your work but have no idea where to start? Join a team of editors as they guide you through the confusing and often contradictory process of getting published. Where can you find places to submit? How do you keep track of your submissions? And what happens once someone says yes?
Sunday Morning Roundtable and Q&A
Presenters: TBA
Sunday, May 6th, 10:00 – 11:00
Location: Studio #6 (Breakroom)Join your fellow Writefest attendees for a Sunday morning roundtable and discussion with remaining writers, editors, or agents! We will close out the festival with some final comments and discussion and give you a chance to ask those last lingering questions.