tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125363282019-01-24T16:12:40.078-08:00CKL's HotSheet is OBSOLETEPlease visit <a href="https://curtiscchen.com/journal/">Curtis C. Chen's Journal</a> instead!Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1475125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-31163882964046638742018-12-31T16:40:00.002-08:002018-12-31T16:41:07.747-08:00I'm Movin' On Up<b>...to a WordPress "journal" on my professional author website: <a href="https://curtiscchen.com/journal/">curtiscchen.com/journal</a></b><br /><br />I will no longer be updating this site. So long, Blogger, and thanks for all the... <a href="https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/dish">dish</a>?<br /><br />Please update your bookmarks! (Do people even still say that?) Or, better yet, sign up for my <b>mailing list</b> to get all the latest and greatest news: <a href="http://news.curtiscchen.com/">news.curtiscchen.com</a><br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-9795186153831493092018-12-10T22:39:00.000-08:002018-12-10T22:39:43.061-08:00Jasper Died on a Sunday<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IJ5IVCRe4ng/XA9YB0oQgLI/AAAAAAACL_g/208V5FLmkRgj8WNDjt85O8YnQCmhlTRJQCLcBGAs/s1600/jasper-carrot.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IJ5IVCRe4ng/XA9YB0oQgLI/AAAAAAACL_g/208V5FLmkRgj8WNDjt85O8YnQCmhlTRJQCLcBGAs/s320/jasper-carrot.png" width="213" height="320" data-original-width="1067" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br /><br />He died six months ago:<br />Sunday, June 10th, 2018.<br />He passed away at 4:27PM.<br />It was raining outside.<br /><br />Tye was with him.<br />We were all with him. The whole family was together.<br />He was happy.<br />Tired, but happy. He was tired<br />and he just<br />went to sleep<br />one<br />last<br />time.<br /><br />Our boy is gone and there's nothing for it.<br /><br />I'm glad he was a part of our family.<br />I'm glad we had those last seven months--<br />good months--<br />with him:<br />months we weren't sure he would have,<br />months we weren't sure he would enjoy.<br />But he was happy.<br />We were happy.<br />I'll miss him forever.<br />I'm so happy that he was in our lives for so long.<br /><br />Our boy is gone and there's nothing for it.<br /><br />He was a great cat.<br />He was our tiny prince.<br />He gained a lot of different <a href="https://hotsheet.snout.org/2009/09/my-many-nicknames.html">nicknames</a> over the years.<br />He took a five-month <a href="http://roadtrip2008.malum-iter.com/">road trip</a> with us.<br />He loved to be shoulder-mounted.<br />He loved to eat cat grass <br />(even though it made him vomit).<br />He enjoyed crackers and bread for some reason.<br />He emitted a wide range of ear-piercing squeaks<br />(including what we dubbed "demando-voice").<br />He often had pointy or pokey feet.<br />He always liked napping in the bed with us<br />or curling up with Bayla or Tye.<br /><br />Our boy is gone and there's nothing for it.<br /><br />I still cry.<br />It's been months and I'll still,<br />every now and then,<br />see something around the house that reminds me of him,<br />and I won't be able to stop the tears.<br />Maybe it'll be like this for the rest of my life.<br />Maybe someday I'll be more happy than sad when I think of him.<br /><br />Our boy is gone and there's nothing for it.<br /><br />I miss so many things<br />and I don't want to forget.<br />I miss the way he'd come into the bathroom <br />when I was on the toilet <br />and rear up on his hind legs <br />to rub his face against my hands.<br />I'll miss his soft, chittering snores<br />and his low burbling purrs<br />and the way he'd twitch while he slept.<br />I used to wonder what he dreamt of,<br />why he often needed a wake-up snack.<br />For comfort?<br />Because he still remembered being feral,<br />being hungry,<br />not having a home?<br /><br />I think we gave him a good home.<br />I hope we did our best to love him,<br />especially at the end.<br />I don't know.<br />I want to believe we did.<br />I should believe that.<br />Maybe later I will.<br />Maybe someday I'll know.<br /><br />Today, all I know is this:<br /><br />Our boy is gone and there's nothing for it.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GwxhWE5dgYU/XA9ZR2QU0DI/AAAAAAACMAI/j-jlqo-mnjUgQ8lzLyHa8fIWQbmYaz-gACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GwxhWE5dgYU/XA9ZR2QU0DI/AAAAAAACMAI/j-jlqo-mnjUgQ8lzLyHa8fIWQbmYaz-gACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0570.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br /><br /><img src="https://curtiscchen.com/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, WA 98664, USA45.616422 -122.5804527999999945.5276135 -122.74181429999999 45.7052305 -122.41909129999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-77417745543171958152018-08-10T13:01:00.000-07:002018-08-10T13:01:09.076-07:00My Worldcon 2018 Schedule<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8tMxVmK1Ek/W23s4CeXzII/AAAAAAACI-I/V_dz-Dv3UyQkvvDRMXK8OjP0EpyE4uoLgCLcBGAs/s1600/1500x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8tMxVmK1Ek/W23s4CeXzII/AAAAAAACI-I/V_dz-Dv3UyQkvvDRMXK8OjP0EpyE4uoLgCLcBGAs/s320/1500x500.jpg" width="320" height="107" data-original-width="1500" data-original-height="500" /></a><br /><br />I'll be in San Jose next week for <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/">Worldcon 76</a>, and wonder of wonders, I am actually scheduled to be on some programming items! Here's where you can find me:<br /><br /><hr/><h2>FRIDAY, 17 Aug 2018</h2><br /><a href="https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/worldcon-76/en/worldcon-76/schedule/236/SFWA+Business+Meeting"><b>SFWA Business Meeting</b></a><br />08:00 - 10:00, 210DH (San Jose Convention Center)<br />All SFWA members are welcome!<br /><i>Cat Rambo (M), Kate Baker, Curtis Chen, Andy Duncan, Erin M. Hartshorn, Jeffe Kennedy, Terra LeMay, Sarah Pinsker, Lawrence M. Schoen, Steven Silver, Nathan Lowell</i><br /><br /><b>Autograph Session 1 of 2</b><br />12:00 - 12:30, SFWA autographing table (exhibit hall)<br />I'll sign anything except body parts! You can also pick up a FREE <i>Kangaroo</i>-themed postcard from Mars or the Moon.<br /><br /><a href="https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/worldcon-76/en/worldcon-76/schedule/5256/Lighting+a+Creative+Spark+Without+Burning+Out"><b>Lighting a Creative Spark Without Burning Out</b></a><br />14:00 - 15:00, 211C (San Jose Convention Center)<br />An entire novel in a month? A new song every week for a year? A drawing a day for a 31 days? Time-based artistic challenges like NaNoWriMo, the Song A Week Challenge, Inktober, National Poetry Writing Month, and others can stretch your creative chops, but they might also burn you out. Our panelists will discuss their experiences with creativity challenges. Learn what worked for them and what didn’t, how they were impacted when they did not meet their goals, and what success meant for each of them.<br /><i>Pablo Defendini (M), Cameron Steiman, Curtis Chen, Sara Felix</i><br /><br /><a href="https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/worldcon-76/en/worldcon-76/schedule/5308/What+Can+SFWA+Offer+Me"><b>What Can SFWA Offer Me?</b></a><br />15:00 - 16:00, 210F (San Jose Convention Center)<br />Learn what SFWA has to offer authors at all stages of their careers, from networking opportunities to sample contracts to the grievance committee. SFWA's officers will provide an update on what SFWA is doing and where the organization is going and answer questions from potential (or current) members.<br /><i>Kate Baker (M), Cat Rambo, Curtis Chen, Erin M. Hartshorn, Jeffe Kennedy, Lawrence M. Schoen</i><br /><br /><hr/><h2>SATURDAY, 18 Aug 2018</h2><br /><b>Autograph Session 2 of 2</b><br />12:00 - 12:30, SFWA autographing table (exhibit hall)<br />I mean it, folks. NO BODY PARTS. Maybe you have <a href="http://locusmag.com/2018/08/issue-691-table-of-contents-august-2018/">the August 2018 issue of <i>Locus</i> Magazine</a>, which includes an interview with me? Or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07B13TDZQ/curtiscchensfree">the March/April 2018 issue of <i>Playboy</i> Magazine</a>, which includes my short story "Go, Space Racer!"? Or even a hardcover of my award-nominated debut novel, <a href="http://www.waypointkangaroo.com/"><i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i></a>, or the sequel, <a href="http://www.kangaroo2.com/"><i>Kangaroo Too</i></a>? You gotta work with me here.<br /><br /><hr/><h2>MONDAY, 20 Aug 2018</h2><br /><a href="https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/worldcon-76/en/worldcon-76/schedule/5888/Reading%3A++Zandra+Renwick"><b>Reading with Zandra Renwick</b></a><br />14:30 - 15:00, 211A (San Jose Convention Center)<br />My awesome friend Zandra is very generously sharing her reading time slot with me! Come let us share some words with you before the closing of the con.<br /><br /><hr/><h2>ALSO</h2><br />On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights I'll be staffing the <b>SFWA Member Hospitality Suite</b> (open to SFWA members and their guests only; members, check your email for details in <i>The Singularity</i> #49). Otherwise I'll generally be around. Probably at the bar.<br /><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisCChen">Follow me on Twitter</a> for the latest updates!<br /><a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-follow-button" data-size="large" data-show-count="false">Follow @curtiscchen</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br /><br /><img src="https://curtiscchen.com/ckl_rwv2011a_240.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32"><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-60995016805908828882018-03-13T16:31:00.000-07:002018-03-28T23:08:22.202-07:00My Norwescon 41 ScheduleIt's that time of year: I don't know why <a href="http://www.norwescon.org/con/">Norwescon</a> always falls on Easter weekend (probably some combination of hotel contracts and fannish tradition) but it's happening again! If you'll be there at the end of this month, here's where you can <strike>stalk</strike>* find me (recommended sessions are ★ starred, YMMV):<br /><br /><hr /><h2>Friday, March 30</h2><br /><b>Reading: Tina Connolly</b><br />10:30–11 a.m. @ Cascade 4<br />Something new and different. Tina Connolly reads something you probably haven’t heard before. There may be marshmallows. Rated: PG.<br /><span style="color:red">(SPOILER: I'm joining her to present a selection from BOX, a thriller play she co-wrote!)</span><br /><i>Tina Connolly (M)</i><br /><br /><b>First Page Idol</b><br />2:00pm - 3:00pm @ Cascade 11<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M), Tina Connolly, Mark Teppo, Cory Skerry</i><br />Feeling brave? Want to see how your first page holds up in a cold read? Send the first page of your manuscript to <a href="mailto:idol@norwescon.org">idol@norwescon.org</a> to have it anonymously read aloud and critiqued by a panel of pros.<br /><br /><b>★ The Best Comedy Workshop You've Ever Attended</b><br />5:00pm - 6:30pm @ Cascade 13<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen, Tegan Moore</i><br />Do you want to write funny stories? Or would you prefer to be a wry storyteller? What’s the difference between jokes and humor? (Don’t say one’s a liquid. DON’T SAY ONE’S A LIQUID.) Tegan Moore and Curtis Chen explain it all. No props, no animals, no hyperbole, no refunds. Presented by Clarion West. Ages 18+. Space is limited and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScGt-0avGD1XL1y_4Tgra7aHHUITsi5lbP7j6kdaadw6EXGew/viewform">advance sign-up is required</a> in Cascade 1.<br /><br /><hr /><h2>Saturday, March 31</h2><br /><b>Writer Talk: Dig That Rhythm</b><br />10:00am - 11:00am @ Cascade 10<br /><i>Tod McCoy (M), Jack Skillingstead, E. Lily Yu, Curtis C. Chen</i><br />All writing must have rhythm: a balance between dialogue, internal monologue, action, and narrative. Without rhythm, a story bogs down and loses the reader’s interest. Tone is often tied to this rhythm, but authorial voice and theme can impact rhythm too. Chat with pros about how they find this music in their writing.<br /><br /><b>★ Reading: Curtis C. Chen</b><br />11:30am - 12:00pm @ Cascade 4<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M)</i><br /><a href="http://kangaroo2.com/">Kangaroo Too</a>. Kangaroo’s back! And this time it’s personal… maybe? Come hear an excerpt from the sequel to <a href="http://waypointkangaroo.com/">Waypoint Kangaroo</a>, in which our hero travels to the moon in search of information and ends up digging up long-buried secrets from the past that will make his future very complicated. Rated: PG.<br /><br /><b>Autograph Session 2</b><br />3:00pm - 4:00pm @ Grand 2<br /><i>Chris Pramas, Galen Dara, Ken Liu, Matthew Wedel, Nicole Lindroos, Barth Anderson, Tina Connolly, Fonda Lee, G. Willow Wilson, Joseph Carriker, Kat Richardson, Nancy Kress, Sandra M. Odell, Tanya D., Curtis C. Chen, Dawn Vogel, Nisi Shawl, E. Lily Yu, Eva L. Elasigue, Jack Skillingstead, Joseph Brassey, K. C. Alexander, Lee Moyer, Meg Elison, Pat MacEwen, Patrick Swenson, Rhiannon Held, Scott James Magner, Dean Wells</i><br />Our attending professionals are available to sign autographs. Please note that so as many fans as possible can participate, we will be enforcing a three-items-at-a-time (or single-sketch) autograph limit.<br /><br /><b>Ready, Set, Practice That Pitch!</b><br />5:00pm - 6:00pm @ Cascade 11<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M), Susan Chang, Cory Skerry, Randy Henderson</i><br />Are you ready to pitch an agent? What’s the difference between the elevator pitch, a three-liner, and an extended pitch? Hear pros throw out some examples and listen as audience members share their elevator pitches with the pros. Find out if your pitch is worthy of a request for pages!<br /><br /><hr /><h2>Sunday, April 1</h2><br /><b>★ What is SFWA?</b><br />11:00am - 12:00pm @ Cascade 5 & 6<br /><i>Cat Rambo (M), Curtis C. Chen</i><br />Panelists will discuss the origin and history of the <b>Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)</b>, what the organization does for professional SF&F writers and the genre, and what its direction will be in the coming years.<br /><br /><hr /><br />There is also a nonzero chance that I'll be at Friday night karaoke, one or more Saturday night room parties, and a <a href="https://www.codexwriters.com/">Codex</a> meetup at some point during the weekend. <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisCChen">Follow me on Twitter</a> for reminders and random thoughts!<br /><br />*<small><a href="https://youtu.be/rZ1MPc5HG_I">Stalking is bad!</a> DON'T DO IT.</small><br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-59717229191338909402017-12-29T16:25:00.001-08:002017-12-30T17:27:38.672-08:002017 Year-End Writerly PostIt's that time of the year when writers blog about their award-eligible works published in the last calendar year. Well, I only had one work published in 2017:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kangaroo2.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ni6CBShoLEg/WkbHRKVSPKI/AAAAAAACGF8/iUPuEPdeaCkdf8cTzluFPWp-vCYoQOyHgCLcBGAs/s320/9781250081896.jpg" width="211" height="320" data-original-width="658" data-original-height="1000" /></a></div><br />If you read and enjoyed <i>Kangaroo Too</i>, please talk it up <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450857-kangaroo-too">anywhere</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1250081890/curtiscchensfree">everywhere</a> you like!<br /><br />And now I'm going to direct your attention toward some other writers who have published outstanding fiction in 2017. In no particular order:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="https://dickensianfantasy.blogspot.ca/2017/12/2017-in-stories.html">Claire Humphrey</a></li><li><a href="https://amercrustad.com/2017/12/27/awards-eligibility-2017/">A. Merc Rustad</a></li><li><a href="http://www.acwise.net/?p=2657">A.C. Wise</a> <span style="color:red">(ADD 30 Dec 2017: see also her <a href="http://www.acwise.net/?p=2648">What Have You Done, What Have You Loved? 2017 Edition</a> blog post)</span></li><li><a href="http://richwlarson.tumblr.com/freereads">Rich Larson</a></li><li><a href="http://carolineyoachim.com/2017/12/19/stories-out-in-2017/">Caroline M. Yoachim</a></li><li><a href="https://johnwiswell.blogspot.com/2017/12/johns-publications-in-2017.html">John Wiswell</a></li><li><a href="https://bonniejostufflebeam.com/2017/11/21/my-year-in-stories-2017/">Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ericasatifka.com/2017/11/trying-to-try-my-2017-award-eligibility.html">Erica L. Satifka</a></li><li><a href="http://kellyrobson.com/kellys-eligibility-post-2017-edition/">Kelly Robson</a></li><li><a href="https://atgreenblatt.com/2017/12/06/year-end-eligibility-post-2017/">A.T. Greenblatt</a></li></ul><br /><i>FULL DISCLOSURE: I have personal connections to all of the above writers through conventions, workshops, professional organizations, and/or living in the Pacific Northwest.</i><br /><br />Check out <a href="http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/2017/12/08/lists-of-2017-award-eligible-work-blog-posts-roundups-for-fsf/">Cat Rambo's 2017 roundup</a> for a more complete list of award-eligible works.<br /><br />And don't forget, <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/entry/don-t-miss-your-chance-to-nominate-for-the-hugos-register-as-a-member-before-december-31-2017">if you want to nominate for next year's Hugo Awards, you need to buy your Worldcon membership by this coming SUNDAY, December 31st!</a><br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-73958858654973928972017-11-13T21:00:00.000-08:002017-11-17T10:29:05.805-08:00My OryCon 39 ScheduleThis coming weekend I'll be at <a href="http://39.orycon.org/">OryCon</a>, a science fiction/fantasy convention held annually in Portland since 1979. This year it's at the <a href="http://39.orycon.org/hotel/">Red Lion Hotel on Jantzen Beach</a>. When not at the bar, here's where you can find me (moderator for each session in <b>bold</b>):<br /><br /><a href="https://o39.sched.com/author7" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/344513261569611416/a705d0c7706dda59cfe00b6f793a863f_400x400.png" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="400" data-original-height="400" /></a><br /><br /><h2>Friday, November 17th</h2><br />2:00pm-3:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/Cy8R">Getting Your First Professional Sale</a><br />Thrawn - 252<br />An author can struggle for months or years before achieving their first success, but even after writing their opus, they can be tripped up by a process which is both entirely new to them and yet critical to their success. This panel describes what an author may experience as they revel in their first success.<br /><i>Clayton Callahan, Tina Connolly, Curtis C. Chen, Sheila Finch, Annie Bellet</i><br /><br />4:00pm-5:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/CyAz">Comics Created Our Modern Mythologies</a><br />Wenatchee - 166 Parlor<br />How comics conquered our art, stories and media.<br /><i>Lee Moyer, Curtis C. Chen, Benjamin Hsu, Eva L. Elasigue</i><br /><br />6:30pm-7:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/Cy8Z">Endeavour Awards</a><br />East Ballroom<br />The Endeavour Award honors the best SF/F book written by a Pacific Northwest writer. This year's finalists are <i>Arabella of Mars</i> by David D. Levine, <i>Dreams of Distant Shores</i> by Patricia McKillip, <i>Eocene Station</i> by Dave Duncan, <i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff, and <a href="http://www.waypointkangaroo.com/"><i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i></a> by Curtis Chen.<br /><i><b>Page Fuller</b>, Jim Fiscus, Curtis C. Chen, <strike>Sheila Simonson</strike>, David Levine, <strike>Sara Mueller</strike>,<br /> Patrick Swenson, Brenda Cooper</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.waypointkangaroo.com/" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW3vbJblx64/WgpyvnjXpBI/AAAAAAACFz0/hFjjwInCarcMjGOsGg-gtaFg1vA73MkcwCLcBGAs/s320/9781250081780.jpg" width="211" height="320" data-original-width="659" data-original-height="1000" /></a><br /><br /><h2>Saturday, November 18th</h2><br />10:00am-11:00am<br /><a href="http://sched.co/CyA5">SFWA Regional Business Meeting</a><br />Thrawn - 252<br />The Secretary will give a briefing on the latest in SFWA and the business, as well as answer questions.<br /><i><b>Curtis C. Chen</b>, Jim Fiscus</i><br /><br />12:00pm-1:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/CyBa">Publishing Ethics</a><br />216 Presidential<br />What should the relationship between publishers and writers look like? Between writers and readers? Both require respect. What does that look like?<br /><i>Patrick Swenson, Curtis C. Chen, Susan R. Matthews, <b>Ann Gimpel</b>, Doug Odell</i><br /><br />3:00pm-4:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/CyAJ">Star Trek: Discovery</a><br />Lovejoy<br />Whoo hoo! Another Star Trek series! It's been far too long. What do you think?<br /><i>John C. Bunnell, Rob Wynne, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Jennifer Willis, <b>Curtis C. Chen</b></i><br /><br />8:00pm-9:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/Cy8X">Sci Fi Ask Me Another! (Quiz Show)</a><br />216 Presidential<br />Curtis Chen and Jeff Soesbe present a variety of games involving science fiction and fantasy trivia, puzzles, and wordplay. Audience participation is required, and rewarded! Can you make it to the final Elimination Game? Come have fun while competing for prizes!<br /><i><b>Jeff Soesbe</b>, Curtis C. Chen</i><br /><br /><a href="http://sched.co/Cy8X" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/04/06/askmeanother_wide-8477a03c68838990b86edab39421da3e8e939b4c.jpg?s=1400" width="320" height="180" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="450" /></a><br /><br /><h2>Sunday, November 19th</h2><br />1:00pm-2:00pm<br /><a href="http://sched.co/CyBv">Trades versus Weeklies Economics</a><br />Wenatchee - 166 Parlor<br />Comic collections or issues? Why have one when we already have the other?<br /><i>Robert B McMonigal, Eva L. Elasigue, Jeff Soesbe, Curtis C. Chen</i><br /><br />Check out the <a href="https://o39.sched.com/">full OryCon 39 schedule on SCHED</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.powells.com/eventdetail?popup=true&eventID=1306&rwndrnd=0.36653137877726283" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://igx.4sqi.net/img/general/200x200/Asl_I4kvh3Aqof0UmQaFmk2xfYOjmysNcj-0oVy-Ayg.jpg" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="200" data-original-height="200" /></a><br /><br />And if you can't make it to the con, I'll also be at <b>Powell's <a href="http://www.powells.com/eventdetail?popup=true&eventID=1306&rwndrnd=0.36653137877726283">"Sci-Fi Authorfest"</a> in Beaverton</b> on Sunday afternoon from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. Come meet 20 different speculative fiction authors, buy our books, and get them signed!<br /><br />Here endeth the schedule.<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0909 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR 97217, USA45.612922999999988 -122.6753244999999920.090888499999988 -163.9839185 71.134957499999985 -81.366730499999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-569983819073109522017-10-06T16:26:00.000-07:002017-10-06T16:32:23.833-07:00My Can*Con ScheduleNext weekend (October 13-15) I'll be at <a href="http://can-con.org/cc/"><b>Can*Con</b>, the Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature</a> in Ottawa. And no, I am not Canadian, but they're letting me crash their party anyway. (Thanks to my literary agent Sam Morgan, last year's Agent GoH, for paving the way!)<br /><br />Here's where I'll be:<br /><br /><h2>Saturday, October 14</h2><br />9:00AM - Salon B<br /><b>SFWA: Supports for Writers & Routes to Membership</b><br />An overview of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) with current and former Secretaries and our current Volunteer Coordinator. Light breakfast fare and coffee will be available!<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen, Susan Forest, Derek Künsken</i><br /><br />11:30-12:00 - Dealer's Room, Chapters Table<br /><b>Signing Session</b><br />Titles will be available for sale by Chapters, but no purchase is necessary – feel free to bring something with you for us to sign!<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen, Yves Meynard</i><br /><br />13:30-13:45 - Salon B<br /><b>Reading</b><br />A scene from KANGAROO TOO, and possibly something from the new work in progress!<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen</i><br /><br /><h2>Sunday, October 15</h2><br />2:00PM - Salon D<br /><b>Leveling Up Your Writing with Formal Courses</b><br />Previous participants in courses like Clarion, Odyssey, Taos Toolbox, MFAs, etc. discuss (1) the benefits and drawbacks of residential vs. online writing courses, (2) how they got in, (3) what they learned there vs. other places to learn.<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen, Suzanne Church, Timothy Gwyn, Leah MacLean-Evans, Kelly Robson (moderator)</i><br /><br />Visit <a href="http://can-con.org/cc/">the Can*Con web site</a> for complete <a href="http://can-con.org/cc/schedule/schedule/">Panel Descriptions & Schedule</a> and more information.<br /><br />Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen">@curtiscchen</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/CanConSF/">@CanConSF</a> on Twitter for additional shenanigans!<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br /><br /><small>P.S. Has it really been almost two months since my last blog post here? Maybe I ought to put up or shut up on this whole blogging thing. :P</small><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-3545111063721986332017-08-12T18:45:00.000-07:002017-08-12T18:45:00.771-07:00Crazy SquirrelThere are lots of squirrels running around our apartment complex. Sometimes we throw peanuts out onto our back patio for them to eat. We try not to do it while they're watching, because we don't want them to get the idea that we're feeding them directly.<br /><br />But lately there's this one squirrel who's been running around right outside our front door. We see him several times a week as we're leaving to go out, and he always runs up and stares at us like "whaddya got for me?"<br /><br />He does run away when we get closer, but he still watches us like a little creeper.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kw1pbx6YHaE/WY-uUJIPsKI/AAAAAAACDYA/Y9S5m4Z67o4O8qgeUG_7IarFTl4Nvif_wCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5037.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kw1pbx6YHaE/WY-uUJIPsKI/AAAAAAACDYA/Y9S5m4Z67o4O8qgeUG_7IarFTl4Nvif_wCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_5037.JPG" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br /><br />Today, when I left the house, I found this on top of our car.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uo9DD_1FmWw/WY-ucGXUo8I/AAAAAAACDYE/IYdNAJ3_2aYIlPVfhkFeelaL8o69cbW7gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_5044.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uo9DD_1FmWw/WY-ucGXUo8I/AAAAAAACDYE/IYdNAJ3_2aYIlPVfhkFeelaL8o69cbW7gCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_5044.JPG" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br /><br />Crazy squirrel.<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-11778549250057496842017-07-25T08:18:00.000-07:002017-07-25T08:18:01.961-07:00Waypoint Kangaroo is an Endeavour Award Finalist!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoffN96bTXw/WXa6G1kd5LI/AAAAAAACDEc/0yWoTGM0Cocw54wMVWzpae6U15HDjr8GACLcBGAs/s1600/2017%2BEndeavour%2BFINALIST%2B150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoffN96bTXw/WXa6G1kd5LI/AAAAAAACDEc/0yWoTGM0Cocw54wMVWzpae6U15HDjr8GACLcBGAs/s320/2017%2BEndeavour%2BFINALIST%2B150.jpg" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="600" data-original-height="600" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen/status/888659138410151937">ICYMI last weekend</a>: my debut novel is one of this year's finalists for the <a href="http://osfci.org/endeavour/">Endeavour Award</a>, "for a distinguished SCIENCE FICTION or FANTASY BOOK written by a Pacific Northwest author or authors and published in the previous year." Hearty congratulations to my fellow finalists:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765382814/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Arabella of Mars</strong></a> by David D. Levine, Tor Books</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616962186/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Dreams of Distant Shores</strong></a> by Patricia McKillip, Tachyon</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1988274052/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Eocene Station</strong></a> by Dave Duncan, Five Rivers Publishing</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062292072/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Lovecraft Country</strong></a> by Matt Ruff, Harper</li></ul>More information from the press release over at <a href="http://file770.com/?p=36490">File770.com</a>.<br /><br />As with the <a href="http://hotsheet.snout.org/2017/05/waypoint-kangaroo-is-locus-award.html">Locus Awards</a>, I don't expect to win at all, but it is truly an honor to have made the shortlist. Come see me be a gracious loser in person at <a href="http://39.orycon.org/">OryCon</a>!<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-89573417849842921142017-07-24T19:59:00.001-07:002017-07-24T19:59:57.034-07:00Kangaroo CocktailsAs you know, Bob, space tourism features pretty heavily in both of my <i>Kangaroo</i> books: <a href="http://www.waypointkangaroo.com/">the first one</a> takes place mostly on an interplanetary cruise spaceship, and <a href="http://www.kangaroo2.com/">the second book</a> sees Kangaroo going undercover as a civilian on the Moon.<br /><br />And, of course, tourism often involves drinking. Like modern cruise ships, the <i>Dejah Thoris</i> in <i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i> encourages its passengers to imbibe early and often; and the Hotel Tranquility in <i>Kangaroo Too</i> boasts a well-stocked, all-hours lobby bar (liquor laws are a little looser on Luna). I have been known to take a drink now and then, myself, and I had fun writing some beverage-fueled encounters into both books.<br /><br />Enter my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/ilorien">Huw Evans</a>, one of the workshop administrators for Clarion West (the writing boot camp I attended in 2014) and a real-life cocktail enthusiast, among other things. I had the wacky idea to ask him if he wanted to actually come up with a recipe for the vaguely described "Zero-Gravity Football" drink from <i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i>, and he did! So of course I also asked him to do the same for <i>Kangaroo Too</i> this year, for the unnamed cocktail that Kangaroo shares with Breyella Wilgus in chapter eight.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-onIXV9S49Ls/WXazBRdmogI/AAAAAAACDEA/W-KLmWxVnREXRhBAPWb-FtfuEMAhKOBugCLcBGAs/s1600/13534089_601427276679212_1823579819_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-onIXV9S49Ls/WXazBRdmogI/AAAAAAACDEA/W-KLmWxVnREXRhBAPWb-FtfuEMAhKOBugCLcBGAs/s320/13534089_601427276679212_1823579819_n.jpg" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="1080" data-original-height="1080" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BcXLdIBUrbY/WXazBan_V-I/AAAAAAACDEE/nzT-HWebiN0lNu3g_EYp7YMV-w4oH6zRgCLcBGAs/s1600/19533551_107403099893103_791415984203235328_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BcXLdIBUrbY/WXazBan_V-I/AAAAAAACDEE/nzT-HWebiN0lNu3g_EYp7YMV-w4oH6zRgCLcBGAs/s320/19533551_107403099893103_791415984203235328_n.jpg" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="640" /></a></div><br />The point of all this is to say that it's nice to have people who support your wacky ideas and help you celebrate things. I look forward to many more book launches, readings, and afterparties with Huw and my other Seattle-area friends.<br /><br />Below you'll find the complete recipes for both <i>Kangaroo</i> cocktails. Enjoy in good health and good company!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hn77q0Hd-6Y/WXazB_Z7LMI/AAAAAAACDEM/pRk6XsDxqkI44o09XYlHI0xq6hspJwRJQCLcBGAs/s1600/ZGF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hn77q0Hd-6Y/WXazB_Z7LMI/AAAAAAACDEM/pRk6XsDxqkI44o09XYlHI0xq6hspJwRJQCLcBGAs/s320/ZGF.jpg" width="247" height="320" data-original-width="1237" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4-gPJwGAUhk/WXazBS291iI/AAAAAAACDEI/RJdmio8wqp0hWbVq7Mf6awXgFmo_TKKvwCLcBGAs/s1600/CCI07242017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4-gPJwGAUhk/WXazBS291iI/AAAAAAACDEI/RJdmio8wqp0hWbVq7Mf6awXgFmo_TKKvwCLcBGAs/s320/CCI07242017.jpg" width="246" height="320" data-original-width="1229" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-31818213469232470102017-05-12T14:20:00.000-07:002017-05-12T14:20:12.023-07:00Waypoint Kangaroo is a Locus Award Finalist!This pleasant surprise appeared in my inbox today (email truncated):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/05/2017-locus-awards-finalists/" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSIQg_6l5ew/WRYklSi2-KI/AAAAAAACA2U/M0EhwcU6M-YHMoPbIxZFS-KczRO4sCmHACLcB/s400/wk-locus-finalist.png" width="400" height="225" /><br /><small>http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/05/2017-locus-awards-finalists/</small></a><br /><br />I'm flattered that enough people voted for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0191KRCR8/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Waypoint Kangaroo</strong></a> to put it in the top ten for the <b>first novel</b> category, and I'm honored to be listed alongside these outstanding works:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0399176772/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>The Reader</strong></a>, Traci Chee (Putnam)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1250085470/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>The Star-Touched Queen</strong></a>, Roshani Chokshi (St. Martin’s)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062380761/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>The Girl from Everywhere</strong></a>, Heidi Heilig (Greenwillow; Hot Key)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1481451162/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Roses and Rot</strong></a>, Kat Howard (Saga)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1781084491/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Ninefox Gambit</strong></a>, Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris US; Solaris UK)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765382814/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Arabella of Mars</strong></a>, David D. Levine (Tor)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765385155/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Infomocracy</strong></a>, Malka Older (Tor.com Publishing)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/076533805X/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Everfair</strong></a>, Nisi Shawl (Tor)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1784294020/?tag=curtiscchensfree"><strong>Vigil</strong></a>, Angela Slatter (Jo Fletcher)</li></ul><br />The <a href="http://locusmag.com/Magazine/2017LocusAwardsAd.html">Locus Awards Weekend</a> is open to all (tickets are $60 each), and includes readings and workshops with the likes of <b>Connie Willis</b> and <b>Carrie Vaughn</b>. Will I see you in Seattle next month? Leave a comment and let me know!<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-81054964785014388442017-04-04T21:45:00.001-07:002017-04-04T21:45:56.760-07:00My Norwescon 40 ScheduleEarlier today I realized that <a href="http://www.norwescon.org/con/">Norwescon</a> is NEXT WEEK. Time to start making plans! Here's where you can find me at the con (other than the bar):<br /><br /><br /><h2>Thursday, April 13</h2><br /><b>Write Your Elevator Pitch Workshop</b><br />Cascade 12<br />2–3 p.m.<br />Got a good elevator pitch for your manuscript? Whether you’re seeking an agent and traditional publisher, or planning to self-publish, you need to have an elevator pitch of your book. Loglines and elevator pitches are ways to explain your story/series and pique interest in your work in one or two sentences. This workshop will teach you how to condense your 90,000 word novel or 5 book series into a quick, effective elevator pitch. Ages 18+. Space is limited and advance sign-up is required in Cascade 1.<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M)</i><br /><br /><b>What is a Story?</b><br />Cascade 9<br />3–4 p.m.<br />Writers talk about story, but what is it really? Something with a beginning, middle, and end? A witch’s brew of words and punctuation? Come discuss with our panelists what separates a coherent narrative from a random series of events.<br /><i>Marta Murvosh (M), Cat Rambo, Curtis C. Chen, Nancy Kress, James C. Glass</i><br /><br /><br /><h2>Friday, April 14</h2><br /><b>Reading: Curtis C. Chen</b><br />Cascade 2<br />5–5:30 p.m.<br /><i>Kangaroo Too</i>, sequel to <i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i> (Thomas Dunne, 2016). A suspicious spacecraft accident sends our favorite superpowered secret agent to the Moon hunting for information, but there are more secrets buried there than he suspected. Rated PG.<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M)</i><br /><br /><br /><h2>Saturday, April 15</h2><br /><b>Technical Sci-Fi</b><br />Cascade 11<br />1–2 p.m.<br />The balance between technical details and story are discussed as our panelists dive into the junction between being specific and still captivating the audience.<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M), Dr. Rob Hoyt, John Cramer, PJ Manney</i><br /><br /><b>Autograph Session 1</b><br />Grand 2<br />2–3 p.m.<br />Our attending professionals are available to sign autographs. PLEASE NOTE: So that as many fans as possible can participate, we will be enforcing a three-items-at-a-time (or single-sketch) autograph limit.<br /><i>Ethan Siegel, Ian McDonald, Catska Ench, Cory Ench, Nancy Kress, Marc Gascoigne, Mike Underwood, Carol Berg, Alex Irvine, Annie Bellet, Caroline M. Yoachim, Curtis C. Chen, Dean Wells, Greg Bear, Jack Skillingstead, James C. Glass, Jeff Sturgeon, John Cramer, Kat Richardson, Lee Moyer, Nathan Crowder, Nisi Shawl, Peter Orullian, Randy Henderson, Scott James Magner, Tori Centanni, Wendy N. Wagner, PJ Manney, Julie McGalliard, Crystal Connor, David D. Levine, Susan diRende, Claudia Casper, Kristy Acevedo</i><br /><br /><b>Singularity</b><br />Evergreen 3&4<br />4–5 p.m.<br />Join our panelists as they discuss the concept of the singularity, both as a scientific principle and an element in fiction.<br /><i>Django Wexler (M), PJ Manney, Curtis C. Chen, John Cramer</i><br /><br /><b>First Page Idol</b><br />Cascade 9<br />5–6 p.m.<br />Feeling brave? Want to see how your first page holds up in a cold read? Send the first page of your manuscript to <a href="mailto:idol@norwescon.org">idol@norwescon.org</a> to have it anonymously read aloud and critiqued by a panel of pros.<br /><i>Curtis C. Chen (M), Wendy N. Wagner, Patrick Swenson, Mark Teppo</i><br /><br /><br />Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen">@curtiscchen on Twitter</a> for up-to-the-minute shenanigans.<br /><br />ALSO: the following week (April 19-20), I'll be in Hong Kong for the first-ever <a href="https://melonhk.com/">Melon HK</a> conference. Tell your Southeast Asian friends!<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-86616256650067397662017-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:002017-02-11T18:46:30.442-08:00I Got Yer Oscar Nominations RIGHT HERE<i>TL;DR: I care about the Academy Awards and I care about data reporting.</i><br /><br />This year's Oscar nominations (honoring films released in 2016) were announced on January 24th, and ever since then I've been checking Oscars.org periodically to see if they've published the "view by film" tab on the nominations list. Several news outlets reported on the numbers of nominations different films received, but usually the Academy posts a full list of nominations for each film.<br /><br />Well, that tab still hasn't appeared as of this writing, but on a whim, I back-hacked the URL based on last year's site, and you know what? The data's actually there. It doesn't appear to be fully cleaned up (the original song nominees are sorted incorrectly), but it's better than nothing:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2017?qt-honorees=1#qt-honorees">https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2017?qt-honorees=1#qt-honorees</a><br /><br />However, I had <i>already</i> compiled my own list from the per-category nominations page, so I'm posting that information here for everyone else's handy reference. Please note that <b>I'm only listing films with more than one nomination below.</b> For everything else, please refer to the broke-ass page linked above.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><b>La La Land – 14 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers<br />Directing - Damien Chazelle<br />Actor in a Leading Role - Ryan Gosling<br />Actress in a Leading Role - Emma Stone<br />Writing (Original Screenplay) - Damien Chazelle<br />Cinematography - Linus Sandgren<br />Costume Design - Mary Zophres<br />Film Editing - Tom Cross<br />Music (Original Score) - Justin Hurwitz<br />Music (Original Song) - "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"<br />Music (Original Song) - "City of Stars"<br />Production Design - David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco<br />Sound Editing - Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan<br />Sound Mixing - Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow<br /><br /><b>Arrival – 8 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers<br />Directing - Denis Villeneuve<br />Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Eric Heisserer<br />Cinematography - Bradford Young<br />Film Editing - Joe Walker<br />Production Design - Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Paul Hotte<br />Sound Editing - Sylvain Bellemare<br />Sound Mixing - Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye<br /><br /><b>Moonlight – 8 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers<br />Directing - Barry Jenkins<br />Actor in a Supporting Role - Mahershala Ali<br />Actress in a Supporting Role - Naomie Harris<br />Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney<br />Cinematography - James Laxton<br />Film Editing - Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon<br />Music (Original Score) - Nicholas Britell<br /><br /><b>Hacksaw Ridge – 6 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers<br />Directing - Mel Gibson<br />Actor in a Leading Role - Andrew Garfield<br />Film Editing - John Gilbert<br />Sound Editing - Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright<br />Sound Mixing - Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace<br /><br /><b>Lion – 6 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers<br />Actor in a Supporting Role - Dev Patel<br />Actress in a Supporting Role - Nicole Kidman<br />Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Luke Davies<br />Cinematography - Greig Fraser<br />Music (Original Score) - Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka<br /><br /><b>Manchester By The Sea – 6 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers<br />Directing - Kenneth Lonergan<br />Actor in a Leading Role - Casey Affleck<br />Actor in a Supporting Role - Lucas Hedges<br />Actress in a Supporting Role - Michelle Williams<br />Writing (Original Screenplay) - Kenneth Lonergan<br /><br /><b>Fences – 4 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers<br />Actor in a Leading Role - Denzel Washington<br />Actress in a Supporting Role - Viola Davis<br />Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - August Wilson<br /><br /><b>Hell Or High Water – 4 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers<br />Actor in a Supporting Role - Jeff Bridges<br />Writing (Original Screenplay) - Taylor Sheridan<br />Film Editing - Jake Roberts<br /><br /><b>Hidden Figures – 3 nominations</b><br />Best Picture - Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers<br />Actress in a Supporting Role - Octavia Spencer<br />Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi<br /><br /><b>Jackie – 3 nominations</b><br />Actress in a Leading Role - Natalie Portman<br />Costume Design - Madeline Fontaine<br />Music (Original Score) - Mica Levi<br /><br /><b>Deepwater Horizon – 2 nominations</b><br />Sound Editing - Wylie Stateman and Renée Tondelli<br />Visual Effects - Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton<br /><br /><b>Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them – 2 nominations</b><br />Costume Design - Colleen Atwood<br />Production Design - Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock<br /><br /><b>Florence Foster Jenkins – 2 nominations</b><br />Costume Design - Consolata Boyle<br />Actress in a Leading Role - Meryl Streep<br /><br /><b>Kubo And The Two Strings – 2 nominations</b><br />Animated Feature Film - Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner<br />Visual Effects - Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff<br /><br /><b>A Man Called Ove – 2 nominations</b><br />Foreign Language Film (Sweden)<br />Makeup and Hairstyling - Eva von Bahr and Love Larson<br /><br /><b>Moana – 2 nominations</b><br />Music (Original Song) - Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda<br />Animated Feature Film - John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer<br /><br /><b>Passengers – 2 nominations</b><br />Music (Original Score) - Thomas Newman<br />Production Design - Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena<br /><br /><b>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 2 nominations</b><br />Sound Mixing - David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson<br />Visual Effects - John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould<br /><br /><hr /><br />If you're in the Portland, Oregon area, you're welcome to join us at our Oscar Party on February 26th. (Message me for details if you haven't already received an invite, and apologies for the oversight!)<br /><br />Finally, everyone on the Internet is welcome to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%40sparckl%20%23oscartrivia&src=typd">follow me on Twitter for <b>#OscarTrivia</b></a> that day. (Teaser: you'll find out which one of this year's nominees I worked with on a project back in 2011! Feel free to speculate in the comments.)<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-67895585865397721822017-01-25T21:48:00.000-08:002017-03-07T16:51:19.377-08:00How Far I'll Go<b>Short answer:</b> <a href="https://melonhk.com/">Hong Kong</a>, in April.<br /><br /><b>Long answer:</b> Below is a list of all my currently scheduled author events and appearances in 2017. Bookmark <a href="http://curtiscchen.com/events/">curtiscchen.com/events</a> for the most current details, and <a href="http://curtiscchen.com/contact/">contact me</a> if you'd like to invite me to something in your neck of the woods!<br /><br /><ul><li>January 28th (Saturday), 2pm - reading/signing at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1278705865528446/">Vintage Books</a> in Vancouver, WA with fellow local author <b>Alexis Radcliff</b>.</li><li>January 31st (Tuesday), 7pm - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/597682303763185/">SFWA Reading in Kirkland, WA</a> with <b>Fonda Lee</b> and <b>Randy Henderson</b>.</li> <li>February 2nd (Thursday), 7pm - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1654129298218054/">SFWA Reading in Portland, OR</a> with <b>Fonda Lee</b> and <b>Randy Henderson</b>.</li><li>February 10th (Friday), 8pm - the <a href="http://www.getsmartoregon.org/events/2017-smart-alphabet-ball/">SMART Alphabet Ball</a> (fundraising dinner and auction) at the Portland Art Museum, where you can bid on a personalized short story written by me and illustrated by the fantastic <b>Natalie Metzger</b>!</li><li>February 15-19 (Wed-Sun) - <a href="http://rainforestwriters.com/retreat-2017.html">Rainforest Writers Village 2017, Session One</a>, where I'll be giving a talk entitled "Dying is Easy, Young Man, Comedy is Harder."</li> <li>March 2-5 (Thu-Sun) - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1782696758615555/">Emerald City Comicon 2017</a> in Seattle, WA, where I'll be one of the guests for <a href="http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/en/Sessions/35911/Inconceivable-A-Game-of-Nerdery-and-Nonsense">a live recording of the "Inconceivable!" game show podcast</a>. Other schedule items TBD.</li> <li>April 13-16 (Thu-Sun) - <a href="http://www.norwescon.org/con/">Norwescon 40</a> in SeaTac, WA, where I'll be one of the panelists for "First Page Idol." Other schedule items TBD/TBA.</li><li>April 19-20 (Wed-Thu) - <a href="https://melonhk.com/">Melon Hong Kong</a>, a new conference intended to "bring together Asia's best Science Fiction writers, filmmakers, game developers, technologists and investors."</li> <li>May 18-21 (Thu-Sun) - <a href="http://nebulas.sfwa.org/nebula-conference/">Nebula Conference and Awards Weekend</a> in Pittsburgh, PA.</li> <li>June 20 (Tuesday) - <a href="http://kangaroo2.com/"><i>Kangaroo Too</i></a> launch party featuring <b>Ariel Waldman</b> at <a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/10/booksmith-expanding-into-second-act-space-with-the-bindery">The Bindery</a>, The Booksmith's new event space in San Francisco, CA!</li> <li>July 9 (Sunday) - <a href="http://www.sfinsf.org/">SF in SF</a> with <b>Megan E. O'Keefe</b>!</li> <li>November 17-19 (Fri-Sun) - <a href="http://39.orycon.org/">OryCon 39</a> in Portland, OR.</li></ul><br />If you'd like to get periodic reminders and related updates in your inbox, <a href="http://news.curtiscchen.com/">sign up for my mailing list</a>. Also feel free to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/curtiscchen">follow me on Twitter</a>, or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/curtis.c.chen">"like" my Facebook Page</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-63322830881095762312016-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:002016-12-28T13:57:01.651-08:00#Xmasmoviethon Index, 2016 EditionEvery year around Christmastime, DeeAnn and I spend an entire day at the movies seeing as many first-run shows as we can. Here are some statistics recounting how we spent our Boxing Day this year...<br /><br /><div align="center"><small>(with apologies to <a href="http://harpers.org/departments/harpers-index/"><i>Harper's</i></a>)</small><br /><br />Movies seen: <b>5</b><br /><br />Musicals seen: <b>3</b><br /><br />Animated movies seen: <b>2</b><br /><br />Disney movies seen: <b>2</b><br /><br />Animated Disney movies seen: <b>1</b><br /><br />Movies set in the past: <b>3</b><br /><br />Movies with Alan Tudyk in a supporting role: <b>2</b><br /><br />Movies in which Alan Tudyk played a human: <b>0</b><br /><br />Movies DeeAnn compared to <i>No Country for Old Men</i>: <b>1</b><br /><br />Movies with problematic depictions of race: <b>2</b><br /><br />Movies with problematic depictions of sex/gender: <b>2</b><br /><br />Movies that made me cry: <b>3</b><br /><br />Yes, I am a __-year-old girl: <b>12</b><br /><br />Length of marathon, in hours: <b>15</b><br /></div><br />You could probably figure out most of the films we saw from the clues above. Feel free to work on that puzzle as long as you like, then see below for more hints (click through to Instagram for answers):<br /><br /><ol><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOfWxMrhYAy/">A musical set in the past</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOfn-wTBe7x/">A movie set in the past</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOf8QJTBJgf/">Another musical</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOgPLW_BsFw/">Yet another musical</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOgjX-whdOX/">Another movie set in the past</a></li></ol><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-10372407904490215342016-12-20T12:54:00.000-08:002016-12-20T12:54:16.023-08:00Saturday Night #LongKiss2016WHAT: livetweeting movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0042FUHTS/curtiscchensfree">THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT</a><br />WHEN: 8:00PM Pacific Time (UTC/GMT-8) on December 24th (Xmas Eve)<br />HASHTAG: <b>#LongKiss2016</b><br /><br />You may recall this film from <a href="http://hotsheet.snout.org/2015/09/42movies-day-15-strong-female-characters.html">Day 15 of #42Movies</a>, my birthday blog series last year. A few of our live-tweet participants have never seen it before, and I'm looking forward to seeing their reactions, and how well this flick holds up after the last two decades of tumultuous American history.<br /><br />Want to follow our featured commentators? Subscribe to <a href="https://twitter.com/sparCKL/lists/longkiss2016" target="_blank">this Twitter list</a> comprising:<br /><ul><li>Cylia Amendolara</li><li>Mindy Bardon</li><li>Angela Burkhead</li><li>Curtis C. Chen (<a href="http://curtiscchen.com/">IT ME</a>)</li><li>Simone Cooper</li><li>Jennifer Dumont</li><li>David D. Levine</li><li>Mary-Lynn McGregor</li><li>Maria Fisher</li><li>Taylor Fisher</li><li>Andy Steigleder</li></ul>Of course, anyone is welcome to join the fun by tweeting along with the <b>#LongKiss2016</b> hashtag.<br /><br />IMPORTANT: you're responsible for synchronizing your own viewing! If you don't own the movie, you'll need to secure a physical copy; it doesn't appear to be available to rent online. Check your local public library, video store, or an online retailer (many offer the <a href="http://dvdpricesearch.com/cgi-bin/pricechk2?id=1001">DVD for less than $10, including tax and shipping</a>).<br /><br />Watch for an official "movie sign" tweet from <a href="http://twitter.com/curtiscchen">@curtiscchen</a> at <b>8:00 PM Pacific Time on Saturday!</b><br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-27063428325139175722016-11-29T13:28:00.000-08:002016-11-29T13:28:38.214-08:00Put Your Money Where Your Mouth IsA couple of weeks ago, I wrote about <a href="http://hotsheet.snout.org/2016/11/we-can-be-heroes.html">my post-election ennui</a>. Now I'm doing something about it.<br /><br />Today is <a href="https://twitter.com/GivingTues">#GivingTuesday</a>, and regardless of how you feel about the proliferation of Thanksgiving holiday adjuncts (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, etc.), there are many opportunities to amplify your donations today and this week due to other people and organizations matching funds.<br /><br />And sure, those folks could just give their money freely instead of <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/27/503502142/people-donated-nearly-100-000-to-dig-a-big-pointless-hole-in-the-ground">digging a hole in the ground</a>, but it's their money. Anyway, the point of matching funds is to spread awareness and encourage others to give as well.<br /><br />I'm taking the advice of many wiser people and setting up monthly donations to support causes I believe in. I can spare $100 a month—that's $10 to each group, in case you're counting—and here's where it's going:<br /><ol><li><a href="https://action.aclu.org/donate-aclu">The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)</a> - not tax deductible, FYI.</li><li><a href="https://secure.ppaction.org/site/Donation2?df_id=12913&12913.donation=form1&s_subsrc=3NALz1500S1N1N&s_src=Evergreen_1114_c3_PPNonDirected_taf">Planned Parenthood (PPFA)</a> - tax deductible "to the fullest extent allowable," because laws matter, goddammit.</li><li><a href="https://supporters.eff.org/donate/power-2016-w">Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)</a> - "fully tax deductible as allowed by law, less the fair market value of any substantial gifts received."</li><li><a href="http://cbldf.org/contribute/donate/">Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF)</a> - now based in Portland, Oregon!</li><li><a href="https://donate.idex.org/checkout/donation?eid=66399">Black Lives Matter</a> - "IDEX provides services such as fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services to Black Lives Matter. IDEX is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization for both federal and state purposes. Our federal tax identification number is 77-0071852."</li><li><a href="https://secure2.convio.net/narf/site/Donation2?idb=1549719056&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1&df_id=1641&1641.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&idb=0">Native American Rights Fund</a> - not just because their acronym is NARF.</li><li><a href="https://nilc.z2systems.com/np/clients/nilc/donation.jsp?campaign=15">National Immigration Law Center</a> - because immigrants, we get the job done.</li><li><a href="https://secure2.convio.net/adl/site/SPageNavigator/donation-api/donation_form_single_main_1.html">The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)</a> - "a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3)."</li><li><a href="https://www.cair.com/donations/general-donation/campaign/#/donation">Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)</a> - "a 501(c)(3) under federal tax guidelines. TAX ID: 77-0646756"</li><li><a href="https://give.hrc.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1954&ea.campaign.id=51848">The Human Rights Campaign (HRC)</a> - the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization in the United States.</li></ol>So. Tell me. What are you doing to <a href="http://www.holyfucktheelection.com/">fuck shit up</a>?<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-80743748261316110712016-11-15T11:08:00.000-08:002016-11-15T11:08:01.125-08:00We Can Be HeroesHello. This is my post-terrible-election blog. <a href="https://netninja.com/2016/11/12/charity-is-the-new-patreon/">There are</a> <a href="http://yoisthisracist.com/post/153004862103/remember-to-just-keep-fighting">many</a> <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2016/11/10/the-cinemax-theory-of-racism/">like it</a>, but this one is mine.<br /><br />I've had a lot of thoughts and feelings over the past week. I haven't been very productive, writing-wise. But here, I think, is some much-needed perspective:<br /><br /><iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SHG0ezLiVGc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><small><a href="https://youtu.be/SHG0ezLiVGc">https://youtu.be/SHG0ezLiVGc</a></small><br /><br />To wit, nobody should be surprised to learn that America—overall, historically, demonstrably—is <i>racist as fuck</i>. Non-white minorities have <i>always</i> known this. If you look like any kind of brown person, it's something you have to deal with every single day. (I could tell you stories. Oh boy, could I tell you stories. But later.)<br /><br />So. Racism wins: not that surprising. Still devastating, yeah. Many of us hoped for better from our fellow citizens. But we are ready to face this.<br /><br />Remember <a href="http://comicsalliance.com/ask-chris-251-president-lex/">back in the year 2000, in DC Comics, when Lex Luthor was elected President of the United States</a>? That's right, evil supervillain <i>Lex Luthor</i>. And that motherfucker was a straight-up murderer.<br /><br />That storyline had some logic issues, as pointed out in the article linked above, but my point is: we've been imagining dystopias for, well, ever. <i>1984</i>, <i>Fahrenheit 451</i>, <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i>, is any of this ringing a bell?<br /><br />This situation is nothing new. We've been seeing it for years, in fiction and in other nations' oppressive regimes. The difference is that now, <i>we</i> get a chance to fight <i>for real</i>. We are the Rebel Alliance. We are the Maquis. We are the Green Martians.<br /><br />So <i>fight</i>, if you haven't already been fighting. Fight for the oppressed. Fight for those who are weaker and less privileged than yourself. Donate money if you can. Volunteer if you have time. Fight for truth, justice, and the goddamn American way. Because this is where heroes are made, in the crucible of change. <br /><br />And never forget—this is <i>important</i>—always remember, we are <a href="http://tinyletter.com/matociquala/letters/on-fear">stronger together</a>.<br /><br />We all have a choice: to kneel before Zod, or to <a href="https://youtu.be/PEHKBckBcr4?t=4m25s">rise up</a> with Alexander Hamilton. <br /><br />What will you choose?<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br /><br />P.S. If you don't know where to start, <a href="http://www.holyfucktheelection.com/">HOLY FUCK THE ELECTION</a> might help.<br /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-17233611139942558582016-11-10T16:19:00.000-08:002016-11-14T00:23:03.446-08:00My OryCon 38 ScheduleNext weekend (Nov.18-20) I'll be reading, paneling, and drinking at <a href="http://38.orycon.org/">Oregon's premier, fan run, annual science fiction/fantasy convention held in Portland</a>. Please stop by the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/pdxor-portland-marriott-downtown-waterfront/">Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront</a> if you're around. We can raise a glass to freedom, if nothing else...<br /><br /><h2>Thursday night 11/17 (pre-con)</h2><b>Karaoke with friends.</b> <a href="http://curtiscchen.com/contact/">Contact me</a> for details, if we be friends.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28clYsJh1LY/WCUMN4zD8aI/AAAAAAAB8YM/w0srmhqyrqUeB5ByabaikB9ETEQavLq0wCLcB/s1600/k-con-swag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28clYsJh1LY/WCUMN4zD8aI/AAAAAAAB8YM/w0srmhqyrqUeB5ByabaikB9ETEQavLq0wCLcB/s320/k-con-swag.jpg" width="320" height="240" /></a><br /><small>Find me to get KANGAROO swag!</small></div><br /><h2>Friday 11/18</h2><b>4pm - Reading from <a href="http://kangaroo2.com/"><i>Kangaroo Too</i></a> - Hawthorne (2)</b><br />You won't believe where the superpowered secret agent is going next, in the forthcoming sequel to <i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i>! #clickbait<br /><br /><b>5pm - Panelist: "Social Media and the Modern Writer" - Meadowlark (3)</b><br /><i>with Lizzy Shannon, Stephanie Weippert, Elton Elliott, Katie Lane</i><br /><a href="http://curtiscchen.com/">Websites</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CurtisCChen">Facebook fan pages</a>, <a href="https://curtiscchen.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=135ef54af25b7e4747eca61ea&id=e64ef3f2dd">email lists</a>, contests, <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen">twitter</a>, tumblr, Pinterest, ads, blogs and that annoying thing called a "platform": what works, what doesn't, and why you need to care (spoiler: you do). <br /><br /><h2>Saturday 11/19</h2><b>11am - Moderator: "First Page Idol" - Douglas Fir (3)</b><br /><i>with Annie Bellet, Doug Odell, David Levine</i><br />Submit the first page of your novel to our talented author panelists, and listen to them read aloud that first page(keeping the writer's identity anonymous) and give thoughtful reactions. <span style="color:blue;"><b>ADD(14 Nov 2016): E-mail your first page submission (please omit the author name) to: <a href="mailto:ww@orycon.org?subject=First Page Idol submission">ww@orycon.org</a></b></span><br /><br /><b>2pm - Panelist: "How to Blurb Your Novel" - Meadowlark (3)</b><br /><i>with Dale Ivan Smith, Tori Centanni, Lizzy Shannon</i><br />We all need them, we all hate them. Summing up our books may be harder than writing them in the first place! Learn techniques to write compelling book descriptions (aka "blurbs"), and hook readers.<br /><br /><b>3pm - Co-Host: "Sci Fi Ask Me Another! (Quiz Show)" - Columbia (L)</b><br /><i>with Jeff Soesbe</i><br />Curtis Chen and Jeff Soesbe present a variety of games involving science fiction and fantasy trivia, puzzles, and wordplay. Audience participation is required, and rewarded! Can you make it to the final Elimination Game? Come have fun while competing for prizes!<br /><br /><b>7pm - Moderator: "The Star Trek Universe: My, How You've Grown!" - Columbia (L)</b><br /><i>with Alma Alexander, Jennifer Willis, Phyllis Irene Radford</i><br />A wide ranging panel, with the changes (or consistencies) found in TOS, TNG, DS9, and all movies being fair game. Gene Roddenberry tried to create a future without racism or hatred, and a Federation that prioritized peace and non-interference. Yet disagreement, jealousy, envy, war, and a monetary system for keeping score of one's successes are all excellent literary plot devices. With the benefit now of 20/20 hindsight, did the writers succeed? Is the Star Trek future one you'd want to live in?<br /><br /><h2>Sunday 11/20</h2><b>11am - Panelist: "Feedback Workshop" - Douglas Fir (3)</b><br /><i>with Susan Matthews, David Weber, Richard A. Lovett, David Levine</i><br />Bring your questions, manuscripts, critiques, etc. A hands-on workshop on how to apply the feedback you get from readers, editors, writer's workshops, critique groups, etc.<br /><br /><b>1pm - Autograph Session - Autograph Area (LL1)</b><br /><i>with Blythe Ayne, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, Deborah Ross, David Dvorkin</i><br />Get your books (or whatever) signed by your favorite authors!<br /><br /><b>2pm - Panelist: "Hold on to Your Reader" - Douglas Fir (3)</b><br /><i>with Caroline M. Yoachim, Maura van der Linden, Shawna Reppert</i><br />The wrong word choices can throw your reader right out of the story. Learn how to maintain suspension of disbelief.<br /><br /><b>4pm (offsite) - <a href="http://www.powells.com/eventdetail?popup=true&eventID=720&rwndrnd=0.41207494132236056">Powell's Sci-Fi Authorfest 10</a> (Cedar Hills Crossing)</b><br />"A starfleet of science fiction and fantasy authors descends for one galactic booksigning event. Meet Brent Weeks, Timothy Zahn, Daniel H. Wilson, Annie Bellet, Tina Connolly, David Levine, Curtis Chen, Lili Saintcrow, Dave Barra, Wendy Wagner, Jennifer Brozek, Mike Moscoe/Shepherd, J. A. Pitts, Devon Monk, Steve Perry, Patrick Swenson, Rhiannon Held, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Kevin James Breaux, and Deborah Ross."<br /><br /><h3>For complete details, visit: <a href="https://orycon38.sched.org/speaker/curtis_chen.1vx984ax">orycon38.sched.org</a></h3><br /><hr /><br />ALSO: I will not be running the ORCs (Open Read & Critique sessions) this time around, but I've passed the torch to three new facilitators! If you're a writer looking for some fast feedback, see if any of these sessions will fit into your OryCon weekend:<br /><ol type="A"><li><b>Friday 1pm</b> with Jeremiah Reinmiller</li><li><b>Friday 2pm</b> with Stephanie Weippert</li><li><b>Saturday 1pm</b> with Stephanie Weippert</li><li><b>Saturday 2pm</b> with Mark Niemann-Ross</li><li><b>Saturday 3pm</b> with Jeremiah Reinmiller</li><li><b>Sunday 1pm</b> with Mark Niemann-Ross</li></ol>Look for ORC rules and sign-up sheets outside the <b>Willamette</b> room (lobby level).<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com01401 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97201, USA45.5126093 -122.6758166999999845.5119138 -122.67707719999999 45.5133048 -122.67455619999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-26248625191515329402016-10-04T17:31:00.000-07:002016-10-04T17:31:58.582-07:001,356,976,800 Seconds Old (Approximately)I turned 43 years old this past Saturday. We celebrated without much fanfare, and that was by choice: I guess I'm now on the even-numbered-birthdays-blowout plan, after the big Trek puzzle hunt for my <a href="http://hotsheet.snout.org/2013/10/this-is-40.html">40th</a> and the karaoke extravagana for my <a href="http://hotsheet.snout.org/2015/09/i-turn-42-next-week.html">42nd</a>. <br /><br />But despite being low-key, we did manage to pack in quite a few things:<br /><br />One week before my actual birthday, I livetweeted my binge-rewatch of the first season of <i>Crazy Ex-Girlfriend</i>, the best damn show on television. <a href="https://storify.com/sparCKL/crazy-ex-birthday-43">See my Storify for #CXB43.</a><br /><br />The night before my birthday, I gathered some friends for drinks and dinner at the <a href="https://mwlpdx.com/">Multnomah Whiskey Library</a>, followed by dessert at <a href="http://petuniaspiesandpastries.com/">Petunia's Pies & Pastries</a>.<br /><br />On my actual birthday, D and I had breakfast (featuring waffles!) at <a href="http://www.gigiscafepdx.com/">Gigi's Cafe</a>. Then I met some friends to do <a href="http://www.portlandescaperooms.com/kidnapped/">"Kidnapped!" at Portland Escape Rooms</a>, which we <i>did</i> escape, taking just <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PortlandEscapeRooms/photos/a.1637235806509235.1073741831.1614697522096397/1841958396036974/?type=3">six minutes</a> longer than the current record time. We rounded out the evening with <a href="http://www.bridgetquigg.com/techlandia-tour.html">Bridget Quigg's one-woman comedy show Techlandia</a> at <a href="http://www.funhouselounge.com/">Funhouse Lounge</a>, and filled the intervening hours with stops at two different <a href="http://www.mcmenamins.com/">McMenamins</a>.<br /><br />On Sunday, we dragged our friend Darla to the <a href="http://portlandartmuseum.org/">Portland Art Museum</a>, where among other things, we saw <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLEqKzqhs42/">this camel</a>. Then we stopped at <a href="http://www.lapellah.com/">Lapellah</a> for happy hour.<br /><br />Finally, on Monday, we met another friend for <a href="http://wongsking.com/">dim sum</a> and chatted about escape rooms and general puzzling.<br /><br />Is that an accurate snapshot of my life right now? More or less. It doesn't encompass any work activities (writing, freelancing, etc.), but otherwise these are pretty much the things we love doing: hanging out with friends, watching shows, eating and drinking, and playing games. Not necessarily in that order.<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-6122809956724556992016-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:002016-09-09T11:00:00.158-07:00Saturday Night's Alright for #WritersWithDrinksSeptember's <a href="http://writerswithdrinks.com/">Writers With Drinks</a> includes multi-award-winning author Anuradha Roy. Plus survival poetry, kickass comedy, and tons of science fiction and fantasy!<br /><br /><b>When:</b> Saturday, September 10 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, doors open 6:30 PM<br /><b>Who:</b> Anuradha Roy, Margaret Wappler, Hollie Hardy, Naamen Tilahun, Dominique Gelin and <a href="http://curtiscchen.com/">Curtis Chen</a>!<br /><b>How much:</b> $5 to $20, all proceeds benefit the <a href="http://www.sexandculture.org/">CSC</a><br /><b>Where:</b> <a href="http://www.makeoutroom.com/">The Make Out Room</a>, 3225 22nd. St., San Francisco, CA<br /><br />About the readers/performers:<br /><br /><b>Anuradha Roy</b>'s latest book, <i>Sleeping on Jupiter</i>, won the DSC Prize for Fiction 2016 and was nominated for the Man Booker prize 2016. It has been nominated for various other literary prizes, including the FT/ Oppenheimer Prize, Hindu Prize for Best Fiction 2015, the Tata Book of the Year Award 2015, and the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Fiction Prize 2015. She won the Economist Crossword Prize for her second novel, <i>The Folded Earth</i>. Her first novel, <i>An Atlas of Impossible Longing</i>, has been widely translated and was picked as one of the Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post and the Seattle Times. It has been named by World Literature Today as one of the 60 most essential books on modern India and was shortlisted for the Crossword Prize. Anuradha Roy won the Picador-Outlook Non-Fiction Prize in 2004 for her essay, "Cooking Women". She works as a designer at Permanent Black, an independent press which she runs with her husband, Rukun Advani. She lives in Ranikhet, India.<br /><br /><b>Margaret Wappler</b> is the author of <i>Neon Green</i>, which has been praised by Edan Lepucki and Joe Meno. She has written about the arts and pop culture for the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Elle, Cosmo, New York Times, and several other publications. <i>Neon Green</i> is her first novel. She lives in Los Angeles and can be heard weekly on the pop culture podcast, Pop Rocket.<br /><br /><b>Hollie Hardy</b> is the author of <i>How to Take a Bullet, And Other Survival Poems</i> (Punk Hostage Press, 2014), winner the 2016 Annual Poetry Center Book Award. She teaches writing classes at the SF Creative Writing Institute, SFSU, and Berkeley City College. She co-hosts Saturday Night Special, An East Bay Open Mic, curates Litquake’s Flight of Poets, and is a founder and core producer of Oakland’s Beast Crawl Literary Festival. <br /><br /><b>Na'amen Gobert Tilahun</b> has spent most of his life shuttling between San Francisco and Los Angeles. He writes many different things that have appeared in/on io9.com, Fantasy Magazine, Queers Dig Time Lords, Stone Telling, Full of Crows, The Big Click, faggot dinosaur, Spelling the Hours, Eleven Eleven and others. He was recently named one of 13 Bay Area Writers to Watch/Read in 2016 by 7X7 magazine and his debut novel, a second-world epic/urban fantasy, <i>The Root</i> was published by Night Shade Books in June.<br /><br /><b>Dominique Gelin</b> is a comedian in San Francisco who offers strong opinions on stupid things, -isms, and assholes. It’s all very fascinating. Before moving to the Bay Area, she was a finalist for the Ultimate Miami Comedian and was a part of the Boca Raton Comedy Festival. Dom has also touched the stage of a really famous comedy club that one time. She co-hosts two comedy shows, Millennials Ruin Everything and The Lazy Brunch Hour.<br /><br /><b>Curtis Chen</b> is the author of <a href="http://waypointkangaroo.com/"><i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i></a>. His short fiction has appeared in "Daily Science Fiction" and SNAFU and will be featured in Baen's MISSION: TOMORROW. On top of all that, he's a former software engineer and once built a cat feeding robot. He lives in Vancouver, Washington.<br /><br />About Writers With Drinks:<br /><br />Writers With Drinks has won numerous "Best ofs" from local newspapers, and has been mentioned in 7x7, Spin Magazine and one of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City novels. The spoken word "variety show" mixes genres to raise money for local causes. The award-winning show includes poetry, stand-up comedy, science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, literary fiction, erotica, memoir, zines and blogs in a freewheeling format.<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-67037124418611904182016-08-26T16:19:00.000-07:002016-08-26T16:19:50.011-07:00Schrödinger Sessions II DebriefOne month ago, I was fortunate enough to attend the <a href="http://jqi.umd.edu/Schrodinger-sessions-II">Schrödinger Sessions II</a> (SS2), a "science for science fiction writers" workshop at the University of Maryland (UMD), organized by the <a href="http://jqi.umd.edu/about">Joint Quantum Institute (JQI)</a> and focusing on quantum physics. The workshop was free, including lodging in a UMD dormitory and breakfast and lunch every day, and it was totally worth paying for my travel there and back.<br /><br />I first got interested in quantum mechanics (QM) back in high school, when I'd had enough math and science education to grasp how subatomic physics actually worked. Well, that's what I thought. <i>Quantum phenomena are super weird, you guys.</i> But they are incontrovertibly real, even if they seem non-intuitive; as several of our SS2 lecturers mentioned, QM is possibly the most well-tested experimental science, and the results are reproducible and undeniable. We don't know why the universe works this way, but we know that it does.<br /><br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIfe7vRBzgY/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">#jqi</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A video posted by Curtis Chen (@sparckl) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-07-30T16:14:09+00:00">Jul 30, 2016 at 9:14am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><br /><br />If you want to try deciphering my notes, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CM27ShzPQtmQhYYS0JhpLrEPea8-4ewMuYoNermYltI/edit?usp=sharing">here they are in one massive Google Doc</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This may actually be the best explanation of antimatter I have encountered to date. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jqi?src=hash">#jqi</a> <a href="https://t.co/zzxBDPs2nI">pic.twitter.com/zzxBDPs2nI</a></p>— Curtis C. Chen 陳致宇 (@curtiscchen) <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen/status/759156682199011328">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br /><br />And here are some excerpts from others' blog posts:<br /><br /><blockquote>"JQI is what they call low energy quantum mechanics. This involves quantum computation, low temperatures, superconductivity-- all of those sorts of things we can do in a relatively small lab. High energy quantum mechanics and physics, those things done at the Large Hadron Collider and supernovas, aren't done at JQI. That didn't prevent us from asking about it."<br />— <a href="http://popke-blog.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-schrodinger-sessions-day-0-and-day-1.html">Steven Popkes</a> (<a href="http://popke-blog.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-schrodinger-sessions-day-2.html">day 2</a>, <a href="http://popke-blog.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-schrodinger-sessions-day-3.html">day 3</a>)<br /><br />"And lest any of the participants leave the U Md (College Park) campus without their brain having exploded, we also covered -- bonus material -- some cosmological speculations and the recent first detection of gravitational waves."<br />— <a href="http://blog.edwardmlerner.com/2016/08/schrodingers-frog-goes.html">Ed Lerner</a><br /><br />"<b>FYI:</b> Next year, 2017, JQI plans to offer a similar seminar for a different professoinal group, <i>Physics for Journalists</i>, and then, pending funding, re-offer this same session as I attended, <i>Physics for Sci-Fi Writers</i>, in the summer of 2018."<br />— <a href="https://sallyember.com/2016/08/08/leaving-today-for-the-schrodinger-sessions-ii-science-for-science-fiction-more-when-i-return/">Sally Ember</a> (<a href="https://sallyember.com/2016/08/11/what-i-got-from-the-schrodinger-sessions-ii-physics-for-science-fiction-writers-second-installment/">2</a>, <a href="https://sallyember.com/2016/08/16/what-i-got-from-the-schrodinger-sessions-ii-physics-for-science-fiction-writers-third-installment/">3</a>, <a href="https://sallyember.com/2016/08/18/what-i-got-from-the-schrodinger-sessions-ii-physics-for-science-fiction-writers-fourth-installment/">4</a>, <a href="https://sallyember.com/2016/08/23/what-i-got-from-the-schrodinger-sessions-ii-physics-for-science-fiction-writers-fifth-installment/">5</a>, <a href="https://sallyember.com/2016/08/25/what-i-got-from-the-schrodinger-sessions-ii-physics-for-science-fiction-writers-sixth-installment-final/">6</a>)<br /></blockquote><br />BTW, the gravitational waves Ed mentions above were detected by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIGO">the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)</a>, which is pretty freakin' awesome. That evening lecture by <a href="https://umdphysics.umd.edu/people/faculty/current/item/472-pshawhan.html">Peter Shawhan</a> was also where I learned about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeezed_coherent_state">"squeezed light,"</a> and like most things during SS2—laser cooling, ultra-cold Bose-Einstein condensates, and quantum computing algorithms, to name just a few—it legitimately blew my mind.<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Looking forward to more of this today. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jqi?src=hash">#jqi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/staywoke?src=hash">#staywoke</a> <a href="https://t.co/XUPYlJ6KcS">pic.twitter.com/XUPYlJ6KcS</a></p>— Curtis C. Chen 陳致宇 (@curtiscchen) <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen/status/759054694178107393">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote><br />I am definitely, as one person put it, "confused at a higher level" now. And I'm glad to know that even trained physicists continue to argue about the philosophical interpretations of QM. Nothing out of SS2 directly informs anything I'm currently working on, but I look forward to seeing what my subconscious does with it after a few months or years.<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">OH: "Why don't you just use the variance of the two quadratures?" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jqi?src=hash">#jqi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LunchBreak?src=hash">#LunchBreak</a></p>— Curtis C. Chen 陳致宇 (@curtiscchen) <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen/status/759068842228387840">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote><br />Some of the other awesome writers who attended SS2: <br /><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Ives_Gilman">Carolyn Ives Gilman</a> (a past Hugo <i>and</i> Nebula nominee!)</li><li><a href="http://www.christinetaylorbutler.com/aboutme.html">Christine Taylor-Butler</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/fetaplace">Dominica Phetteplace</a> (YES <a href="http://www.dominicaphetteplace.com/home/bio">HER</a>)</li><li><a href="http://gregoryscheckler.com/about/">Greg Scheckler</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gmwhitley.com/">Guang Ming Whitley</a> (who celebrated a birthday during the workshop)</li><li><a href="http://www.hmbouwman.com/biography.html">Heather Bouwman</a></li><li><a href="http://www.jenniferfoehnerwells.com/about-me.html">Jen Foehner Wells</a> (who has <a href="https://twitter.com/Jenthulhu">the best Twitter handle</a>)</li><li><a href="http://www.jenniferrpovey.com/">Jennifer Povey</a></li><li><a href="https://namrogetak.com/bio/">Kate Gorman</a> (who creates <a href="https://voicemap.me/route-bundles/the-greenway-quartet">locative fiction</a>)</li><li><a href="http://kristenmillerauthor.com/about/">Kristen Miller</a></li><li><a href="http://www.kristinayee.com/">Kristina Yee</a> (creator of the award-winning animated short <a href="http://www.misstoddfilm.com/"><i>Miss Todd</i></a>)</li><li><a href="http://www.therejectionist.com/p/about.html">Sarah McCarry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0400957/">Terri Hughes Burton</a> (now working on <i>The 100</i>)</li></ul>Apologies to anyone I've forgotten to mention. You're all fantastic and I'm glad I got to hang out with you for a few days!<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jqi?src=hash">#jqi</a> <a href="https://t.co/WtYpgHO3Ft">pic.twitter.com/WtYpgHO3Ft</a></p>— Curtis C. Chen 陳致宇 (@curtiscchen) <a href="https://twitter.com/curtiscchen/status/759410710510243840">July 30, 2016</a></blockquote><br />EPILOGUE:<br /><br />On the way home from the workshop, Southwest cancelled my Saturday night flight (unclear whether due to weather or computer meltdown) and the earliest rebooking was Tuesday morning. Fortunately, my high school pal Tony lives in the area, so I was able to stay with him, catch up on the last eight years of our lives, check out the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIimgDUB5Mf/">Udvar-Hazy Center</a>, and also meet up with some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210465370938874&set=a.1107323371606.17925.1482450147&type=3&permPage=1">DC area Sea Monkeys</a> for lunch. <br /><br />Life finds a way.<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-87548351762128708002016-08-12T10:10:00.000-07:002016-08-12T10:10:03.480-07:00Is This a Clue?!I received a mysterious postcard this week:<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iiaelvsVnpY/V616RMRwKzI/AAAAAAAB7Qk/vvKupNuQORguuBmdrxP_XTr2Q3ItrA8TwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160812_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iiaelvsVnpY/V616RMRwKzI/AAAAAAAB7Qk/vvKupNuQORguuBmdrxP_XTr2Q3ItrA8TwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160812_0001.jpg" width="320" height="230" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fNgZNb3M0SM/V61-uu-VQSI/AAAAAAAB7Qw/052pchqXeWMVxm9KvTTrMLxotHI_DrVXQCLcB/s1600/SCN_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fNgZNb3M0SM/V61-uu-VQSI/AAAAAAAB7Qw/052pchqXeWMVxm9KvTTrMLxotHI_DrVXQCLcB/s320/SCN_0003.jpg" width="320" height="217" /></a><br /><br />No obvious hidden messages jumped out at me from the text, but DeeAnn wisely pointed out that several different video games are mentioned or described. That's pretty interesting.<br /><br />Without knowing where this might lead, I'm not very motivated to spend time trying to solve it... but I'm sharing it here in case somebody else out there wants to take a crack at it.<br /><br />If you do figure something out, please leave a comment below! (I also don't care about spoilers.)<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-82288977475443782262016-08-07T11:11:00.000-07:002016-08-07T11:11:01.309-07:00My MidAmeriCon II ScheduleIf you're going to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/74th_World_Science_Fiction_Convention">Worldcon</a> later this month, here's where you can find me:<br /><br /><b>SFWA Autographing: Curtis Chen</b><br /><i>Friday 16:00 - 16:50, SFWA Table (Kansas City Convention Center)</i><br />I'm volunteering to staff the <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/">SFWA</a> Table, and I'll be there starting at 3:00pm along with <a href="http://www.edwardmlerner.com/">Ed Lerner</a>. Stop by and say hello!<br /><br /><b>Reboot! Changing Up Comic Characters</b><br /><i>Friday 18:00 - 19:00, 2204 (Kansas City Convention Center)</i><br />"Spider Gwen, Amadeus Cho, Thor, Captain America. We've seen a lot of rebooted characters in the the last couple of years with dramatically altered social and cultural backgrounds. The panel discuss how these 'new' old characters have changed the Marvel Universe, for better and worse."<br /><i>Mr. Robin Wayne Bailey (M), Nina Niskanen, David VonAllmen, Mr. Curtis Chen</i><br /><br />...and I'll otherwise be wandering around, probably in search of barbecue and/or booze.<br /><br />If you run into me at the con, <b>ask for a "TEAM KANGAROO" ribbon</b> to decorate your badge and show your support for the hapless hero of my debut novel <a href="http://waypointkangaroo.com/"><i>Waypoint Kangaroo</i></a>!<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F9X7PlyPLlA/V6bQYmd2okI/AAAAAAAB7Pk/bNgkQqwOwVQQvNJsaj-DXTTzM_YpWExhACLcB/s1600/IMG_0878.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F9X7PlyPLlA/V6bQYmd2okI/AAAAAAAB7Pk/bNgkQqwOwVQQvNJsaj-DXTTzM_YpWExhACLcB/s320/IMG_0878.jpg" width="320" height="180" /></a><br /><br />Last but not least, my friend, Clarion West classmate, and all-around awesome person <a href="http://marleejaneward.com/">Marlee Jane Ward</a> is organizing a <b>Karaoke Extravaganza on Thursday night</b>. This is a private(ish) event, so if you're interested, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/curtis.c.chen/">message me on Facebook</a> and I'll invite you!<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12536328.post-67501682971678781542016-06-22T10:24:00.000-07:002016-06-22T10:24:03.637-07:00The Kanga-RoundupYesterday was the "book birthday" for my debut novel <a href="http://waypointkangaroo.com/">WAYPOINT KANGAROO</a>, and I did a bunch of guest blog posts and interviews to coincide with its release! But first things first...<br /><br /><b>Tor.com</b> is running a sweepstakes to give away five copies of the book! <a href="http://www.tor.com/sweepstakes/waypoint-kangaroo-sweepstakes/">Enter before 12noon Eastern Time this Friday, June 24th (US/Canada only).</a><br /><br />And now on to the blog posts! Some of these may be more interesting to writers and other publishing professionals, but I hope they give every interested party some more insight into what went into creating <i>Kangaroo</i>:<br /><br /><b>John Scalzi</b>, one of my instructors at <a href="https://munchkinwrangler.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/a-transformative-experience/">Viable Paradise XII</a>, was kind enough to offer me a spot on <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2016/06/21/the-big-idea-curtis-c-chen/"><b>The Big Idea</b></a>.<br /><br /><b>Mary Robinette Kowal</b>, erstwhile Portlandian and all-around outstanding human being, generously let me ramble on about <a href="http://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/favorite-bit-curtis-c-chen-talks-waypoint-kangaroo/"><b>My Favorite Bit</b></a>.<br /><br /><b>Alex Shvartsman</b>, editor of the <i>Unidentified Funny Objects</i> anthology series, hosted my breakdown of WK's opening chapter on <a href="https://alexshvartsman.com/2016/06/21/the-hook-waypoint-kangaroo-by-curtis-c-chen/"><b>The Hook</b></a>.<br /><br /><b>Sally 'Qwill' Janin</b>—who, coincidentally, founded The Qwillery on my birthday in 2008—interviewed me about a variety of writing-related topics for the Qwillery's <a href="https://qwillery.blogspot.com/2016/06/interview-with-curtis-c-chen-author-of.html"><b>2016 Debut Author Challenge</b></a>.<br /><br /><b>Stephen Geigen-Miller</b>, a fellow writer in Toronto and friend of the fabulous <a href="https://twitter.com/clairebmused">Claire Humphrey</a>, interviewed me about <a href="https://stephengeigenmiller.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/breaking-in-interview-with-curtis-c-chen/"><b>Breaking In</b></a> as a writer.<br /><br />BONUS: related to "My Favorite Bit" above, you can <a href="https://soundcloud.com/macaudio-2/waypoint-kangaroo-by-curtis-c-chen-audiobook-excerpt">hear an excerpt from the forthcoming audio book</a>!<br /><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/270224819&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false"></iframe><br /><br />Thanks to everyone for supporting <a href="http://waypointkangaroo.com/">WAYPOINT KANGAROO</a>. Launch day was fantastic. Now let's see if we can push this rocket all the way to Mars... and beyond!<br /><br /><img src="http://snout.org/HotSheet/CKL.jpg" alt="Curtis" title="Curtis" border="0" height="32" /><br />Curtis Chenhttps://plus.google.com/116737692309729475506noreply@blogger.com0