With regards to Readercon

[sovay]

My internet capabilities have been intermittent this weekend and my laptop's trackpad appears to be offering a dissenting opinion as to where the cursor on this thing is supposed to go anyway, but I wanted to comment on the Readercon situation.

I attended Readercon for the first time in 2005. I had never heard of it before the previous year; I was on two readings and a panel about speculative poetry and helped sell books of the same at a table in the dealer's room. I was invited onto the programming committee in 2008; the following year I joined the concom. I do not have a convention that feels like home—and I never expect to—but Readercon is the one that gives me the greatest pleasure in both its programming and its attendees and occasionally, as this year, performs above and beyond the call of duty in chasing my shoulder philosophers away.

As a writer, a reader, and a concom member who found out about the board's decision between the second and third acts of the Post-Meridian Radio Players' Summer Mystery Radio Theatre on Friday night, I am unhappy in the extreme that an environment which has been so generally supportive of me—and to judge from the anger and disappointment on my friendlist alone, of a great many others as well—is being threatened by the actions of its governing body, especially in a fashion that involves safety, boundaries, and other issues I feel personally as well as practically about. I am not interested in being part of an organization that cannot be trusted.

I am interested in changing what Readercon has turned itself into. I have voted. I will be at the debrief on Saturday. And I'm hearing suggestions, if you think there's anything that isn't getting through.

Comments

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping. The general reaction to this whole cock-up has been pretty admirable, IMHO, with a real emphasis on trying to figure out how things might be fixed underneath all the understandable anger. And while I'm sorry you're in the eye of it, I'm glad that you're positioned to potentially have an effect on the conversation.

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I am unhappy in the extreme that an environment which has been so generally supportive of me—and to judge from the anger and disappointment on my friendlist alone, of a great many others as well—is being threatened by the actions of its governing body, especially in a fashion that involves safety, boundaries, and other issues I feel personally as well as practically about. I am not interested in being part of an organization that cannot be trusted.

This sums up how I feel as well.

[sovay]

And while I'm sorry you're in the eye of it, I'm glad that you're positioned to potentially have an effect on the conversation.

Thank you. Seriously, if there are things I'm missing, point me toward them. I want to solve this problem, not watch the flaming debris spiral down.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're missing anything--it was a bad initial call, and if the idea was to avoid getting tarred with the same brush as Walling then as a strategy, it's been a miserable failure. As far as I can see, all that can be done now is for the Board to respect the feedback they've gotten and do what should have been done in the first place, with a public apology for their initial bad decision added in on top.

[sovay]

This sums up how I feel as well.

See above: I am not resigning, because I don't think I can be nearly as much use from the outside. It is possible for this convention to die, but the internet won't have killed it.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I am so very sorry to hear about this.

I hope ye can get the board to get sense and maintain the con as the shoulder philospher-repellent it has been for you and, I'm sure, many others.

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I understand. I don't think I have enough influence from the inside to justify not voting with my feet, so I must.

[sovay]

I don't think I have enough influence from the inside to justify not voting with my feet, so I must.

I hope you will not have to. I will never argue if you do.

[sovay]

I hope ye can get the board to get sense and maintain the con as the shoulder philospher-repellent it has been for you and, I'm sure, many others.

I have no illusions about being a linchpin: I do know I have a voice.

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I hope I will not as well. I do not fault you for staying and trying to fix what is broken. In fact, quite the opposite. As hard as it is, my path is easier.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping that you can swing the change. And also that you enjoyed the Summer Mystery.

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

I want to solve this problem, not watch the flaming debris spiral down

Yeah. I would be sad if Readercon killed itself off.

[sovay]

Here's hoping that you can swing the change.

Thanks. It's a firestorm. I don't think it's unsurvivable.

And also that you enjoyed the Summer Mystery.

I did! I would probably have posted about it, if I hadn't had the Readercon discovery that night and a smashing weather-changing headache the next day.

[sovay]

As hard as it is, my path is easier.

Pssst.

*brushes off philosopher*

That's better.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

I am going to invent you a Philosopher Brush, I think.