Tag Archives: cons

Mining Our Biblical Matriarchs

A workshop on Friday, September 2, 2022 at Chicon 8, presented by Sally Wiener Grotta

The women of the Bible (Eve, Esther, Miriam, etc.) have been amongst the West’s most enduring female archetypes. As lush and varied as any mythology, their stories have been reinterpreted by every generation’s artists, clerics, and political leaders, according to how they expected women to be. However, these archetypes have been largely overlooked by modern spec fic authors. In this workshop, we’ll have fun challenging and toppling common preconceptions about various women of the Bible, as we mine this rich mother lode for SF&F story ideas.


The following are my notes and amplifications. I am solely responsible for their content and any mistakes.
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Rang Gaeilge, 8ú lá na mí Mheán Fómhair 2022

Duinnín agus Professor Moriarty

Dineen and Professor Moriarty

fuaduighim… I take by force, abduct; I carry off (as the fairies a child); put to flight, drive away, blow away; Is amhlaidh do fuaduigheadh í, hers was a case of abduction, al. she was carried off by the fairies.

fuadaigh Take away by force; abduct, kidnap
  • Bhí ceathrar fear cruinnithe in uimhir 122b Sráid an Bhéicéara i Londain. Bhí an lá go breá amuigh, cuid éigin aeir agus gile sa chathair arís ón uair go raibh deireadh leis an ngeimhreadh agus laghdú ar líon na dtinte guail. Bhí coiscéim níos airde faoi na capaill agus ní raibh croíthe lucht díolta pósaetha chomh trom agus a bhíodh ar laethanta fliucha éadóchasacha.
    Istigh sna seomraí mar ar mhair[indirect relative clause] Searbhlach de Hoilm agus a chara an Dochtúir Bhatson, bhí an t-aer trom le deatach, ámh, deatach píopaí agus an deatach áirithe sin a éirionn ó bhaithisí na bhfear nuair a bhíonn cruacheist á plé agus gan réiteach acu uirthi.

    There were four men meeting at number 122b Baker Street in London. It was a fine day outside, some air and brightness in the city again since the end of winter and a decrease in the number of coal fires. There was a higher step about the horses and the hearts of posy sellers were not as heavy as they used to be on desperate wet days.

    Inside the rooms where Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson lived the air was heavy with smoke, however, pipe smoke and that particular smoke that rises from the heads of men when they are discussing a difficult issue and have not settled it

    gile Whiteness, brightness f
    laghdú Decrease, diminution; reduction m
    tint tent f
    gual coal m
    coiscéim Footstep; pace f
    croí heart m pl croíthe
    lucht Content, charge; fill, capacity; cargo, load; (Class, category, of) people m
    pósae Posy, flower m pl pósaetha
    trom Weight; burden, oppression m
    éadéchasach Despairing, hopeless
    ámh Indeed, truly; However
    baithis Top, crown (of head) f
    cruacheist Difficult question; conundrum f
  • Léigh tuilleadh

Chicon 8

Thursday

On Thursday, Sept. 1, Mia McDavid and I drove to Chicago for Chicon 8: The 80th World Science Fiction Convention at the Hyatt Regency Chicago . This was our 5th Chicon. Previously we had attended:

Despite some glitches, we really enjoyed the Con, and visiting downtown Chicago again.

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Rang Gaeilge, 23ú lá Mí Feabhra 2022

Duinnín i Ráth Maonais (tuilleadh)

  • ‘Rachaidh mé féin anseo isteach, ‘arsa an Duinníneach nuair
    a shroicheadar an eaglais. ‘Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a bheith
    agam le Tom Merrigan.’

    Tharla cruinniú coiste de chuid bhuanchoiste an aonaigh
    saothair ar siúl ar ardán an halla nuair a bhuail an Duinníneach
    isteach agus bhí an tAthair Merrigan ag déanamh eadrána idir
    seastán na gcístí agus lucht roth an áidh. Chuir sé na mná uaisle
    ar fad in aithne don Duinníneach, a gheall go dtiocfadh sé chun
    aonaigh agus go gceannódh sé stocaí bána cniotáilte uathu dá
    mbeidís ar fáil. D’éalaigh siad on gcruinniú ansin agus shiúil
    siad thart ar an halla, idir na stainníní, agus iad ag caint.

    ‘I’ll go in here myself,’ said Dineen when they reached the church.
    ‘I would like to have a few words with Tom Merrigan.’

    A meeting of the standing committee of the job fair was taking place on the hall stage
    when Dineen came in and Father Merrigan was mediating between the cake stand and
    the wheel of fortune. He introduced all the ladies to Dineen, who promised to come to the
    fair and buy white knitted socks from them if available. They then escaped from the meeting and walked around the hall, between the booths, talking.

    coiste jury, committee m
    buanchoiste Standing committee m
    ardán platform, stage, stand m
    eadráin Separation of combatants; intervention in dispute; mediation, conciliation f gs eadrána
    seastán stand m
    roth wheel n
    ádh luck m gs áidh
    lucht Content, charge; fill, capacity; cargo, load;
    Class, category, of) people
    m
    geall pledge, security m
    stainnín Stand, stall, booth m
  • Léigh tuilleadh

    Capricon Notes

    As I wrote previously , Mia (my wife) and I spent last weekend at Capricon, a Chicagoland science fiction convention. We went to most of the Capricons in the ’80’s and ’90’s, but in our first years in Minnesota the pressures of parenthood prevented us from going. Those have eased somewhat and we have been to most of the Capricons (and Windycons) since 2009. While most Capricons have been in the Chicago suburbs, this year the convention was downtown, at the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

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    Chicago again

    Mia (my wife) and I spent last weekend in Chicago for the Capricon, another science fiction convention that has been part of our life for decades. This year the convention was downtown, at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. Our room was on north side of the 28th floor and the view from our window was magnificent by night and day:

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    Windycon 2021

    My wife Mia and I spend the past weekend in Chicagoland. Friday and Saturday we were at Windycon, a science fiction convention that we have frequently attended since the 1970s. This was first SF con we have been to since the world shut down for Covid-19. There was no Windycon in 2020. Covid, of course, has not gone away, but this year Windycon was back, with changes. There were very strict and detailed Covid policies. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test were required for admission. Masks were required everywhere except “while … actively consuming food or drink in the consuite or green room” or for performers while performing and at least 6 feet from anyone else. Bill Roper has a positive con report, with which I completely agree.

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