msmemory_archive: (Default)
msmemory_archive ([personal profile] msmemory_archive) wrote2009-07-15 11:47 am

Why I'm not sorry I missed Readercon

Someone IRL asked me about my opinion of Readercon, and whether I was sorry to miss this year's due to a date conflict.

Here's a lot of the reasons, much more articulately expressed than I can do:
http://coffeeandink.dreamwidth.org/1021385.html

You might think that since I am white, local, with a Seven Sisters education and more than 30 years reading SF, that I would fit right in. But I don't. Readercon is intimidating, because of its focus on pretentious literary criticism. I feel marginalized as a woman, and for my youth (under 50). (Somehow, after all this time, there's still a vibe "isn't it sweet that you young ladies read books about rockets?") There's no place to sit and smof, except the bar, a complaint I also have about Arisia.

The hucksters' room is important to me, because I like to buy books and I like being able to discover smaller press things or those personally recommended by some specific booksellers. I like the Kirk Poland competition for its silliness. I like running into old friends. Usually, I get to one or two panels. Are these features worth the price, both in dollars and time? I'm thinking lately "not really." Next year, I think I'll sit on my own deck, three miles away, and read a good book.
ext_24631: editrix with a martini (Default)

[identity profile] editrx.livejournal.com 2009-07-16 09:08 am (UTC)(link)
I'd told them (though I was told later that what the website splorted out I'd clicked for radio buttons was different - sigh) that I was only available on Saturday. So the one panel I was scheduled for was on Friday night. Late.

With my back, there was no way I could drive down there Friday, drive back Friday night, and get down there again on Saturday. I wrote twice and asked if I could still come for Saturday, as I'd gone ahead and bought (with MONEY I DIDN'T HAVE TO WASTE!) a guest membership for Elric.

I never heard back.

So my money went to waste, I'm down enough that I can't buy groceries for this week because of it (yeah, thanks, Readercon), and I didn't get to see any of my friends.

I'm giving up on cons altogether. I can't afford to go, and going as a guest doesn't seem to work, or at least not lately (how does "Saturday only" sound like "from Friday 2pm onwards all weekend"? sigh).

[identity profile] msmemory.livejournal.com 2009-07-16 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
You could've stayed at our house even though we were away, though that doesn't clear up the other issues.