Why I'm not sorry I missed Readercon
Jul. 15th, 2009 11:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
msmemory_archiveSomeone 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.
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.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-07-16 09:08 am (UTC)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).
no subject
Date: 2009-07-16 04:56 pm (UTC)