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.
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Date: 2009-07-23 08:24 pm (UTC)I don't see that as a problem per se -- the con is what it is. It is essentially dooming itself to gradual irrelevance and shrinking, due in substantial part to the factors identified, but such is the nature of life and clubs. Most clubs eventually face problems akin to the ones described; hence, I find the article to be stating the obvious and common at somewhat excessive length, and with a somewhat more pejorative tone than I think it deserves.
None of which is to disagree with you here: the main draw for me is Kirk Poland, and that doesn't win against most any conflict. But I don't resent the con for the fact that I'm not its target audience -- I just go to Arisia instead...