Arisia 2018 Panel Schedule

For those of you attending Arisia (at the Westin Boston Waterfront from January 12 through 15, 2018), here is my panel schedule. Hope to see you there!

Friday, January 12

Time: 5:30pm

Room: Marina 2 (2E)

Panel: If You Didn’t Know, Now You Know: SFF Divination

SFF Authors use foreknowledge of events, whether predictive models, visions, or prophecy, to give characters future knowledge, often to solve story problems. In this panel, we’ll look at the problems this foreknowledge creates, for the characters, for the author, and for the reader.

 

Saturday, January 13

Time: 1pm

Room: Hale (3W)

Panel: Conning for Spoonies

Conventions can take a lot of energy to attend, something those of us dealing with chronic illnesses – both physical and mental – can have in short supply. Listen to our panelists discuss tips and tools for getting the most out of a convention while also managing our personal needs, and coping mechanisms for when we find out we’ve gone too far and suddenly find ourselves with no more spoons.

 

Time: 2:30pm

Room: Faneuil (3W)

Panel: Yoga & Juicing isn’t Fixing This

Disability and chronic illness doesn’t just “get better.” At some point, we accept that we live with this for the rest of our lives, and figure out how to cope and enjoy what we have. We’ll tell stories about the amusing and surprising things we see, and how we deal with it all.

 

Time: 8:30pm

Room: Marina 1 (2E)

Panel: When the Panel Goes Rogue…

An off topic panelist. An audience member who seems to think they’re on the panel. An ineffective moderator. How do you address these situations when they arise? What is the role of the moderator, other panelists, and the audience itself?

 

Sunday, January 14

Time: 4pm

Room: Marina 1 (2E)

Panel: Star Wars, 2018 Edition: The Last Jedi and More

Our annual discussion of all things Star Wars rolls around again, focusing on December’s The Last Jedi, looking at it within the framework of the franchise as a whole, with an eye towards this year’s Han Solo movie. We’ll also take a look at Rebels, Forces of Destiny, comics, games, and more!

 

Time: 5:30pm

Room: Faneuil (3W)

Panel: Wonder Woman: All the World Was Waiting For You

2017’s long-anticipated Wonder Woman, the first major theatrical motion picture adaptation of a female superhero in over a decade, instantly connected with audiences who had been waiting years to finally see a hero with whom they could identify. Come share your insights on what the film meant to you, where you’d like to see the story go, and just be amazed at the idea that it turns out they can make good, fun movies about DC properties after all.

 

Monday, January 15

Time: 11:30am

Room: Burroughs (3E)

Panel: Disney’s Second Renaissance

From 1989-1999, The Walt Disney Company experienced a period of creative resurgence known as the Disney Renaissance; The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King were artistic and financial wins for a studio coming out of a long slump. Recently, Frozen, Moana and others have led some to declare that the company is in the middle of a new success streak. We’ll discuss what we’ve seen in the past few years from this animation powerhouse, and look ahead to what’s to come.

 

Time: 2:30pm

Room: Douglas (3W)

Panel: Just the Facts: Superfoods

“Just the Facts” panels address topics where many people believe they know what’s going on, but what “everybody knows” can be inaccurate or contradictory. From kale to açai berries to coffee, we’ve had many foodstuffs pitched to us as “superfoods”. But what makes them “super”? And, for that matter, are any of them “super”?

CFP: Panel on Resisting Language as Weapon (open until 9/30/17)

Calling #teamrhetoric!

With a little less than a month of “official” summer left, I wanted to let everyone know about a panel I’ll be running at the 49th NeMLA Annual Convention that will take place in Pittsburgh from April 12-15, 2018 at the Omni William Penn.

Resisting the Weaponization of Language: A Panel (https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/17008)

As specialists in language studies, we have a particular affinity for and accompanying responsibility to use language in ethical ways. We embrace the power of language to change the world and ourselves for “good,” but are rightfully hesitant to focus on the potential for language to cause harm out of concerns regarding silencing and censorship. Yet, there can be no doubt that language can and does cause harm. Abstracts are encouraged that examine such weaponization of language from a variety of perspectives including, but not limited to, “grammar” as cudgel, misgendering and/or dead naming transgender individuals, and dehumanizing language in public discourse.

Follow the link above to submit a 300-word abstract before the September 30th deadline. Members and non-members of NeMLA may submit to as many sessions as they want, although they may present on only one paper presentation panel and only one other type of session (a roundtable or a creative session).

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CFP: Roundtable on Chronic Illness in Academia

Calling all spoonies, zebras, and other scholars with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses!

With a little less than a month of “official” summer left, I wanted to let everyone know about a roundtable I’ll be running at the 49th NeMLA Annual Convention that will take place in Pittsburgh from April 12-15, 2018 at the Omni William Penn.

Chronic Illness in Academia: A Roundtable (https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/17006)

The academic space we inhabit–as scholars and as teachers–is very much a domain for the able-bodied. Yet, as more and more academics are acknowledging, invisible disabilities like chronic illness are more common than the academy seems to realize.

This roundtable invites proposals from a variety of perspectives and professional experiences navigating an academic space where the opportunities, guidelines, expectations and accommodations are based nearly entirely on imagined ideals of what it means to be “healthy.” Those who self-identify as chronically ill or otherwise disabled are especially invited to submit proposals, though such self-disclosure will not be required.

 
Follow the link above to submit a 300-word abstract before the September 30th deadline. Members and non-members of NeMLA may submit to as many sessions as they want, although they may present on only one paper presentation panel and only one other type of session (a roundtable or a creative session).

 

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If it’s January, it must be time for Arisia…

For those of you attending Arisia (at the Westin Boston Waterfront from January 13 through 16, 2017), here is my panel schedule. Hope to see you there!

And if you have any ideas for questions we can discuss during the panels I’m moderating, go ahead and share them in the comments or send them to me via Twitter (@drurbanski).
Friday, January 13

DC Movie Universe: Crisis on Infinite Screens

Time: 5:30pm – 6:45pm

Room: Adams (3W)

Tracks: Media

I am moderating this panel with Ed Fuqua, Bob Chipman, and Dan Toland as panelists.

With three movies under its belt, the DC Cinematic Universe is proving to be a creative cesspit, with bad stories, creative miscues, and a complete lack of a moral center. It’s easy to point at Zack Snyder as the problem, but with studio backing and decent box office, clearly the issue goes further. What’s gone wrong with DC on the big screen, and is there any hope to be had from future movies?

 

On Shaming, Bullying, and Public Humiliation

Time: 8:30pm – 9:45pm

Room: Marina 3 (2E)

Tracks: Fan Interest

I am participating on this panel along with Andy Hicks, Mark Oshiro, TheoNerd, and Inanna Arthen.

SF/F fans are no stranger to bullying — many of us who were picked on for being different at a young age found refuge and escape in the other worldliness of fantastical books, movies, and newer media. The internet age of un-moderated twitter, 4chan, and Gawker has made bullying and harassment easier. The behavior surrounding GamerGate has practically normalized it. What can this teach us about forms of public humiliation and bullying, and what we can do to push back against it?

 

Saturday, January 14

Another Look at the Bad Old Days

Time: 7pm – 8:15pm

Room: Hale (3W)

Tracks: Literature

I am participating on this panel along with Jonathan Woodward, James Hailer, Sarah Lynn Weintraub, and John G. McDaid.

A lot of SF has aged very badly. A lot of it bore appalling elements even for its time. There’s some usual suspects, but let’s look at the older works of SF with awful elements as a whole. Is there anything worth looking for in those stories? Who deserves to make problematic fave among the problematic horde? Are there lessons that are relevant to modern readers and authors to be found among the stories that make us wince?

 

Musicals as Fantasy

Time: 8:30pm – 9:45pm

Room: Bulfinch (3W)

Tracks: Fan Interest

Types: Panel

I am participating on this panel along with Chris Brathwaite, Brian Liberge, Victoria Queeno, and Jesi Pershing

Musical Theater is an art form that has a very passionate and committed fan culture. Many musicals have a lot in common with classical fantasy, both in concept and in form. So why aren’t musicals celebrated in the same spheres as Science Fiction and Fantasy literature or media? This panel will challenge the status quo as we entertain and explore arguments for and against including musicals under the umbrella of our love for all things SF/F genre!

 

Sunday, January 15

Beyond Physics: Many Sciences of Science Fiction

Time: 7pm – 8:15pm

Room: Burroughs (3E)

Tracks: Literature

I am participating on this panel along with Andrea Hairston (moderator), Heather Urbanski, Walt Williams, Dr. Pamela Gay, Dash

While a lot of speculative fiction is still very focused on physics, speculation can come from any field of study including anthropology, computer science, psychology, and history. A discussion of some of the more unusual ways that science fiction has chosen to examine the human condition.

 

Star Wars, 2017 Edition: Rogue One and More

Time: 8:30pm – 9:45pm

Room: Marina 2 (2E)

Tracks: Media

Types: Panel

I am moderating this panel with Mario Di Giacomo, Frank Wu, Kevin Cafferty, and Mink Rose as panelists.

Our annual discussion of all things Star Wars will focus on December’s *Rogue One*, but we’ll also spend some time looking at *The Force Awakens* now that the hype has settled down, and talk about future releases in the franchise.

 

Monday, January 16

Routing Around Cognitive Biases

Time: 10am – 11:15am

Room: Alcott (3W)

Tracks: Science

I am moderating this panel with Ruthanna Emrys, David G. Shaw, Stephen R Balzac, and Andrea Hairston as panelists.

Most of us have a friend who always plays the same lottery numbers, refuses to travel by airplane “because they’re not safe,” and thinks music was better when they were a kid. Your friend – indeed, most people – suffers from multiple cognitive biases. How do you make people aware of the flaws in their thinking so that they have the critical tools to avoid such biases in the future? What about the more difficult task of identifying your own biases?

 

Fan Etiquette: How Not to Be *That* Fan

Time: 2:30pm – 3:45pm

Room: Bulfinch (3W)

Tracks: Fan Interest

 

I am moderating this panel with Mark Oshiro, Eric Zuckerman, Justine Graykin, and William Frank as panelists.

Have you ever been embarrassed by your fellow fans when meeting actors, musicians, and other people of note? How can you control your emotions and come across as a fan, not a stalker? Even at movies, some fans are yelling at the screen distracting other viewers from enjoying the film. This panel would give some insight as to what is the best way to present yourself and your fandom in a favorable light.

Off to WorldCon I go…

Where to find me at MidAmeriConII (WorldCon) in Kansas City

I’ve got a great schedule of programming this week at MidAmeriConII (the 2016 World Science Fiction Convention). I hope to see you there!

 

Panel title: The Interstices of Historical and Fanfiction

Day/Time: Wednesday Aug 17 at 07:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Location: Kansas City Convention Center – 2204
Historical fiction is a work of literature, comic, film, or television program set in the past. Fanfiction is a work of fiction produced by fans for fans, using famous people or source texts as their inspiration. Frequently the worlds overlap. Let’s discuss the overlaps, benefits, and pitfalls of working in these genres. The overlaps include writing fanfiction about historical fiction, setting fanfiction in an alternative universe by placing the narrative in a different historical era, fanworks about real-life historical figures (Historical RPF), or historical fanworks — any fanwork set in the past.

With Lyda Morehouse; Ms Sumana Harihareswara; Teresa Nielsen Hayden

 

Panel title: Joyful Disruption: Narratology and the SF/F Franchise (Solo presentation)

Day/Time: Thursday Aug 18 at 09:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Location: Kansas City Convention Center – 2201

Despite familiar complaints about the lack of creativity, interlocking franchise stories like those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars saga rely on complex narrative functions that I weave together into a cohesive theory involving disruption among layers of narrative; the role of canon, and other forms of cultural memory; and textual boundaries. My overall goal is to identify what it is about these franchise stories that creates “built-in” loyal audiences in the first place. In other words, I’m working to answer the question, what are the narrative features of these franchises that keep bringing audiences back time and again?

 

Panel title: Science Fiction at Universities: Creating the Canon

Day/Time:Thursday Aug 18   06:00 PM to 07:00 PM

Location: Kansas City Convention Center – 2204

Different universities including Dundee, Liverpool and the local Kansas City University run science fiction courses. The reading material they cite as foundational varies considerably, with some including very few women, PoC or otherwise diverse SF while others start from a basis that SF began with Mary Shelley and includes works such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland (1915) and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s, We (1921). What influence do university courses have on canon formation and what responsibilities do they have in representing and encouraging awareness of the diversity of material that is published?

With Dr. Paul Booth; Ms. Lynne M. Thomas; Gary Wolfe

 

Panel title: I Don’t Believe in Science

Day/Time: Sunday Aug 21   01:00 PM to 02:00 PM

Location: Kansas City Convention Center – 2204

All too often we hear about people who “Don’t Believe in Science”, but science isn’t about belief.  A discussion about why talking about science in terms of belief does science, and faith, a disservice.

Moderating this discussion with panelists Renée Sieber, Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ, Carl Fink, and Benjamin C. Kinney.

2017 NEMLA CFP: Roundtable on Ableism in the Classroom

With a little less than a month of “official” summer left, I wanted to let everyone know about a roundtable I’ll be running at the 48th NeMLA Annual Convention that will take place in Baltimore from March 23-26, 2017 at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront.

I am relatively new to Disability Studies and have learned much over the past couple of years, but know there is still much to learn. Please consider submitting an abstract for this session.

 

Ableism in the Classroom: A Roundtable (https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/16431)

This roundtable will focus on the ways we address ableism in the literature, language, and writing classrooms. Perspectives are sought on the incorporation and adaptation of course content, class policies, and teaching activities. Both success stories and failure narratives are welcome.

 

Follow the link above to submit a 300-word abstract before the September 30th deadline. Members and non-members of NeMLA may submit to as many sessions as they want, although they may present on only one paper presentation panel and only one other type of session (a roundtable or a creative session).

Friday at NeMLA2016: Evaluating Writing Roundtable

I’m excited to be chairing a roundtable on evaluating student writing today, Friday March 18 at 1:15pm, for the Northeast Modern Language Association Conference in Hartford. We have a great line-up of presentations and hope to see you in Capital 3!

7.17 Evaluating Student Writing I (Roundtable)

  • “Using Genre Studies and Rhetorical Analysis to Evaluate Student Writing” by Whitney James
  • “Feedback in the Electronic Writing Classroom” by Joseph Gansrow
  • “Training the Student to be Editor-in-Chief”  by Jayanti Tamm
  • “In-Conference Writing Assessment” by Maureen McVeigh

  • “Terms of Assessment” by Lisa Blansett (@Prof_Blansett)

  • “Numberless Ways: Dialogue and Reflection for Developing Writers” by Paul Graves

If you can’t make it to the panel, here is a copy of the take-away we created that covers the key points and reminders: NeMLA_2016_Eval_Writing_Takeaway

 

Friday at NEMLA2016: The Student as Writer

I’m proud to be chairing a panel on embodiment and disability in the college writing classroom today, Friday March 18 at 11:45am, for the Northeast Modern Language Association Conference in Hartford. We have a great line-up of papers and hope to see you in Marriott A!

The Student as Writer: Embodiment, Mindfulness, and Disability in the Composition Classroom (Panel 6.21)

In this session, we review ways to approach the First Year Composition and other writing classrooms by focusing on the students as embodied writers, taking student-centered pedagogy to a new level. A combination of theoretical and practical perspectives will be employed to locate the student as embodied writer within the disciplinary tradition.

  • “In Body and Mind: Re-embodying Reading in the Composition Classroom” by Carolyne King, University of Delaware.

  • “Embodied Pedagogy: Silence, Energy, and Everything in Between” by Hilarie Ashton (@HilarieAshton), Graduate Center-CUNY.

  • “Ableism and Attendance: Making the Writing Classroom Accessible to all Students” by Catherine Prendergast (@cjprender), University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

 

If you can’t make it to the panel, here is a copy of the take-away we created that covers the key points and reminders: NEMLA2016_Embodied_Writing_Takeaway_Cover

Why I Think Trump Means We Are Doing Something Right

Fascinating, and optimistic, perspective on our current political season from a fellow Lehigh PhD graduate.

Reflections on Gender and Postcolonial Issues

Wait, what?  Did she just say that?

Yep.

Stick with me to the end, and perhaps you will find some solace alongside me.

I am not going to say he is good for the country, his behavior is acceptable, or his followers are understandable–or even credible.

But I do think his resurgence into the public eye in a political realm is telling, and perhaps even a good sign.

First, who is the “we,” because as I tell my students, pronouns are dangerous.

The antecedent pool for the “we” in my title is large:  teachers that have made their classrooms safe for all students, students that work every day to ensure campuses are inclusive, people that fill their newsfeeds with stories of change, progressives that politic for the good of all, and the list goes on.

Trump signals to me that “we” are making a difference, that our work over the past…

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