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CONvergence (Day 1)
Aug. 11th, 2022 06:21 pm I probably won't be able to keep up a full con report, but I thought I'd try.
Despite my better judgment, I'm doing CONvergence in-person this weekend. I will say that registration was pretty slick. As you approached the registration area, someone directed you to the first table, where you showed your ID and proof of vaccine card. If you passed that first hurdle, they gave you a validation card (kind of like when you go and vote), which you then hand off to the people pulling badges. It was slow, but I made it through the line in less than a half hour. (I have seen lines for registration at CONvergence that were kind of insane, like wrapping around the whole hotel floor and then doubling back on itself.)
The moderator of panel was willing to remind people in the audience that masks were NOT optional, too, which was nice. There was a brief discussion before the panel started where it was asked if the panelists were willing to remove their masks. I'm never willing, so everyone on the panel followed my lead.
The panel I was on today was called "Never Meet Your Gods." The description was: What happens when regular people interact with mythic figures, such as Lucifer or Odin? Participants: Aimee Kuzenski (mod), Larry Swain, and Lyda Morehouse.
I have to admit that I have been fighting a headache all day. (This was the second one in a row for me and since I normally don't get headaches at ALL, I took a COVID test this afternoon just to be sure - it was negative.) So, I did not go into this panel at my very best. Plus, I don't entirely feel like myself with long hair, so I was definitely fighting more awkwardness than I normally have sitting on a panel.
That being said, I think it went pretty well. I was surprised how many people came to the panel, given how barebones the description was. Aimee did a pretty good job moderating, though at one point I joked that some of her questions felt a bit like a pop quiz that I was not entirely ready for. Name your favorite human/god interaction! What are the best/worst depictions of gods!? My answers all started with, "Uhhhhh...." Like I said, I was just not batting a 100. I did NOT ace the pop quiz.
I was also easily dragged off topic because one of my fellow panelists, Larry Swain, is a Biblical scholar and that's my catnip. So, at least one point we went down a Biblical rabbit hole all the way to Simon Magus.... apparently Larry is going to be on a panel about weird Biblical stories and I might have to see if I can make that (okay, looking for it on the schedule, it looks like it's on Sunday. I may be able to stay because I think I have an early morning anime panel that day.)
Anyway, I do think that because I was easily distracted and not terribly on the ball, it was not a top ten performance? Was it a good and lively discussion? YES. Was it write-home-about amazing? Probably not.
After the panel I hung out with some old friends for a few minutes--Bill and Melissa and Leah Cutter.
Tomorrow's panels are:
Despite my better judgment, I'm doing CONvergence in-person this weekend. I will say that registration was pretty slick. As you approached the registration area, someone directed you to the first table, where you showed your ID and proof of vaccine card. If you passed that first hurdle, they gave you a validation card (kind of like when you go and vote), which you then hand off to the people pulling badges. It was slow, but I made it through the line in less than a half hour. (I have seen lines for registration at CONvergence that were kind of insane, like wrapping around the whole hotel floor and then doubling back on itself.)
The moderator of panel was willing to remind people in the audience that masks were NOT optional, too, which was nice. There was a brief discussion before the panel started where it was asked if the panelists were willing to remove their masks. I'm never willing, so everyone on the panel followed my lead.
The panel I was on today was called "Never Meet Your Gods." The description was: What happens when regular people interact with mythic figures, such as Lucifer or Odin? Participants: Aimee Kuzenski (mod), Larry Swain, and Lyda Morehouse.
I have to admit that I have been fighting a headache all day. (This was the second one in a row for me and since I normally don't get headaches at ALL, I took a COVID test this afternoon just to be sure - it was negative.) So, I did not go into this panel at my very best. Plus, I don't entirely feel like myself with long hair, so I was definitely fighting more awkwardness than I normally have sitting on a panel.
That being said, I think it went pretty well. I was surprised how many people came to the panel, given how barebones the description was. Aimee did a pretty good job moderating, though at one point I joked that some of her questions felt a bit like a pop quiz that I was not entirely ready for. Name your favorite human/god interaction! What are the best/worst depictions of gods!? My answers all started with, "Uhhhhh...." Like I said, I was just not batting a 100. I did NOT ace the pop quiz.
I was also easily dragged off topic because one of my fellow panelists, Larry Swain, is a Biblical scholar and that's my catnip. So, at least one point we went down a Biblical rabbit hole all the way to Simon Magus.... apparently Larry is going to be on a panel about weird Biblical stories and I might have to see if I can make that (okay, looking for it on the schedule, it looks like it's on Sunday. I may be able to stay because I think I have an early morning anime panel that day.)
Anyway, I do think that because I was easily distracted and not terribly on the ball, it was not a top ten performance? Was it a good and lively discussion? YES. Was it write-home-about amazing? Probably not.
After the panel I hung out with some old friends for a few minutes--Bill and Melissa and Leah Cutter.
Tomorrow's panels are:
- 12:30 pm "What If" Inspired by the Marvel Comics series, What If? is an animated anthology series on Disney+. Narrated by The Watcher, the series explores alternate timelines in the multiverse showing options if major moments from the MCU films occurred differently. Participants: Robert Becka, Tim Lieder, Mark Lundberg (mod), Charlene Holm, Lyda Morehouse
- 3:30 pm "Faith & Religion in Speculative Fiction" What does it take to make faith and religion "work" in speculative fiction? Are those factors the same as those required for faith in real life? How has reading or writing about religion influenced your own beliefs and practices? Participants: Tim Lieder, phillip andrew bennett low (mod), Hertzey Hertz, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse