Sirens Mods

Brainstorming and Books Chat

2011-02-12T20:05:03Z

The Sirens chatroom will be open for about an hour starting at 3 p.m. Eastern. We'll talk books and programming brainstorming.
http://www.sirensconference.org/chat/

Did you know...

2010-10-27T01:15:02Z

1. Did you know that there's an off-topic chat community, sirenschat, that would be an excellent place to post and link to your conference reports? We haven't used it much, but it's one LJ-friendly place to meet other past and future attendees. We've recently updated the rules and suspended moderation, so please feel free to join and use the community. If you'd like to share but would rather not create a LiveJournal account, you can leave us a comment here, and we'll re-post it there for you.

2. Keep an eye out for website updates! The Sirens website will be updated for 2011 on November 1. (Last chance to peek at the faery logo!)

3. If you received a link for early-early registration, it will expire--perhaps turn into a pumpkin, one might say--at midnight on October 31. (And a hint for those who haven't attended in the past, you might check out public posts by the members of this community to see if anyone has shared their link. You won't see any non-public posts or any by those who only watch the journal--but you'll definitely see some interesting journals!)

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 1

2009-11-03T16:30:18Z

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens forums, mailing list, LiveJournal, and Facebook. Certain other updates are posted on the conference’s Twitter. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you'll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives to this longer post, please click here.

Sirens
Volume 2 – Issue 1
November 2009

The Recap
Sirens’s first year was fantastic! We had a great time listening to all of the formal presentations and informal discussions, getting recommendations for new books to read, sharing tea with new friends, and generally being delighted that we had such awesome attendees. We’re thrilled that your participation and enthusiasm means that we can provide a second Sirens conference on women and fantasy literature in 2010, too.

Website Open for 2010!
Check it out: The Sirens website is updated with information for 2010--and it’s changed to reflect next year’s theme of faeries. Please take a few minutes to look around, to note updates, to grab a new icon/desktop image/banner, to use the Tell a Friend feature, or to check out the updated reading list.

Talk About It All
Sirens will have an open chat on Saturday, November 7, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. This year, we’ll be holding occasional chats--which might become regular with enough interest--for 2009 attendees, potential 2010 attendees, people who have questions about becoming attendees and people who just want to chat with some amazing people about books, authors and other things. You’re welcome to bring thoughts about women in fantasy literature or questions about Sirens, and if you’re looking for something more focused, we’ll be choosing a faery book from the Sirens 2010 reading list to discuss at each chat. November is Janni Lee Simner’s Bones of Faerie. No particular software or programs are necessary to join in: this page will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time on November 7.

Registrations and Reservations
With the website open, registration is open as well. Registration is currently at $165, and it includes all of Sirens’s programming, events, keynote presentations (with a dessert reception and two lunches), one breakfast, afternoon tea, a conference t-shirt, and all the mountain air you can breathe. You can also purchase some separate, optional items: tickets for the Sirens Shuttle from Denver International Airport to Vail (with a trip to Vail on Wednesday, October 6 and another on Thursday, October 7, with one return trip on Sunday, October 7) and tickets for the pre-conference staff-hosted Sirens Supper.

Rates at the Vail Cascade have undergone a slight adjustment, now that their renovations are complete, but they’re still fantastic for Vail in the autumn months. To make your hotel reservation at the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, please visit the hotel page (and, as always, if you have any issues making your reservation, please let us know).

Programming
And, of course, the programming proposal system is open now as well. The schedule for Sirens is, in large part, made up of presentations by and of interest to attendees. You may make proposals until May 7, 2010, so there’s plenty of time to brainstorm and put your proposal together. To get started, take a look at the Call for Proposals and the presentation elements, as a few things have been changed for the next year.

If you’re curious about the scope of Sirens, the Call for Proposals is a good place to start:

The theme for 2010 is "faeries," and programming prompted by the theme is encouraged; presenters are not limited to this theme, however, and proposals that address specific aspects of a work or series, works related by other themes, and studies of the fantasy genre across all disciplines are encouraged as well. A non-exhaustive list of sample topics includes literary analyses of novels; studies of genre history; use of fantasy works in schools and libraries for education; examination of related business and legal issues; media and fan studies; craft-based workshops in writing, art, and publishing; and overviews of how fantasy works fit into larger contexts.

In other words, if it’s connected to women authors, professionals or characters in fantasy and you find it interesting and worthy of discussion, there’s a good chance someone else does too.

Presenter Notes from 2009
If we made a recording of you and it turned out okay (unfortunately, some did not), you should have received a notice about where you can download a copy. If you don’t have a notice for a particular presentation that was recorded, and it’s not in your e-mail’s bulk folder, it’s safe to assume that the recording wasn’t salvageable. (Please note that these recordings are only available to presenters; Sirens does not have the authorization from all the presenters to distribute these more widely.) Thank you to everyone who allowed us to experiment with our recording software this year--and we hope to capture more recordings in future years.

Also, compendium submissions for presentations from 2009 are due by November 15, 2009. On that date, we’ll review the overall submissions and decide whether or not we’ll need to combine the papers with next year’s presentations, and we’ll let you know the status of the compendium as soon as we can. If you’ve lost your link for making your compendium submission, please write to (programming at sirensconference.org) and we’ll send it to you again.

-----
Have questions? You can leave them here in the comments section or e-mail them to (help at sirensconference.org).

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 1, Issue 7 (July 2009)

2009-07-01T16:26:07Z

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens forums, mailing list, LiveJournal, Facebook, and MySpace. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you'll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives, please click here.

Sirens
Volume 1, Issue 7
July 2009

Programming
Thank you to everyone who submitted a programming proposal. The vetting board has had the enjoyable but tough task of sorting through each proposal and selecting those to include for our 2009 conference. Once presenters are registered and their summaries prepared for publication, you'll be able to see them here, and you can see a few afternoon classes here.

Online Book Discussion: Graceling
Have you read Kristin Cashore's Graceling? If you have--or even if you haven't and you don't mind spoilers--join us starting Monday, July 6 at the Sirens LiveJournal for a discussion of girl warriors, boy warriors, bad kings, worse kings, a child queen, and of course, gender roles in fantasy fiction. We'll post a new topic each Monday in July, and then follow up with discussions of Tamora Pierce's Terrier in August and Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel/Court Duel in September.

Want to discuss some books right now? Visit the reading list section of our message boards, and chat about realistic vs. invented fantasy worlds, favorite books, what you're reading right now, and more.

Sirens Shuttle Between Denver International Airport and Vail--Now Available
A conference-sponsored shuttle will depart from Denver at 3:30 p.m. on October 1 and leave the Vail Cascade at 10:30 a.m. on October 4, which will accommodate flights arriving by 2:00 p.m. on October 1 or departing after 3:00 p.m. on October 4.

As of today, tickets are available to new registrants as well as to those who are already registered. (If you're already registered, please use the Change My Registration page to purchase a ticket.) Those holding a registration may also purchase additional tickets for friends and family to ride along. A round-trip ticket costs $95, which is about half the cost of using a scheduled-service commercial shuttle--and saves you the cost of gas and parking at the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, not to mention navigating the winding freeway and awestruck tourists gawking at the Rocky Mountains! One more nice thing: you can leave the driving to someone who's already familiar with mountain driving in all kinds of Colorado weather, leaving your hands free to take pictures of the flora and fauna.

Vail Cascade Resort and Spa
At last--the sawdust is swept away, the paint is dry, and the renovations are finished. Keep an eye on the Sirens LiveJournal for pictures and news from our recent site visit. A preview: new pool area, multiple hot tubs (including one for sixteen people), four places to grab a bite to eat on hotel property (and a vegetarian-friendly sushi bar right next to the hotel that stays open late), better in-room cooling and heating options, upgraded spa facilities, and more.

In the June 2009 edition of the Sirens newsletter, we posted a picture of the resort library and pointed you toward the kiosk that lets you grab a quick moment on the internet or print out boarding passes. A large-screen TV now graces that wall, and the kiosk has been moved to the back of the Cascade Village Market and Cafe, in the area between the market and the gift shop.

Meet for Dinner
Now that we've gathered updated information on places to eat in Vail, we're hard at work putting together a restaurant guide for you to use during dinner breaks. Want to go out with a group? On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during the conference, meet at the information desk and join a group headed to dinner in Lionshead or Vail Village by foot or hotel shuttle.

Sirens Supper
If you'll be in Vail ahead of time, please feel free to join us for our staff dinner on Wednesday, September 30. Starting at 7:00 p.m., this western-style cookout costs $60, which includes food, non-alcoholic drinks, and gratuity. We're waiting on a copy of the 2009 menu, but in past years, offerings on the buffet included several entrée options such as local fish and steak; soup, salad and sides; and a variety of desserts.

Quick Links
The Sirens Website and Tell a Friend Link
Registration
Travel
Become a Supporter
Read the FAQ

For More Information
Please feel free to contact us at [help AT sirensconference.org]. We're happy to answer any questions you might have.

See you in Vail!

Seeking Additional Panelists for Sirens!

2009-05-19T19:38:47Z

The panels below seek additional panelists--people who can agree, disagree, and chatter away on the following topics. To join a panel, please read the summary and follow the instructions for responding. Some of the panels already have a panelist or two, so don't be afraid to jump in! We would love to have people bring varying perspectives to each of these.

Once you've made your response, you should assume that you'll spend about an hour between now and October thinking about or researching your topic, and about half an hour reading and responding to e-mails for panel coordination. It's a small time commitment when you average it over the next four months!

Buffy, Bella and Boys: Staking Your Life on Power and Identity
Joss Whedon specifically created Buffy, of vampire slayer fame, to subvert the archetype of the fun blonde girl who always dies in horror movies; what if, he asks, the monster followed the girl into an alley and she kicked its ass? Stephenie Meyer, in contrast, dreamed not her heroine, but her hero, impossibly dazzling in a meadow. One character is a superhero, a warrior-girl; the other a paint-by-numbers protagonist who takes nearly four books to find her power and in doing so, loses her humanity. Both fall for the bad guy: one for her enemy, the other for a superpredator. In a world of vampires, victims and vengeance, what do Buffy and Bella say about power and identity?
Want to be on this panel?
Send an e-mail to [programming AT sirensconference.org] with your name and a paragraph or two explaining your take on the topic.

Fantasy Women in Harry Potter
In the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling--prompted to use gender-neutral initials by her publisher--makes a point of balancing the male-female ratio among the teachers and students. Harry's friend Hermione is top of her class, the cleverest witch of her age; Professor McGonagall is trusted to step in as head of Hogwarts when Dumbledore is away; half of the school's founders were women. Yet, there's a glass ceiling leaving them the second-most important, the second-in-command. This panel will question portrayals of women in Harry Potter.
Want to be on this panel?
Send an e-mail to [programming AT sirensconference.org] with your name and a paragraph or two explaining your take on the topic.

The Mary Sue Critique: Characterization and Gender Bias in Fantasy Literature
“Mary Sue” is a label that has, over the years, become synonymous with original female characters that are intelligent, beautiful, talented, powerful, and well-liked--to the point of having no shortcomings, flaws or faults that make them relatable to fans. Formerly used as a criticism for fan fiction, the term has recently been liberally applied to females in original fantasy literature. While male characters of equal or greater standing seem to escape the same label time and again, it begs the question: Does this “Mary Sue” criticism of female fantasy characters come from a deep gender bias in the genre?
Want to be on this panel?
Send an e-mail to [amber.charleville AT gmail.com] with your name and a paragraph or two explaining your take on the topic.

Of course, if you have an idea for a paper, panel, workshop, or roundtable discussion, you can still submit it here until June 7. Have questions about programming? We welcome them at [programming AT sirensconference.org].

Sirens Newsletter - Volume 1, Issue 5 (May 2009)

2009-05-04T16:46:04Z

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens forums, mailing list, LiveJournal, Facebook, and MySpace. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you'll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives, please click here.

Sirens
Volume 1, Issue 5
May 2009

Programming Deadline Extended
Because we had some reasonable requests for a little extra time, we've extended the deadline for programming proposals to June 7, 2009. We've also extended this option to all comers, so if you didn't have time to submit a proposal earlier, please do consider sending one in. If you need help or assistance, please feel free to contact [programming AT sirensconference.org]. Whether your proposal is accepted or not, we truly appreciate what you have to offer--and we want to include diverse viewpoints. Here's an excerpt from the call for proposals:

Sirens, a conference focused on literary contributions by women to the fantasy genre and on fantasy works with prominent female characters, will take place October 1–4, 2009, in Vail, CO. The conference seeks papers, panels, interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, and other presentations suitable for an audience of academics, professionals, educators, librarians, authors, and fantasy readers.

The theme for 2009 is "warriors," and programming prompted by the theme is encouraged; presenters are not limited to this theme, however, and proposals that address specific aspects of a work or series, works related by other themes, and studies of the fantasy genre across all disciplines are encouraged as well. A non-exhaustive list of sample topics includes literary analyses of novels; studies of genre history; use of fantasy works in schools and libraries for education; examination of related business and legal issues; media and fan studies; craft-based workshops in writing, art, and publishing; and overviews of how fantasy works fit into larger contexts.

We're also pleased to receive interactive afternoon classes. Share your related hobbies and activities with other attendees!

Programming Panels
Our programming team is arranging several panels to bring together presenters who have submitted proposals on some of the most popular topics. We'll open these up to other presenters as well. Information on applying to be a panelist will be published at sirenscon.livejournal.com only, so keep an eye on our LiveJournal for more.

General Chat
We'll have staff available to answer your questions about programming and to help you work through ideas. You're also welcome to come and connect with other Sirens attendees. We'll hold a few more chats before Sirens at different times and on different days of the week if you can't make it to this one.

DATE: Monday, June 1
TIME: 9-11 p.m. Eastern/6-8 p.m. Pacific
LOCATION: www.sirensconference.org/chat/

You don't need to download anything or have any special software to participate--the page will turn into a chat room when the chat begins.

Vail Cascade Resort and Spa
Roommates wanted! If you're seeking a roommate, or if you're looking for someone to share a room with, check out the Sirens message boards for advertisements.

Did you see? The Vail Cascade has completed their multi-million dollar renovation and October is a beautiful time to visit.

The Vail Cascade is committed to eco-friendly tourism. Here are just some of our venue's practices:

Sourcing environmentally sensitive products and services locally, and purchasing organic, environmentally friendly/responsible and recycled supplies, whenever possible.

Purchasing fresh, and sustainable foods locally grown, whenever possible.

Using environmentally responsible building materials and strategies for renovations to reduce environmental impact.

Using energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, as well as water-saving devices.

Quick Links
The Sirens Website and Tell a Friend Link
Registration
Travel
Become a Supporter
Read the FAQ

For More Information
Please feel free to contact us at [help AT sirensconference.org]. We're happy to answer any questions you might have.

See you in Vail!

Sirens Newsletter - Vail Cascade Resort and Spa Special Feature

2009-04-15T23:08:48Z

There's plenty of time to arrange travel to Vail for Sirens--in fact, the best deals on airfare are still a couple of months away. In the meantime, we encourage you to make reservations at the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa so that you'll be staying just steps away from the conference with all the freedom of being able to go back to your room at any time. We have an incredible rate of $109 (1-2 people)/$134 (3-4 people) for standard rooms, and when you stay at the Vail Cascade, we get group advantages, including meeting rooms for programs and presentations.

The Vail Cascade just finished a massive $30 million renovation and we wanted to share some of it best features with you. In this first of several special features, we'd like to share some of the beauty of the surrounding area. These pictures were taken last autumn and provide a glimpse of the season's charm and beauty.

This picture was taken on I-70. Those arriving by air will take the interstate nearly all the way from Denver International Airport to Vail.

A view out the car's side window provides a peek at the changes in elevation as you climb into the Rocky Mountains.

A view from a top-floor room. You can see one of many chair lifts between the trees.

Many of the rooms have balconies or patios. Some overlook Gore Creek and the walking path into Lionsgate and Vail Village, between .75-1.3 miles away by foot. This was taken from the patio off the resort's library (and pictures of that are coming soon).

There's a gear shop on site where you can acquire equipment for hiking, biking, and skiing.

See you in Vail!

sirens_mods @ 2009-04-07T15:36:00

2009-04-07T21:37:10Z

This is the official newsletter for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. The newsletter is published once a month to the Sirens forums, mailing list, LiveJournal, Facebook, and MySpace. Between regular editions, the Sirens LiveJournal also hosts special updates, in-depth information posts, and helpful hints for traveling, registering, and getting involved with programming. This newsletter is part of the Sirens website and is not presented under a cut on LiveJournal. Once a month, you'll have a longer post on your LiveJournal friends list. For alternatives, please click here.

Sirens
Volume 1, Issue 4
April 2009

Programming
As you know, the deadline for proposals is coming soon. Remember that you don't need to be registered before you submit a roundtable, workshop, paper, panel, or afternoon class. We occasionally put together additional panels and the like, and we'll be looking to those people who have already offered programming proposals. Please don't be afraid to offer yourself up!

In the meantime, please look here and here for people who are looking for others to partner with for programming. Are you looking for a co-presenter or some panelists? Leave us a comment and we'll play matchmaker.

Programming and General Chat
Next week, we'll hold a chat for those interested in Sirens. We'll have staff available to answer your questions about programming, to help you work through ideas, and to suggest topics for you to present. You're also welcome to come and connect with other Sirens attendees. We'll hold a few more chats before Sirens at different times and on different days of the week if you can't make it to this one.

DATE: Sunday, April 12
TIME: 1-3 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m.-noon Pacific,
LOCATION: www.sirensconference.org/chat/

You don't need to download anything or have any special software to participate--the page will turn into a chat room when the chat begins.

Reading List
On the Sirens website, we keep a reading list. Most of our staff have read most of these books--some of our staff have read all of these books!--and many of our attendees will have as well. Some were chosen for their influence, some for their controversy, and some simply because they're a great read! We've recently updated this list, so we invite you to take a look at what we put together as a starter selection of fantasy works. We also read--a lot--so if you have favorites that aren't on the list, please review them!

Vail Cascade Resort and Spa
Despite the economy, travel is cheaper than ever this year as airlines, hotels, and car rental companies run specials designed to make vacations affordable. Still, everyone has a budget. Here are some ideas for splurging and saving on lodging.

Splurge
Your very own room at the Vail Cascade. Beautiful views of aspen on the mountainside or the glittering creek. No one stealing the spa-provided shampoo before you get to it, the refrigerator all to yourself, and all the coffee and tea you can drink while you lounge in a plush bathrobe. Cost: $109 a night for three nights, 1-2 people, totaling $327.

Save
Roommates! There's something especially fun about snuggling under the covers and chatting while you and friends drop off to sleep. You can sleep up to four people in a room, and still have all of the amenities. Cost: $134 a night for three nights, 3-4 people, totaling $100.50 per person split four ways.

These examples do not include tax or resort fee. More information can be found here.

The special room rate at the Vail Cascade is good from September 26 to October 6, 2009. If you have any problems making your reservation, please contact Sirens for help.

Also, we're pleased to offer this rate to your friends and family--you don't have to be a Sirens attendee to stay with us over the weekend. While Colorado weather is notoriously unpredictable, during the autumn in the mountains you might be able to swim in the outdoor pool in the daytime but still want a sweater and a hot drink in the hotel bar by evening. Vail offers a quiet retreat for writers, a quaint haven for shopping, and a multitude of outdoor activities, so you're more than welcome to bring a crowd along.

Icons
Do you have one? Help us spread the word by using our Tell a Friend link (just under the warrior and reader) or by showing off an icon.

For more graphics, banners, and buttons, go here.

Quick Links
The Sirens Website and Tell a Friend Link
Registration
Travel
Become a Supporter
Read the FAQ

For More Information
Please feel free to contact us at help[AT]sirensconference[DOT]org. We're happy to answer any questions you might have.

See you in Vail!