This latter half of July I emerge from my cocoon (not the Steve Guttenberg/Wilford Brimley Cocoon, but a cocoon all the same) to make some public appearances.
July 14-17 Readercon. Burlington, MA
Friday night:
7:00 PM F “I’m (No Longer) Shocked, Shocked!” Gemma Files, Jim Freund (leader), Charles Platt, Joan Slonczewski, Paul Tremblay. There are many good reasons for writers to try to shock readers: to make them reconsider ideas, to evoke or heighten strong emotions, to add to the atmosphere of a horror novel or dystopia. The drawback is that the daring and transgressive can almost overnight turn into the boring or bewildering. When writers actively try to shock contemporary readers, are they also putting an expiration date on their work? Or are there shocks that can transcend the trends of the moment?
Saturday night:
6:30 pm: I’m reading in the New Hampshire room (from a novel in progress. Progress!)
9:00 PM NH Supernatural Noir group reading. Ellen Datlow, Caitlín R. Kiernan, John Langan, Barry N. Malzberg, Paul Tremblay. Contributors to Supernatural Noir read selections from their work.
Sunday:
11:00 AM G The Shirley Jackson Awards. F. Brett Cox, Ellen Datlow, Peter Dubé, Scott Edelman, Gemma Files, Caitlín R. Kiernan, John Langan, Sarah Langan, Victor LaValle (moderator). In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, the Shirley Jackson Awards have been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work. The awards given in her name have been voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors, for the best work published in the calendar year of 2010 in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology.
The following week, we have two CAPE COD NOIR appearances.
–Wed., July 20, 10:00am – 12:00pm
The Brewster Bookstore
2648 Main St.
BREWSTER, MA
Book signing featuring David L. Ulin, Paul Tremblay, Dave Zeltserman, William Hastings, and Dana Cameron
–Thurs., July 21, 1pm
Falmouth Public Library
300 Main St.
Falmouth, MA
Featuring editor David L. Ulin and author Paul Tremblay
And a SUPERNATURAL NOIR appearance:
Readings from Supernatural Noir at KGB Bar Friday July 22 7-9pm. KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street (just off 2nd Ave, upstairs.)
Hosted by editor Ellen Datlow and with the following contributors reading from their stories:
Paul G. Tremblay
Paul Tremblay is the author of the novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland, and his short fiction has been collected in In the Mean Time and Compositions for the Young and Old.
Jeffrey Ford
Jeffrey Ford is the author of the novels The Physiognomy, Memoranda, The Beyond, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, The Girl in the Glass, and The Shadow Year. His short fiction has been published in three collections. His fiction has won The World Fantasy Award, The Nebula Award, The Edgar Allan Poe Award, and Gran Prix de l’Imaginaire.
Richard Bowes
Richard Bowes has written five novels, two short fiction collections and fifty short stories. He has won two World Fantasy Awards and the Lambda, International Horror Guild, and Million Writers Awards. His novel-in-progress is Dust Devil: My Life in Speculative Fiction
Gregory Frost
Gregory Frost latest work is the fantasy duology, Shadowbridge and Lord Tophet His earlier novels include Fitcher’s Brides, a World Fantasy Award and International Horror Guild Award finalist for Best Novel; Tain, Lyrec, and Nebula-nominated sf work The Pure Cold Light. His short story collection, Attack of the Jazz Giants & Other Stories was called by Publishers Weekly “one of the best fantasy collections of the year.”
John Langan
John Langan is the author of the novel House of Windows and the collection of stories Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters. His stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Poe: 19 New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.
Books will be for sale by Bluestockings
Paul Tremblay (the online version!) 