ravenna_c_tan

The deadline for programming submissions has been extended to March 15th for MISTI-Con! (According to their Insta.) 


Info page: https://www.misti-con.com/news/call-for-programming-submissions

Submit proposals: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSSShLX03Qvwj29GDB9Ydyendd5BecCfZdNdgBjnV3oXDXpw/viewform?pli=1&pli=1

Meanwhile, I submitted a proposal for a presentation/event that I need some help with!

It's called "Who Will Be The "Next Harry Potter"? 

At first I thought of a serious discussion, like a book club where we could all talk about other books we liked. But then I thought you know what would be more fun? Have people get up and advocate for their candidate of who should actually be "crowned" the next Harry Potter. People can either cosplay as the character and represent themselves, or they can be nominating someone and making their case for why Ted Lasso, or Wednesday Addams, or Waymond Wang, or Orion Lake, should be the next Harry Potter! 

It'll be like Student Council President elections, except wizarding/post-wizarding multi-fandom. 

Reply to me or send me email at ravenna.c.tan @ gmail . com if you want to jump into the fun either as a judge or as a candidate! 

Speaking engagement plans for 2023 are shaping up:

• March 15-18: ICFA, Orlando, FL
• April 20-23: IMsLBB Piscataway, NJ
• May 19-22: MISTI-Con 10th Anniversary, Laconia, NH
• June 5: StoryStudio workshop online
• July 5-9: SABR National Convention, Chicago
• July 13-16: Readercon, Boston area
• August 20-23: EFACon, Alexandria, VA

Okay, maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration to call this The Year of Speeches, but it’s what it feels like. Yes, I’ve been a keynote speaker or guest of honor for a few conventions before, including HELIOsphere and the OutWrite festival. But this year there will be two really disparate ones that really frame my extremes:

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Mirrored from cecilia tan.

Waving hello to all those at the Snarry Meetup at MISTI-Con who are looking to connect! I'm not really on LJ anymore but I'm actively on Dreamwidth (for some definition of "active"). 

There was talk of maybe a 2021 "10th anniversary" con for Lubricus, which was an HP slash con that happened in Seattle back in 2011. I had to miss it so it would be keen if we all got together for a new one. I always enjoyed CON.TXT and it's been a while since I did a slash-focused con! (MISTI has been my main con for the past 10 years.) 

Anyway, to quote the Puffs, "HIII!!!!!!" 

-Cecilia, known around here as Ravenna, Tan

Woooo! I’ve been waiting for this day since last MISTI-Con! Seriously, I’ve been to a lot of Harry Potter conventions. I’ve been to some huge ones and some small ones and this one is just the most fun I’ve ever had at a convention. So many people are making art and participating it’s like Harry Potter Burning Man. I’ve been planning what costume(s) I’m going to make for a year already.

Their fundraiser (sorry, that Fundrazr) went live yesterday, and I quote:

“MISTI-Con is a Harry Potter fan convention designed to be a more intimate, immersive fan experience. It will focus on the talent, art and achievements of the members of the fandom itself, highlighting the fantastic participatory nature of the community.

The Margate provides us EXCLUSIVE use of their hotel. All the hotel rooms and conference halls will be for MISTI-Con’s use, and the full hotel has been reserved for MISTI-Con attendees. The hotel facilities will also include a huge outdoor events tent that will house the larger convention programming. Most wonderful of all, the Margate allows MISTI-Con to extensively decorate as much of the hotel as possible, creating the immersive environment that is part of our larger goal.”

To pre-register or donate to the fundraiser for very cool fannish perks, click here: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/cjnC2/sh/73CHe8

or visit www.misti-con.org for updates and more information about the convention, which will be Memorial Day Weekend 2015 (May 21-25).

Archived at Ravenna's Quill.

I find I’m too tired tonight to write a long screed. MISTI-Con was fantastic and I decided to boil it down to my favorite moments, in no particular order:

That moment when Voldemort and a procession of Death Eaters entered the Masquerade Ball… and 50 or 60 people all drew their wands spontaneously from their dress robes, ball gowns, costumes, etc. (I’ll be looking for my wand for a few days post-con, the way you look for your glasses while wearing contacts…)

The fact that Voldemort was there to have the equivalent of a “first dance” with… Harry Potter. (Grin. Welcome to the new age of magical cooperation!)

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Archived at Ravenna's Quill.

I’ve never had so many costume changes in one day at a con before.

I started the day dressed as Draco. I haven’t done the full on student Draco cosplay, wig and all, since the night of the release party of Book 7, when I appeared as a witness in the Trial of Severus Snape. My face is older-looking than it was then, and I’ve put on weight, so I can’t quite pass as a 16-year-old boy anymore. (I did still manage to get a few doubletakes from friends who took a while to recognize me.)

Oh, Tumblr Photoset of just a smattering from today is here: http://tmblr.co/ZkkBQxknRfA4. My favorite is Fawkes the Phoenix photobombing a portrait (Josee LeBlanc and Meka).

I decided to do Draco so I could present Leanna Renee Hieber with a gift. She arranged all the literary guest programming and I wanted to thank her, so I did a piece of calligraphy art that is meant to look like something Draco would have given to his mother after practicing his quill work. I doubt the Malfoy’s have a refrigerator to magnet it to, but you get the idea.

I forgot to take a photo of the piece, but it says “Sanguis Supra Omnia”, which means “Blood above all.” In my Malfoy family imagination, Lucius taught this motto to Draco meaning “blood purity equals superiority,” but I have little doubt that Narcissa would teach a different interpretation: “Family first.”

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Archived at Ravenna's Quill.

The decorations and art at MISTI-Con are completely AMAZING! The Fountain of Magical Cooperation has been created in the lobby, the hallway by the restaurant has been made into a museum of magical history, tons of details like Ministry office signs on the doors, etc etc etc… We haven’t even seen a fraction of it yet since the function rooms weren’t open tonight!

I posted a photo set to Tumblr, but the Wifi here is pretty slow so I’m having trouble uploading to my blogs/LJ/DW at the moment. You an see the photos so far here: http://ceciliatan.tumblr.com/post/50073850925/the-decorations-and-art-at-misti-con-are

Have been running into lots and lots of folks, of course, too many to name in full, but Rose lampblack bought me a drink at the opening gala, caught up a bit with Melissa Aaron moonyprof, introduced Fox Estacado and her friend Chris to the art of Remedios Varo (Google “Remedios Varo” to see some incredible images by a woman surrealist), chit chatted with Rachel (in what I can only describe as a “green trash” outfit… uh, hard to explain… think Slytherin baseball cap and beer was an important prop…), saw Alyse and Dave, watched Debi B. nail a tricky song at karaoke, hugged Krista bunney, and of course Carole chthonya who went with me to the New Hampshire State Liquor Store on the drive up… !

Archived at Ravenna's Quill.

I am so not prepared for MISTI-Con. Didn't make the costume I intended. Didn't order enough books. Didn't do the art I wanted to hang. Didn't even have time to write a hot fic to give away!

What have I been doing all this time since Ascendio, you may ask?

Work. Work work work. And illness. Unfortunately the illness (anemia, fatigue, etc) appears to be brought about by too much work, as well as too much travel and too little sleep. So I've been off the road for several months and trying to build up my constitution. Meanwhile each time I have a bout of illness, the work falls behind, and working too hard to try to catch up brings on a bout of illness... You see how that goes.

On the good side, I actually worked enough last year that I EARNED enough to not only have to pay taxes, I paid down my credit card debt significantly. So significantly that by the end of THIS year I might be out of debt. This is huge. The last time I had zero credit card debt was 1998. If I get out of debt this year (not counting the mortgage on the house...), I can slow down. But my health is already demanding that I slow down. So I'm trying to slow down all the non-revenue generating things and concentrate on the money-making things. That's meant a pull back from fandom, as well as BDSM activism, and also sports. The downside to that is I'm out of shape, which is also bad for my health, and guilt-ridden over being absent from the fannish and BDSM communities.

I am blessed that my writing brings in enough money that it is NOT on the "cut" list. It's on the "keep" list.

Anyway, can't wait for MISTI! I know I'll be seeing gatewaygirl, twilightsorcery, logospilgrim, moonyprof and a bunch of other folks from the tribe there!