News & Notes

*This week marks the inaugural issue of Stone Telling, the magazine of boundary-crossing speculative poetry. Rose Lemberg has done a great job of seeking diverse voices for this issue. It’s full of excellent work, including some queer content.

*Tomorrow, the 18th, Connie Wilkins (AKA Sacchi Green) will be reading at the Strange Horizons fundraiser reading event at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I’ll also be there as a member of the audience. Do say hello if you see me (I’ve got blue hair, so I’m hard to miss). If you’re on the other side of the country, there’s another Strange Horizons reading with some West Coast authors in Portland, Oregon on Sunday the 19th.

*Bookview Cafe has just released a charity anthology to benefit Gulf Coast oil spill relief efforts. Breaking Waves is available as an e-book for $4.99, and includes a story by Sandra McDonald.

Interview with Bill Tucker

Bill Tucker works as a civil servant with law enforcement officials by day, and writes and edits speculative fiction by night. He grew up in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, but now lives in Boston,  Massachusetts. He’s currently seeking stories for an anthology of LGBTQI science fiction and fantasy. Rockets, Swords, and Rainbows is open to submissions until the 21st of November, and will be published by The Library of Fantasy and Science Fiction (an imprint of The Library of the Living Dead).

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OA: You do a lot of work with The Library of the Living Dead. You wrote one of the letters in Letters from the Dead, and you edited another anthology of zombie stories (The Zombist: Undead Western Tales) for them. What is it about zombies that has so much appeal?

BT: I think zombies are scary and appeal to me for many reasons. I like the apocalyptic nature of zombie stories and the human reaction to them. Zombies are a great metaphors on human nature as it is people who become zombies. They are monsters that are not necessarily supernatural and can grow in numbers like a virus.

OA: Submissions for Rockets, Swords, and Rainbows are open until the 21st of November. What kinds of stories are you hoping to receive? Any things you’re tired of, or would prefer not to see?

BT: I am keeping my mind open to everything… Though romance is fine, I am not looking for extreme erotic stories. Even as submissions are coming in I already have an artist named Ken Cain working on the cover and it looks fantastic so far. It is a celebration to LGBTQ science fiction and fantasy.

OA: What made you decide to put together an LGBTQ themed anthology in the first place? Do you have a personal interest in LGBTQ topics?

BT: As a gay man I enjoy and want to read more LGBTQ fiction – especially sci fi, fantasty, and horror fiction. I believe there is a large readership who wants this type of book and that there is a need to not only have the work of LGBTQ writers represented, but to expose society to LBGTQ ficiton in general.

OA: Other than Rockets, Swords, and Rainbows, do you have any projects out now or coming out in the near future?

BT: There are two books that I expect to come out in the near future. The first is Doomology : The Dawning of Disasters, which I co-edited with Wayne Goodchild. The book includes 23 stories about disaster and apocalyptic events from different perspectives. This book is also being released under the Library of Science Fiction and Fantasy and will be a great read for science fiction fans. The second book is Zombiality : A Queer Bent On The Undead. This book includes 28 stories that blend the zombie and glbt genres in a way that has never been done before. Not only do the stories range in their take of GLBT themes, but also on what zombies are. I believe that this book will appeal to a diverse audience and I am very excited about its release.

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Thanks, Bill! That’s it for this week. If you have any news about publications, events, or anything else related to LGBTQI speculative fiction that you’d like to see featured in the Spotlight, please let me know by leaving a comment, or talking to me on Twitter.

Shelf Check is a webcomic set in a public library that frequently touches on GLBTQ issues – see for example the strip on ‘transgender’ in the Library of Congress subject headings and a recent blog post asking “As a GLBTQ library patron, I feel welcomed when…” [complete the sentence].

Politics
Got an iPhone? You can now use it to sign a petition to repeal Proposition 8 in California. Sign the petition at http://restoreequality2010.com/ipod.htm or signal boost this article about it.

Benjamin Solah writes about a protest for same-sex marriage in Melbourne.

Kei Kei has created a sourced timeline of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

And of course, remember to Queer the Census!

For more regular linkdumps, please let me know of any interesting links in comments, by email, on the Outer Alliance forum or bookmark them on delicious or diigo with tag “outeralliancelinks“.

Books and bookstores

After 35 Years, Lambda Rising [bookstore] to Close (that is, in the January that’s just been).

Chris / M-Brane SF  reviews Wired Hard 4, an anthology of m/m erotica “packed with terrific speculative fiction”.

The Science Fiction for Lesbians Website “is a list of science fiction books with lesbian characters or by lesbian authors” (specifically excluding fantasy). The site is divided into categories for:

• Lesbian Authors
• Lesbian/Bi Female Characters
• Female/Gay Dominated Worlds
• Other Books of Interest

Politics and religion

Chris / M-Brane SF writes that [Senator Inhofe (R-OK)] needs to be removed from office regarding his involvement in Uganda and its anti-gay laws.

News worth celebrating: Fiji’s new decree says gay sex is now legal. The article quotes (among others) Christian church ministers both for and against the law change, and so I segue neatly into an essay describing the way Jesus affirmed a gay couple (from the Would Jesus Discriminate? collection extracted from The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships by gay Christians Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley).

For more regular linkdumps, please let me know of any interesting links in comments, by email, on the Outer Alliance forum or bookmark them on delicious or diigo with tag “outeralliancelinks“.

Lynn began writing as a child, and got serious about her craft when she was in college. She worked writing advertising copy and as a freelance journalist until she sold her first novel, Luck in the Shadows in 1995. Since then, Lynn has been writing fiction full time. The first three volumes Nightrunner series have recently been optioned for film by C-Squared Pictures, and C-Squared have stated their intentions to preserve the gay relationship between Lynn’s main characters in the film adaptations. The 4th book in the series, Shadows Return, is out now, and the fifth book, The White Road, will be available in May of 2010, just in time for the writing workshop cruise Lynn is leading in the Caribbean.

Although she is in a committed and loving relationship with a man, Lynn is glad to be an ally, and says that she would be very open minded about possible mates if she were (by some disaster) to find herself single again.  In addition to supporting LGBTQI rights, Lynn supports women’s rights and human rights. She is particularly interested in the International Campaign for Tibet, and the humanitarian work of Thich Nhat Hahn.

Lynn’s cruise workshop is open for reservations now, and she’ll also be reading at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego on Saturday the 17th of October, 2009.

Your Nightrunner series features a gay couple, Alec and Seregil. What drew you to tell their story, and how many books are you planning to write with them?

When I was dreaming up the first Nightrunner book back in the 1980s, the character Seregil was the first to show up. I wanted a ‘nonstandard’ hero, someone different from the more common big, strong, plowboy turned swordsman or magician. So I made Seregil into a sneaky rogue and a spy, based loosely on characters like the Scarlet Pimpernel, Scaramouch, Robin Hood, Odysseus, and in particular, Sherlock Holmes. He is an exile, and outsider, too, and as I worked on that, it occurred to me that I’d never seen a gay fantasy hero. Most of the gay characters I’d seen at that point in film and books were secondary characters, villains, or victims. I’d discovered  Mary Renault’s books by then, but I hadn’t seen one openly gay character take center stage in fantasy. That seemed like a worthy challenge. I remember going on some Yahoo writers’ board at the time and asking if people thought a gay fantasy hero would sell. I got a lot of positive response.  Once the idea took hold, I couldn’t imagine Seregil any other way. I wanted to handle it the way I would with a straight character—an important part of who he is and how he functions in society, but not the sum of he is. I also created a culture where homosexuality is more accepted, if not universally so. Religious and regional differences do exist in my world, not always friendly. For that matter, not all queer characters are saints in my world, either. Of course, Seregil is actually bi, but with strong gay leanings. He’s very good natured about sex, doesn’t take it seriously—we find out why as the series goes on—until Alec shows up, and has a string of nobles and high class prostitutes he’s slept with and remained friends.

So Seregil is the experienced, self aware character. Alec, who was originally never intended as more than a Watson to Seregil’s Holmes, developed as I wrote him. By the end of the first book I knew there would be a relationship there, but it was nothing that could be rushed or taken lightly. Seregil is Alec’s first love, and just happens to be male, something for which Alec is not really prepared, given his upbringing. So I let it develop slowly, a thread woven into the larger tapestry of the adventures. When the moment of revelation does come, it’s right, or so I’m told. Once established, they are a solid couple, and equal partners. And they are still heroes. In the thick of a battle, they trust each other to take care of themselves, rather than always fretting about whether their lover is OK. When one of them does get hurt, of course, it’s a big deal, but I didn’t want love to emasculate them, either. They are heroes first and foremost. To some extent, I suppose I modeled that on the famous paired warrior lovers of the Theban band, who would rather die bravely than disgrace their lover with cowardice. But they are also imperfect, as people tend to be. Seregil can be a bit thick and insensitive at times, and Alec has a little jealous streak. But how is a boy to feel when the first great love of his life has slept with half the population of two lands, including the queen’s twin brother? A bit of an overstatement, perhaps, but it is a problem.

As for how many books I write about them, there are now four in print, with number five, The White Road, coming out in May 2010, and two more under contract. After that? We’ll see.

Have you encountered any difficulty with publishers or readers on account of the queer content in your books?

Surprisingly little. My agent and editor have been 100% supportive of both the Nightrunner Series, and the Tamir Triad, which deals more deeply with concepts of gender and identity. I’ve had tons of positive feedback from queer and straight readers, far less negative mail, but that’s only the people who take the time to write. I have had people tell me that they enjoyed the series until “all that gay stuff started” and that they wouldn’t be reading any more of my books. Has that element hurt sales? Probably? Do I regret it? Not at all. Sure, I’d love to be a best selling author, but it’s more important for me to write the books I want to write. Given that the first three books have just been optioned by a film company, however, I’m feeling pretty chuffed.

You’ll be teaching a writing workshop on a cruise in the Spring of 2010. Can you tell us a bit more about it? How many writers are you expecting to have, and what sort of lessons will they get? And how did you get the idea for a workshop cruise in the first place?

I was doing a book signing last year when I was approached by a travel agent, who proposed the “seminar at sea” idea. He arranges these themed cruises and thought a writing cruise would be a draw. He’s arranging everything and handling all the reservations. All I have to do is show up, teach, and be pampered. He gave me a tour of a similar ship a few weeks ago. Wow! I had no idea what cruise ships are like. These things are floating palaces, and so much is covered in the price, including meals. There are amazing restaurants, an adults only pool, whirlpools cantilevered over the side of the ship, spas, climbing walls, discos, a casino, innumerable bars, duty free shops, quiet spaces to retreat to when it all gets too overwhelming . . .  I was dazzled.  The chambermaids make your towels into animal shapes each day. How cool is that? The actual ship I’ll on, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, is the largest cruise ship in the world.  We’ll sail from Canaveral and make stops in Cococay, Bahamas;  Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The classes will be held on the days we’re at sea. You can find more details at:  http://www.connectiontocruise.com/cruises/offerdetail.asp?priceid=1612862&sid=11239

We’ve set a cap of 50 students and I’ll be doing a mix of lecture and hands-on writing exercises. Regardless of the size of the group, I’ll be having lots of face time with the students in class, at dinner, and in several evening open reading salons. I’ll be covering specific topics, from character and plot development to publishing, and should be able to work at a number of levels, depending on the experience of the students. This is intended to be an intensive, nuts and bolts writing class, and a chance to have access to someone working in the field. I do a lot of Q&A. I intend to cover a specific topic in a session, then leave them with a writing prompt, which they will work on during the afternoon, and present at the salon, or in class the next day. It won’t be a static, sit and take notes experience. There will be lots of interaction.

You identify with otters so much that you even have a page devoted to them on your website. What are your most otter-like qualities? Top three, let’s say.

1. I mate for life (and I’m more faithful than an otter).
2. I adore playing with my kids and family.
3. I love to eat raw fish and have been known to bash sea urchins open with a rock.

Aside from your own creations, who’s your favorite fictional LGBTQI character or couple, and what do you love about them?

It’s not terribly original, but I adore Maurice and Alec Scudder in E.M. Forster’s novel Maurice.  That book captures the essence of the times through the strangled relationship between Maurice and his social equal, Clive, then breaks all bounds of propriety and class when poor, confused Maurice succumbs to the advances of the gamekeeper’s son, Alec, and ultimately claims his own identity and runs away with him. Clive is so icy, so self hating, hardly able to touch hands; Alec, a Bacchus-like figure, sets up a gorgeous little assignation nest in the boathouse and climbs in through windows. The contrast is brilliant, and for once, the reader gets a happy ending!  Merchant Ivory did a nice job with the movie, too. I’m a sucker for a costume drama.

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Thanks, Lynn! We’ll have another Spotlight post next Friday. In the meantime, why not check out Lynn’s books, or sign up for her cruise?

Just got this. It looks like a great opportunity for queer writers of all stripes and persuasions to meet, drink some free wine, eat some fab free food, chat–and even sell books. Think of it as a mini-festival. I wish I could be there.

Dear LGBT authors:

The Board of Directors of the Lambda Literary Foundation and Ed Hermance, owner of Giovanni’s Room, would like to invite you to read at our first “Read-a-thon”. The event, to be held at 7:30pm on Saturday November 21, 2009, at Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia, will be a benefit for both the Foundation and the bookstore. We’d like to invite LGBT authors to read from a recent or classic book and answer questions for approximately 15 minutes each. 100% of the proceeds from the event will go to the two beneficiaries. We will be serving donated wine and snacks during the marathon reading. While the foundation and the bookstore can’t offset any expenses authors might incur participating in this benefit, we can possibly arrange housing in local homes. Both the Foundation and Giovanni’s Room will be very grateful for your help in these trying economic times. While this is a fundraising event, we’re hoping it will be a lot of fun for a community of people who treasure our words and writers.

The Lambda Literary Foundation is dedicated to raising the status of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people throughout society by rewarding and promoting excellence among LGBT writers who use their work to explore LGBT lives. The Foundation sponsors the annual Lambda Literary Awards and held its first Writer’s Retreat in 2007.

Giovanni’s Room, located at 12th & Pine in Center City Philadelphia, is the oldest LGBT bookstore in the USA. The store is faced with a financial challenge as their front wall of their historic structure is being replaced. The queer community of Philadelphia, rather than lose their cherished bookstore, is organizing fund-raising events through the fall to ensure the store’s survival.

We hope that we’ve enticed you to participate at this, sure to be wonderful, event. If you would like to read, or have any questions/comments/suggestions, please contact Scott Cranin at scranin@tlavideo.com or 267-765-9840.