Fred Duarte Honored with Grant to DisCon III’s Capitalize! Fund

Here is the key information that came out of DisCon III’s publicity webinar today.

DUARTE HONORED. The legacy of the late Fred Duarte, a LoneStarCon 2 (1997) Vice-Chair, has been remembered with a grant to DisCon III’s Capitalize! Fan Fund, which is helping fans, staff, and program participants from marginalized communities to attend this year’s Worldcon.  

DisCon III chair Mary Robinette Kowal announced that, working with the board of ALAMO, Inc., the 501(c)(3) corporation that hosted LoneStarCon 2, Capitalize! has received a $3,000 grant that commemorates Duarte’s work for fandom.

Kowal also repeated the correction to a DisCon III press release about their newly-appointed Vice-Chairs that mistakenly overlooked that Duarte was the first Latinx person in that position. She added, “I come out of live theater and we have the saying that ‘If you can’t fix it, feature it,’ and we cannot fix the mistake that we made, but we can feature it by using that error as an opportunity as a platform, to make more people aware of Fred’s legacy and to help us bring more people to Worldcon who deserve to be there. We’re also going to be having some more information about him in our program book so that more people know who he was and the amazing work that he did for fandom.”

OPENING AND CLOSING CEREMONIES. DisCon III’s Opening Ceremonies will be hosted by Ulysses Campbell, a creator with a local DC television show Fantastic Forum, which digs into different aspects of science fiction and fantasy media. The Worldcon will be able to showcase DC talent as well as the area’s connection to science fiction and fantasy.

Closing ceremonies will feature Raks Geek, a company that does flow arts and belly dance, in cosplay. They’re a Chicago-based group, and their performance will symbolize the transition to next year’s Worldcon in Chicago.

A FAN-RUN CON. Kowal emphasized that in contrast to corporate-run conventions the Worldcon is entirely fan run. Everybody is a volunteer.

She was joined on the webinar by two of those volunteers, her Vice-Chairs, Marguerite Smith from Ireland, and Lauren Raye Snow from Texas. Smith is helping lead the preplanning for a Dublin in 2029 Worldcon bid. Lauren Raye Snow explained her entry point to Worldcons was as a Mexicanx Intiative selectee attending WorldCon 76 in San Jose (2018).

COVID POLICY. A question about DisCon III’s Covid policy was responded to with a reminder that the con has a COVID Policy webpage with full information. A high level overview of that policy is that two things are mandatory: they require proof of vaccination, and masks must be worn. Something recommended in addition is downloading and installing the DC Covid tracker app that periodically checks all the random IDs associated with positive COVID-19 cases against its own list and If there’s a match, the user will receive a COVID-19 exposure notification, with further instructions from DC Health on how to keep themselves and the people around them safe.

Another thing the con has done is purchase clear masks, in order to make sure that while panelists’ faces are covered, anyone who needs to see their lips for lip reading can do that.

DisCon III is also modifying the con suite into a grab-and-go area, repurposing one of the larger rooms to be a sitting area where people can take their food. It’s a designated eating area. The room is very large and it has good air circulation, and people can spread out a little bit more.

WEISSKOPF DECISION REVISITED. Curt Phillips, recalling that Toni Weisskopf was removed as a DisCon III Guest of Honor earlier this year by the previous chair, asked whether the current administration had considered reversing that decision and reinviting Toni, or would reconsider it?

Mary Robinette Kowal answered: “I know that it absolutely broke the former chair’s heart when making the decision to reverse that invitation. And I don’t see any reason to second guess what was a very long and difficult conversation. So I’m going to trust his judgment and let that decision stand.”

INVITATION EXTENDED. Kowal closed the session saying that it’s important the Worldcon is hosted in different places: “It’s a great event. All of us who are volunteers are here because we love it. We want other people to love it too. I want people to come to this Worldcon and think not just, ah, I went to the 2021 Worldcon, but that they experienced the DC Worldcon. If you are familiar with wine, there’s a sense of territory, that the place that grapes are grown influences the wine. And even though none of us are speaking to you from DC, we have so many in DC volunteers and creators involved in it. I want you to come. I want you to experience DC, and I want you to experience the wonder of science fiction and fantasy.”

DisCon III Names Two Vice Chairs

DisCon III has announced Marguerite Smith and Lauren Raye Snow will join the 2021 Worldcon team as Vice Chairs.  

Lauren Raye Snow is a designer, illustrator, and arts activist from South Texas. During the course of her career, she has served as Creative Director for multiple nonprofits and mission-driven campaigns. Snow’s professional website is Raye Draws. She was a Mexicanx Intiative selectee and attended WorldCon 76 in San Jose (August 2018). She wrote the statement presented by the group (quoted below). She also attended Dublin 2019. She is currently Art Director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). She will be the first Latinx to serve as a Worldcon Vice Chair.

Marguerite Smith returns to DisCon III in a different capacity after having departed in June as WSFS Deputy Division Head when Nicholas Whyte and the entire Hugo Administration Team resigned

Smith, who volunteered at her first Worldcon, Interaction (Glasgow, 2005) is now part of the Glasgow in 2024 Worldcon bid, hoping to bring the city its third Worldcon. She was on the Valley Forge in 2017 NASfiC bid committee, worked on the Worldcon’s YA Award Study Committee, and received a CanSMOF scholarship to attend SMOFcon 36 (2018). She joined the Dublin 2019 Worldcon team in 2016 as a volunteer, was soon advanced to Deputy Division head and then onto Division Head for Promotions. She served as WSFS Deputy Division Head for ConZealand in 2020. At this year’s Eastercon, Smith was a participant on the “Managing the Crisis” panel about how to manage con-related crises in an age of instantaneous, fast-moving social media.

“We are fortunate to have Marguerite and Lauren as Vice Chairs. Marguerite will be responsible for the mechanical aspects of the convention, such as logistics and back of house operations, and Lauren will focus on the aesthetics and everything in the front of house,” said Mary Robinette Kowal, Chair of DisCon III. “They each bring a unique set of talents and skills that will help make DisCon III a success.”

DisCon III will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, on December 15-19, 2021.

[Includes information from a press release.]

SFWA Names New Managing Editor, Art Director, and Volunteer Coordinator

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has added three staff members: Kevin Wabaunsee has been named as the new SFWA Managing Editor, Lauren Raye Snow has been named as the new SFWA Art Director, and Beth Dawkins has been named the new SFWA Volunteer Coordinator.

The Managing Editor will support the Editor-in-Chief in overseeing the reorganization and production of SFWA’s publications and communications channels. The Art Director will oversee all visual aspects of SFWA, including graphics, branding, and design. The Volunteer Coordinator will work across the organization to ensure that members who want to offer their time and services are placed where they are needed most.

Kevin Wabaunsee

Wabaunsee is a speculative fiction writer and editor. He is a Prairie Band Potawatomi, a Chicagoan, and a former newspaper reporter. Wabaunsee is a graduate of the Viable Paradise workshop and an associate editor at Escape Pod. His short fiction has been published by Strange Horizons, Escape Pod, and PseudoPod. In addition to his SF/F work, Wabaunsee has more than 10 years of experience as an editor, publications manager, and communications director, primarily working in higher education and research communications.

SFWA President, Mary Robinette Kowal said, “I’m not sure that I’ve ever met a more organized, soothing person as Kevin. Watching processes come into place that make SFWA’s communication more efficient has been wonderful.”

As Managing Editor, Wabaunsee will assist Editor-in-Chief Michi Trota in providing oversight and executing production of the SFWA publications and communications that help shape and maintain the organization’s reputation. This critical position is responsible to help facilitate SFWA’s goals and mission statement of informing, supporting, promoting, defending and advocating for its members.

“I’ve long admired SFWA and the work it does on behalf of the science-fiction and fantasy community. I’m thrilled at the opportunity to join Michi Trota, Mary Robinette Kowal, and SFWA’s board and staff in helping to produce SFWA’s publications and sharing them with the world,” Wabaunsee said.

Lauren Raye Snow

Snow is a designer, illustrator, and arts activist from South Texas. Over the course of her career, she has served as Creative Director for multiple nonprofits and justice movement campaigns. In her personal work, she is inspired by the Symbolists and the Pre-Raphaelites, by the Catholic and Indigenous religious icons of her native South Texas, as well as speculative works of wonder, horror, romance, and beauty in literature and music.

“I have long wanted to have an art director for SFWA to create a cohesive look to the organization’s publications and web presences. Earlier this year, I had asked John Picacio, for a recommendation for a volunteer to do some graphic work for the Nebulas conference. In the first meeting with Lauren, I knew that we had found someone exceptional. When I proposed expanding her role to art director, everyone on the team gave an enthusiastic ‘yes’.” Kowal says.

As Art Director, Snow will provide direction and coordination regarding graphics, art, and other visual elements among SFWA’s multiple channels and content streams. This new position will help strengthen SFWA’s visual cohesiveness.

“I am delighted to serve as SFWA’s new Art Director,” Snow says. “My love for genre fiction runs deep. My father, himself an astronomer by trade and lifelong genre fan, read me Tolkien at bedtime; I spent many an afternoon wandering the halls of the offices of the Planetarium where he worked, marveling at the glowing murals of constellations and playing with his large plastic replica of Ridley Scott’s Alien. To take on the role of Art Director for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America is a dream come true. I can’t wait to work with the SFWA team to bring some fantastical beauty into being.”

Beth Dawkins

Dawkins is a long-time volunteer for SFWA herself, working with the organization at Nebula Conferences and Worldcons, as well as helping out behind the scenes. Her fiction has been published in Flame Tree’s Heroic Fantasy Short Stories, Apex Magazine, If This Goes On, and Analog. She lives in Northeast GA with her partner and two dogs.

“The strength of any service organization comes from its volunteers. SFWA has no shortage of people in the community who want to help. To link them to the work, we needed someone who was organized and responsive to a constantly changing landscape. Beth Dawkins has been doing tireless work matching volunteers to opportunities and we are very fortunate to have her.” said Kowal.

As Volunteer Coordinator, Dawkins will work with members throughout the organization to catalog the need for volunteers and to match up potential volunteers with the jobs and tasks that need to be done. SFWA runs on its volunteers and Dawkins will ensure that it can continue to function and grow.

“I have always believed in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It is a pleasure to connect people with one another and continue to help grow our community,” Dawkins said.

[Based on a press release.]