con_or_bust

I am pleased to announce that Chicon 7, this year's Worldcon, has donated two memberships to Con or Bust. It takes place August 30-September 3, 2012 in Chicago. The list of guests: Guests of Honor: Mike Resnick, author; Story Musgrave, astronaut; Rowena Morrill, artist; Jane Frank, agent; Peggy Rae Sapienza, fan. Toastmaster: John Scalzi. Special Guest: Sy Liebergot.

Requests for assistance to attend Chicon, Readercon (which donated three memberships), and other SFF cons that take place in July, August, and September are being taken now through May 25; please see this link for details.

From now through May 25, Con or Bust is accepting requests from fans of color/non-white fans for assistance to attend SFF cons in July, August, or September. Please see this post for details.

I am also pleased to announce that Readercon has donated three memberships. It takes place from July 12-15, 2012, in Burlington, Massachusetts; its Guests of Honor are Peter Straub & Caitlín R. Kiernan, and its Memorial Guest of Honor is Shirley Jackson.

The period to request assistance for cons starting in July, August, or September will be from May 15-25. Instructions, as always, are here.

One substantive update: I have been advised that people are sometimes hesitant to request donated memberships because they fear it will later disqualify them from receiving monetary assistance. I have accordingly revised the instructions and the request form to make receiving only a membership to be a last-resort tie-breaker, which means it should only very rarely affect the priority of a person's request for assistance. To put it another way: donated memberships don't cost Con or Bust money, so I want people to use them!

Finally, I would like suggestions of cons in July, August, and September that aren't on Locus' list, to contact about supporting Con or Bust through donations and spreading the word.

Thanks for your help!

Separately from the usual assistance process, the following con memberships have been donated to Con or Bust to help fans of color/non-white fans:

Three memberships to Lunacon, March 16-18 in Rye Brook, NY (two from the con and one from an individual). Its guests are: Author Guest of Honor: John Ringo; Artist Guest of Honor: Howard Tayler; YA Writer Guest of Honor: Tamora Pierce; Gaming Guests of Honor: Andy & Kristin Looney.

Two memberships to Odyssey Con, April 20-22 in Madison WI (donated by the con); its Guests of Honor are Larry Niven, Steven Barnes and Kenneth Hite.

Two memberships to Balticon, May 25-28 in Baltimore MD (donated by the con). Guests: Guest of Honor: Jody Lynn Nye; Artist Guest of Honor: Jim Odbert; Music/Filk Guests of Honor: Heather Dale and Ben Deschamps; Science Guest of Honor: Dr. William D. Phillips Laureate, The Nobel Prize in Physics 1997. (Personal note: I've heard Dr. Phillips speak and he's terrific. Also, my husband did his PhD with his group.)

Important: please use the form at this link, not the usual link, to request the donated memberships. These will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

Please spread the word that these are available!

Hi all,

Between the auction winning bids and individual donations, the current total for this year's fundraiser stands at $10,420.33. That's less than the $12,000 that was our goal, but I don't want to sound ungrateful for all the generosity and effort everyone has shown: it's more than last year, which is great, especially considering that the auction was a bit earlier than usual.

People can still, of course, buy T-shirts or make simple donations to support Con or Bust. And don't forget to pay for your auction winnings! (If you've lost track of what you were bidding on, you can always ask me and I'll check my giant spreadsheet.)

Thanks again to everyone who signal-boosted, bid, offered items, made donations, or offered suggestions and support.

Bidding is now closed. Here's what comes next:

If you were bidding on an auction,

0. You may, but are not required to, request confirmation that you are the winner. Generally speaking, this should not be necessary. However, if you have doubts or want to be extra-sure, leave a comment and I or the seller will respond.
1. Pay for what you've won. Click on the button below, enter the amount, and click "Update total." Then pay by logging in to PayPal or through a credit card (you do not need a PayPal account):
   

   On the "review your donation" screen, click "Add special instructions to the seller" and indicate the seller & item. (Or items; feel free to combine payment for multiple auctions.) If you can't fit all the information in that field, just note that you'll e-mail with the details, and forward your receipt & the auction information to knepveu@steelypips.org. This way I don't annoy you and embarrass myself by hounding you for payment. (You don't need to forward the receipt otherwise.)

2. Forward your receipt to the seller, whose e-mail address is in the auction post. If you're concerned about privacy and don't need something shipped to you, you can redact your address, or you can ask me to confirm to the seller that you've paid. (If I'm listed as the contact, there's no need for you to forward the receipt.)
3. You and the seller will then work out any details necessary for you to receive your winnings.
4. If there is a problem that you are unable to resolve, contact me.

If you were offering something in the auction,

0. You may, but are not required to, comment to tell people that they've won.
1. Look for e-mail from your winner confirming that they've paid.
2. Reply to the winner to work out any details necessary or to let them know you're fulfilling their auction.
3. If you haven't heard from your winner or if there is a problem that you are unable to resolve, contact me.

(Contact me = e-mail knepveu at steelypips dot org with "Con or Bust" in the subject.)

Unhappy baby says, help Con or Bust meet its goal so we can sleep better at night!

Item Name & Description: The Bodleian Game is a board game commissioned by Oxford's Bodleian Library back in 1988. It was designed for them by Sara Finch and Leslie Scott, the latter of whom designed Jenga (the two of them did various other titles as Oxford Games).

( Cut for lengthy description )

The game was sold by the Bodleian for a while, but not for many years now, and as one might expect it is extremely hard to find a copy in the US.

The box has minor scuffing. The contents are in fine shape, with only a few record sheets used. The box inserts (scored cardboard which is supposed to hold the cards) have fallen apart a bit (the cards are bagged).

Starting Bid: $100, since it's just a few hours until the end

Notes: I will mail the game within a few days after payment notification. I will require additional payment to mail it outside the US (and it will probably cost a lot, I'm afraid).

E-mail: tool at panix dot com

Bidding is now open and ends Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. How to bid.

Item Name & Description: new signed paperback and shipping to place of your choice

Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games

Author: Valerie Estelle Frankel

Release Date: February 2012

Category: Juvenile Nonfiction / Literary Criticism & Collections

Who was Cinna? What do the hawthorn and primrose symbolize? Or President Snow’s garden and Peeta’s bread? What about Katniss’s last name? Bringing details from myths, herbal guides, military histories, and the classics, English professor and award-winning pop culture author Valerie Estelle Frankel sheds light on the deeper meanings behind Panem’s heroes and villains in this hottest of YA trilogies. In her series, Collins not only weaves a heroic tale of deep complexity but harnesses the power of Shakespeare and Rome to retell an ancient epic of betrayal, violence, and glory on the stage of an apocalyptic future.

From Alma Coin to Wiress you’ll learn about

• Why roses are a flower of death
• Peeta’s pearl and Katniss’s salvation
• How eighteen of the characters are used in Shakespeare’s plays
• Katniss’s nickname Catnip
• Effie the saint and Finnick the Irish hero
• The meaning of “The Hanging Tree”

Starting Bid: 2.99

Notes: Happy to ship this one right away, signed by the author and personalized however you wish. Makes a great gift!

E-mail: valerie @ calithwain.com

Bidding is now open and ends Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. How to bid.

Item Name & Description: One 300 pg paperback book, autographed and personalized if desired, and shipped straight to you.

Many are familiar with Joseph Campbell's theory of the hero's journey, the idea that every man from Moses to Hercules grows to adulthood while battling his alter-ego. This book explores the universal heroine's journey as she quests through world myth. Numerous stories from cultures as varied as Chile and Vietnam reveal heroines who battle for safety and identity, thereby upsetting popular notions of the passive, gentle heroine. Only after she has defeated her dark side and reintegrated can the heroine become the bestower of wisdom, the protecting queen and arch-crone.

A wonderful book for anyone who writes about women, especially fantasy



Ever since I used Christopher Vogler's The Hero's Journey to plot my first novel, I have wanted this book. I sensed that my heroine's journey didn't quite fit the outline, and now Valerie Frankel shows why.
--Monterey Bay RWA Monarch News

Frankel's book is so enthusiastically written, so thoroughly researched, and so articulately argued that it leaves the reader anticipating each subsequent chapter, enjoying each exemplary tale, and longing for further discussion...Frankel's work could well claim a place as a key text for analysis of archetype and the heroine.
- Mythprint



Starting Bid: $15

Notes: I'll get it in the mail right away and am happy to personalize

E-mail: valerie @ calithwain.com

Bidding is now open and ends Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. How to bid.