Hey folks, sorry I forgot to give this to Cynthia in time for her
weekly events post, but I'm going to be doing a reading and panel this Saturday as part of the San Francisco Litquake festival.

The event is called "Color Me SF," (SF here meaning "speculative
fiction") and is a benefit for the Octavia E. Butler Memorial
Scholarship, which sends up to two writers of color every year to the
Clarion summer writers workshops. I'm on the board of the Carl Brandon
Society, the organization that administers the Scholarship, and we've
so far sent at least three Asian American writers to Clarion (I say "at
least" because we don't require applicants to specify their flavah.)

(The Carl Brandon Society, by the way, is an organization for people of color in the speculative fiction fields. Besides the Scholarship, we also do annual book awards, recommended reading lists for the ethnic heritage months, and wiki of writers of color in the genres. Check it out.)

The event honors Octavia E. Butler--a giant in the SF writing field and the first SF writer to win a MacArthur "genius" award--who died three and a half years ago. She got her start in the Clarion workshop, and taught frequently at both Clarion workshops to pass on the love. We'll be talking about her impact and legacy, and reading work inspired by her.

INFO:
Variety Preview Room Theatre
582 Market Street, First Floor, San Francisco
(415)572-1015
Admission: $5 at the door

Those of you who love science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical
realism, et al, should come on down and check the event out. San
Francisco's own fabulous black-lesbian-vampire-novelist Jewelle Gomez
will be reading, and the panel will be moderated by SF great Terry
Bisson. Since the event is presented by SF in SF and Tachyon Press, all the local
geek luminaries will be there.

And let me just get one more plug in here: PLEASE consider applying to
one of the Clarion workshops if you are a writer with a bit of
unreality in your step. There are two: Clarion and Clarion West, and
they are each six weeks of writing crucible/bootcamp. I went to Clarion West in 2003
and it was an amazing experience. And now, with the Scholarship, which
pays tuition, room, and board, you have no excuse not to go! They begin accepting applications in January and December, respectively.