As early as 1973, female hotshots were fighting fires in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. I went down a research rabbit hole last weekend! I was participating in the NYCMidnight Short Story Contest and was assigned the genre Historical Fiction, and my character had to be a crewman. I didn't feel like writing about a ship's crew, … Continue reading Research Rabbit Hole: Female Hotshot Firefighters in 1973
My Balticon 54 Panels
My first time as a panelist at a convention approaches! Balticon 54 will be online this year, and it is this coming weekend, 22-25 May 2020! Panels will be held and streamed entirely online via Zoom, Discord, Youtube, Twitch, and Second Life (I didn't realize anyone still used SL!). I love Balticon, and I'm very … Continue reading My Balticon 54 Panels
Publication: Star Wars Essay!
My first essay about Star Wars has been formally published and I am SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!! My essay, "Mara Jade, Frontier Woman: Agency in Star Wars and Influencing the Transmedia Franchise", was included in an awesome collection called Women's Space: Essays on Female Characters in the 21st Century Science Fiction Western that just came … Continue reading Publication: Star Wars Essay!
Review: Fen Stories
Fen Stories (by Daisy Johnson) = 4/5 Daisy Johnson's debut book, Fen Stories, is a marvelous collection of weird magical realism inspired by England's fenlands. Johnson's prose is intense and passionate, and it yanks you into each story as if you were swimming and someone suddenly reached up from below and pulled you under the … Continue reading Review: Fen Stories
Review: The Keeper of Isis Light
The Keeper of Isis Light (by Monica Hughes) = 4/5 The Keeper of Isis Light (KIL) introduces readers to Olwen, an orphaned teenage girl who has been raised by the Guardian in solitude on the remote, colonial outpost planet Isis. She loves to explore the planet, reveling in climbing mountains and playing with her pet … Continue reading Review: The Keeper of Isis Light
Review: Protector of the Small Quartet
Protector of the Small Quartet (First Test, Page, Squire, and Lady Knight) by Tamora Pierce = 4/5 [Yes, you read that correctly, this is a review for 4 books at once.] The Protector of the Small Quartet (PSQ) tells the story of Keladry of Mindalen, a noble-born girl living in the fantasy realm of Tortall … Continue reading Review: Protector of the Small Quartet
Review: Equal Rites
Equal Rites = 4/5 I read Equal Rites (by Terry Pratchett) for the first time at least a decade ago, and I remember being distinctly impressed by the spunky protagonist, Eskarina, and how she defied social customs to become the first female wizard of Discworld. Upon rereading Pratchett's third Discworld novel, I was actually more … Continue reading Review: Equal Rites
Review: The Feminist Geek Revolution
The Feminist Geek Revolution = 5/5. Kameron Hurley's writing in this 2016 essay collection is honest and blunt, but not gratuitously so--it's more of an honest, respectful conversation about her observations of the writing industry, geek/nerd culture, her own life, and social issues. Hurley's style is very engaging. For every essay (some of them have … Continue reading Review: The Feminist Geek Revolution
MOLO WRITES 