The Annual Report clarion west writers workshop • 2019
Our Mission
We support emerging and underrepresented voices by providing writers with world-class instruction to empower their creation of wild and amazing worlds. Through conversation and public engagement, we bring those voices to an ever-expanding community.
I continue to be inspired by the Clarion no small part due to the dedication of our Executive West community — in Seattle and staff. In 2019, we said goodbye to Neile beyond. Over the past two years we’ve Graham, who has retired as our Workshop Director's been forced to say goodbye to some dear Director, but promises not to go too far. friends and are joining forces to help For 19 years, Neile has helped to ensure Message others through difficult times. The drain that our classes and workshops are high on our community has been telling. quality as well as warm and welcoming. But the way that everyone has come Her constant guiding light is going to together to support each other in love be missed. Taking over from her is Jae and loss is even more telling. Clarion Steinbacher, who has been training with West is surrounded by a caring family of Neile for the past two years and is already individuals with a shared passion. an integral part of the organization, with Perhaps sometimes it seems that their attention to detail and commitment telling stories, especially speculative to the success of the workshop. Please join fiction stories, is not as important as me in welcoming Jae to their new position, the work of other organizations and as well as welcoming several more of individuals during difficult times. But the our new staff, including Elly Bangs as wild and amazing stories that are told Database Specialist and Janna Silverstein by our alumni, and writers all over the as the Literary Contracts Manager for world, help readers everywhere to engage the copyrights of Vonda N. McIntyre. Marnee Chua with ideas in meaningful new ways. And, finally, we have two board members stepping down from their volunteer Executive Director We need these stories positions this year to join our staff. Vicki to provide an escape, to Saunders has already taken on the formal role of Communications and Art Director, challenge our views, and and Rashida J. Smith will be joining us as to test our critical thinking our next Workshop Administrator. about the world around us. Please read on to find our 2019 financial report, workshop report, and Clarion West has been able to create information about our sponsors and such a strong and thriving community, alumni. We thank you for your continued passionate about the craft of writing, in support.
The Annual Report | 2019 | Page 1 Photo: Jesse Stewart Summer 2019 2019 was an amazingly energetic year for In Students' Words the workshop, and we're proud to un- leash another class of 18 talented, smart, Workshop introspective, and truly wonderful writers upon the speculative scene. This year's Report class included a number of immigrants, both to the U.S. and to other countries. They brought with them stories of loss and tradition, of family and heritage — needed perspectives in the increasingly global world of publishing. Boundless This summer also served as Neile Graham's final in her tenure as Workshop Talent Director. Her warm nature and steady guidance will be greatly missed! Neile and Workshop Administrator Jae Steinbacher led the six-week workshop with support from Tegan Moore and classroom as- Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas recieves sistants Evan J. Peterson and Elly Bangs. the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholar- Despite moving to Oregon, Joe was back ship, presented by Eileen Gunn. again to serve up amazing dishes and boost students' morale, and Esther kept and publishers to how to write what you the house spick and span. Our volunteer want — and be successful doing it. She base helped with move-in and move-out; also discussed the young adult field, how provided support in the classroom; drove to develop an artist's statement, and how students to parties and other events; and best to write about identities outside one's set up, cleaned up, and populated those experience. parties! We couldn't do what we do As the students were beginning to eile raham N G (CW '96) without the help of so many, and we are tire at the fifth-week mark, editorial duo Workshop Director grateful to everyone who pitched in. Jack Dann and Jonathan Strahan stepped Elizabeth Hand, one of our seasoned in to infuse the classroom with energy, instructors, joined the class for a first week levity, and a buddy routine that was as of exercises to get them tuned up and ex- warm and humorous as it was effective at cited for writing complete stories. She put getting across their pro insights. They gave the group to work exploring emotionally the group the needed boost to push on charged pieces, worldbuilding techniques, through the final week ... and character motivation. … and Ann Leckie capped things off Stephen Graham Jones, another old with inspiring positivity. Another work- hand at the Clarion technique, swept in to shop alumna (Class of '05), Ann was well usher students through their first grueling aware of the sleep deficits and stress under set of stories and critiques. Between tales which the students were operating, and of the supernatural — and of the show she took the group in hand to make the Jae Steinbacher (CW '14) Supernatural — and his own publish- last week yet another success. With her ing experience, Stephen offered the class finishing touches, the class set off into the Workshop Administrator a wealth of writing tools and industry world on an exhausted but elated final knowledge. note. The third week was marked by first- Overall, a marvelous way to end time instructor Amal El-Mohtar's empa- the alchemical changes the workshop thetic and whimsical explorations of the effects on the students, the instructors, night brain, the poetic side of fiction writ- the workshop team, and our board and ing. With the students producing capable, volunteers year after year: with 18 new publishable work, she nudged them deeper beloved alumni poised to change the into the emotional core of their writing. speculative writing scene. We look forward Ibi Zoboi, an alumna of the workshop now, anticipating the new instructors, new (Class of '01, Neile's first!), also taught students, and new administrative team Jae for us for the first time, offering up her and Rashida J. Smith will lead in 2020 experience in the publishing field, from with their compassion and energy. What a what it takes to get the attention of agents wonderful year!
Page 2 | The aNNUAL rEPORT | 2019 In Students' Words
"I was amazed by "Clarion West was a life- "Clarion West is everything it professes
n e the Clarion West changing experience. to be: a crash course in craftsmanship; a d o community. Writing Never before have I wealth of opportunities and introductions; B
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boldly and think e single best opportunity to markedly them. And I have an n deeply during those improve your craft, to advance your ambitious set of goals I six weeks and beyond career, and to enjoy a wealth of believe myself to be capable them. I am better for it in unforgettable experiences. I couldn't of achieving, largely because of that kin- every way." — Kristina Ten recommend it more." — Derrick Boden ship." — EA Crawley photo: Elly Bangs
The Class of 2019 L to R, back row: Rosco Oz Lance, Gardner Thomas Mounce, Tim Chawaga, Phoebe Barton. Middle row: Celeste Rita Baker, Eugenia Triantafyllou, Kristiana Willsey, M. L. Krishnan, Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko, Monte Lin, Kristina Ten. Front row: Isha Karki, Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas, Minal Hajratwala, Millie Ho, C. S. Peterson, Ann Leckie (Week Six instructor), EA Crawley, Derrick Boden
The aNNUAL rEPORT | 2019 | Page 3 2019 Financial deposited into the investment brokerage Not only does this reflect Clarion West's account that Clarion West opened in 2010 values, we earn higher returns from this under the guidance of experienced inves- type of investing. Statement tor and board member Susan Gossman. Summary: At the end of 2019, Clarion Susan reports: West's combined brokerage, CDs, and sav- "I established the brokerage account ings accounts totaled $536,805. Together, with $1,000 transferred from savings. In these investments provide a significant the years following the establishment of opportunity for growth and capacity the brokerage account, we continued to re- building and to ensure the sustainability view our finances and transfer money from of our programs for years to come. We are savings when appropriate. By managing committed to expanding our programs and these funds wisely and through additional community outreach to support emerg- gifts of stock over the years, we had a total ing and underrepresented voices, and to of $73,955 in the brokerage account at the ensuring the paid staff time needed to do end of 2019. this. As we grow to meet our full accessi- "As the volunteer investment man- bility goal for the Six-Week Workshop in Miriah Hetherington ager, I focused on socially responsible 2021, which brings a dramatic increase in Treasurer investments, therefore, Clarion West did cost, we are extremely grateful for Vonda's not own shares in companies engaged in bequest and for the generous increase industries such as fossil fuel, gun manu- in donations and scholarships from our Thanks to the ongoing support and gener- facturers, or private prison companies. community. osity of donors, sponsors, and volunteers, we met — and exceeded — our fundrais- Jan – Dec 2019 Jan – Dec 2018 ing goals in 2019. This made it possible Revenue for Clarion West to provide high-quality education to speculative fiction writers and Corporate Contributions $15,606 $24,650 also assist over 80% of the 2019 Six-Week Individual Giving $29,106 $13,964 Summer Workshop students with full or Write-a-thon $23,448 $22,687 partial scholarships. Scholarships: In 2019, Clarion West GiveBIG $5,018 $6,977 received funding from our community and Speculative Fiction Trivia Night $3,659 - donors for two new 2020 scholarships to Grants $24,900 $2,760 the Six-Week Summer Workshop and a Six-Week Workshop Income limited number of One-Day Workshop participants. Scholarships $55,058 $45,125 Bequest: With the unexpected passing of Instructorships $26,200 $7,200 Vonda N. McIntyre, we lost a beloved co- founder, supporter, and inspiration. Vonda Six-Week Workshop Tuition & Fees $43,020 $47,830 $124,278 $100,155 left Clarion West a generous bequest Total Six-Week Workshop Income — the copyright to all of her published One-Day Workshop Income $16,000 $13,800 works to manage in perpetuity and an IRA Online Workshop Income $2,805 - investment account valued at $386,074 at the time of transfer. Women in Speculative Fiction Giving Circle $700 $1,077 Surplus Income: The surplus income Vonda N. McIntyre Literary Trust Income $847 - reflected in the 2019 Financial Statement Dividend & Interest Income $54 $229 is due to donations for two new scholar- Total Income $246,420 $186,299 ships to begin funding students in 2020, a donation for the Leslie Howle Fellowship Expenses to be distributed over five years, and the Outreach and Promotion $38,061 $30,807 minimum distribution of $19,207 from the Vonda N. McIntyre bequest, which Six-Week Workshop $108,084 $96,359 immediately bolstered our instructorship One-Day Workshops $15,863 $10,367 and scholarship programs for 2019 and Online Workshops $412 - 2020. Administration $33,334 $32,468 Brokerage Account: In 2019, Clarion West also received a generous donation Fundraising $14,614 $8,890 of stock valued at $8,176 from former Literary Trust Expenses $260 - board member Jeffrey Lemkin. This was Total Expenses $210,628 $178,891 Surplus Income $35,792 $7,390 Page 4 | The aNNUAL rEPORT | 2019 2019 % Income by Source 2019 % Expenses by Program
Vonda N. McIntyre Literary Trust 0.34% Online Online Giving Circle 0.3% Workshop Vonda N. Workshops 1% McIntyre 0.2% Administration 16% One- Literary Day Individuals 12% Trust Work- 0.06% shops One-Day 6% Workshops 8%
Corporate Contributions 6% Fundraising 7% Write-a-thon 10% Outreach 18%
Trivia Night 1% Six-Week Workshop 51%
Six Week Workshop 50% Grants 10%
GiveBIG 2%
2019 Workshop Income Comparison
Online Workshop
Expenses Income
One-Day Workshop
Expenses Income
Six-Week Workshop
Expenses Income -$20,833 $0 $20,834 $41,667 $62,500 $83,333 $104,167
Total Income Supplies Travel Housing/Venue Instructors & Other Contractors Other Staff
The aNNUAL rEPORT | 2019 | Page 5 A Decade As we look to 2020, let’s take a moment to These achievements have been the result reflect on how far Clarion West has come of Clarion West’s wonderful community as an organization. Our highlights for the of alumni, donors, volunteers, staff, board to Celebrate past decade include: members, and other supporters. We’ve Hiring our first Executive all contributed in our own way, and we Director should all feel proud. This decade also saw the retirement Establishing One-Day of two longtime workshop staff — Leslie Workshops — our first Howle and Neile Graham. They have been programming expansion since instrumental in elevating the program to the founding of Clarion West in ever higher levels. the 1980s We have dreams of transforming the organization into an international pres- Over three times the number ence over the next decade, with physical of yearly applicants as at the and digital programming beyond the start of the decade Seattle area. We’re committed to updating our programming and ensuring it becomes International students Yang-Yang Wang (CW '14) universally accessible. comprising 50% of last year’s We hope you’ll join us in realizing CW Board Chair class this vision. Winning a World Fantasy Award and a Locus Award 2019 Board of Directors
Yang-Yang Wang | Chair Rashida J. Smith | Vice Chair Clarion West's One-Day Workshops 2019 One-Day Tod McCoy | Secretary have been providing high-quality daylong Miriah Hetherington | Treasurer instruction for students in Seattle since Vicki Saunders | Past Chair Workshop 2011. In 2019 we brought in world-class Susan Gossman instructors to teach on topics ranging from Brooks Peck Report horror (Nino Cipri) and romance ( Jasmine Nisi Shawl Silvera) to revision (Maureen McHugh) Misha Stone and editing (Scott H. Andrews). In No- Gordon B. White Marnee Chua | Executive Director | ex officio vember we offered ourfirst Clarion Neile Graham | ex officio West Weekend Workshop with Staff Nisi Shawl and K. Tempest Bradford. We hope to continue evolving our One-Day Marnee Chua | Executive Director Workshops to serve the Pacific Northwest Neile Graham | Workshop Director Jae Steinbacher writing community's needs and attract Workshop Administrator | Copy Editor compelling instructors and students at all Tegan Moore skill levels and points in their careers. In One-Day Workshop Administrator 2020 we hope to offer additional Weekend Vicki Saunders Workshops and create new workshops and Art & Communications Director workshop formats to inspire the specula- Jeremy Sim | Communications Specialist tive fiction community. Special Projects
Tegan Moore (CW '15) This year we launched ourfirst on- Elly Bangs | Database Specialist Workshop Specialist line workshop: N.K. Jemisin Lucetta Lightfoot | Bookkeeper Joe Schindler | Culinary Specialist offered an interactive lecture Janna Silverstein Literary Contract Manager on Worldbuilding: Macro Suzanne Tompkins to Micro. Writers around the globe Special Projects Coordinator were able to participate in dreaming up a Erik Owomoyela | Website Manager secondary world and populating it with Volunteers crowd-sourced customs and mores. After addressing their questions, N.K. set them Kate Schaefer | Database Volunteer loose at the end of the session to begin Kyra Freestar | Copy Editor Tom Whitmore | Copy Editor/Proofreader developing their own worlds.
Page 6 | The aNNUAL rEPORT | 2019 photos by Elly Bangs, clockwise from left These organizations and individuals provided significant grants to support Thank You Clarion West, its writers, and its public reading series: • $10,000 — Gordon and Casey White (including an employer match) for Your • $8,176 — Amazon Literary Partners • $8,176 — Jeffrey and Bonney Lemkin (gift of stock) Support of • $2,760 — Civic Partners Grant, Office of Arts & Culture, City of Seattle • $2,700 — 4Culture Clarion West A sincere thank-you to our 2019 named scholarship donors! Scholarships made in memory of the following honored For the period of individuals: , CW instructors Ibi Zoboi, Amal El-Mohtar, and Stephen Graham Jones read with ASL interpreters. January 1, 2019 • Elliot Alexander Memorial • Michael Alexander Memorial to December 31, 2019 • Elliot and Michael Alexander Memorial • The Poul and Karen Anderson Memorial International Our contributors ensure Travel Fund that Clarion West • Mark Bourne Memorial is here to provide • Gordon R. Dickson Memorial (supported by the Mid- writing workshops western SF community) for writers who • Susan C. Petrey Memorial create wild and • Mary Rosenblum Memorial amazing worlds, write creative prose, Full and partial scholarships are generously supported by the following: and make infinite futures • The Class of 2014 Five-Year Anniversary Scholarship seem possible. We are so grateful for these • Norwescon generous gifts that enable us to keep • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America pushing our boundaries, and yours. • The Women in Speculative Fiction Giving Circle With the help of the following donors and organizations, Clarion West complet- The following distinguished scholarships were awarded in 2019: ed another enriching Six-Week Summer • The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship, Workshop in 2019, held nine One-Day awarded to Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas Workshops, one Weekend Workshop, and • The Worldbuilder Scholarship, awarded to Tim Chawaga our first online workshop! This summer A sincere thank-you to our 2019 named fellowship donors! we were able to reach new audiences by providing ASL interpreters at each of Fellowships given in honor of the following individuals: our public readings and by working with • Leslie Howle Fellowship supporting Week One with Elizabeth Hand partners to host events, free workshops, • Sally Klages Memorial Fellowship supporting Week Three with Amal El-Mohtar and youth programs. and sponsored by Ellen Klages • Vonda N. McIntyre Memorial Fellowship supporting Week Four with Ibi Zoboi CW in 2019 by the numbers* • Susan C. Petrey Fellowship supporting Week Six with Ann Leckie Short stories Thank you to the businesses that sponsored our 2019 Write- 75 a-thon! Novels 23 • $1,200 — Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour Awards/recognitions received • $500 — Dr. Thomas Bridgman, DDS 41 • $250 — Pegasus Book Exchange Short story collections 6 New Scholarship Announcements! Graphic novels 16 • With a gift of $1,000, Blue Corn Creations, a publish- Poems ing firm undertaking a variety of Native American- 30 themed projects, has launched a scholarship for writers of Essays 3 Native American descent at the Clarion West Writers Work- Video game shop. This gift has been matched with an additional $8,750 by Dan Sugalski to 1 ensure a full scholarship for qualifying participants in 2020. Short story translations 3 • With a gift of $1,000, longtime Clarion West supporter Linda Deneroff has started 3 Anthologies edited a scholarship fund in memory of Vonda N. McIntyre. The fund will support Clarion Play West students beginning with the 2020 workshop. Additional donations toward 1 this scholarship are welcome and encouraged.
*as reported by CW friends and alumni The aNNUAL rEPORT | 2019 | Page 7 Award-Winning Alumni Over the last year, our alumni have published hundreds of stories all over the world and are actively publishing novels, screenplays, and more. Each year, our alumni are nominated for and win awards for their work in speculative fiction — including poetry, audio stories, short stories, novelettes, and full-length novels. Nebula Award WORLD FANTASY NOMINEES Anthologies nominees Collection Best American Best Novelette An Agent of Utopia: New & Selected Stories, Science Fiction and "The Last Banquet by Andy Duncan (CW '92) of Temporal Confec- Phantom Limbs, by Margo Lanagan Fantasy 2019 tions," by Tina Con- (CW '99) (ed. John nolly (CW '06) World Fantasy Joseph "An Agent of Convention Adams) Utopia," by Andy Guest of Honor Duncan (CW '94) Sheree Renée "Dead Lovers on Each Blade, Best Short Story Thomas (CW '99) Hung," by Usman "And Yet," by A.T. Margo Lanagan (CW '99) Malik (CW '13) Greenblatt (CW '17) "On the Day You Spend Forever with Best Game Writing Theodore Your Dog," by Adam Shannon (CW '17) Rent-A-Vice, by Natalia Theodoridou Sturgeon Notable Stories: (CW '18) Memorial Award "And Yet" by A.T. Greenblatt (CW '17) ugo ward "The Hard Spot in the Glacier," by An H A nominees Owomoyela (CW '08) nominees "Umbernight," by Carolyn Ives Gilman "De MotherJumpers," by Celeste Rita Best Novelette (CW '89) Baker (CW '19) "On the Day You Spend Forever with Your "The No-One Girl and the Flower of the "The Last Banquet of Temporal Confec- Dog," by Adam Shannon (CW '17) Farther Shore," by E. Lily Yu (CW '13) tions," by Tina Connolly (CW '06) "Music for the Underworld," by E. Lily Yu Kate Wilhelm John W. Campbell Award for Best (CW '13) New Writer Solstice Award "Unplaces: An Atlas of Non-Existence," Vina Jie-Min Prasad (CW '17) winner by Izzy Wasserstein (CW '17) Best Dramatic Presentation, "Hehua," by Millie Ho (CW '19) Nisi Shawl (CW '92) Short Form "Bride Before You,"by Stephanie Malia The Expanse: "Abaddon’s Gate," by Daniel Gilberto Owen National Morris (CW '17) Abraham (CW '98), Ty Franck, and Naren Literature Prize The Best Shankar Science Fiction winner and Fantasy Ansibles, perfiladores y otras máquinas de of the Year: ingenio, by Andrea Chapela (CW '17) Volume Thirteen Locus Recommended Reading List (ed. Jonathan "Mother Tongues," by S. Qiouyi Lu Strahan) (CW '16) "Mother Tongues," Barnes and Noble by S. Qiouyi Lu (CW '16) World Fantasy Award Bestseller List 2019 Rhysling winners A Secret History of Award Anthology Witches, by Louise Short Story "In the Vaults,"Adele Marley (CW '93) "Like a River Loves the Sky," by Emma Gardner (CW '04) Törzs (CW '17) NPR's Year's Best "My Little Novella Books 2019 Vampire,"Adele Gard- ner (CW '04) "The Privilege of the Happy Ending," Kij A Spectral Hue, by Craig Johnson (CW '87) L. Gidney (CW '96)
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