Fall 2020 Volcano Galanggung by R
The Seventh Week clarion west writers workshop • fall 2020 Volcano Galanggung By R. Hadian, U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Woman
Flash Fiction by Kiini Ibura Salaam (CW '01)
He creeps up on me, quiet-like. A funky whisky scent invades my nose. When I take a step back, he scowls. "Why you actin scared, I jus wan talk to you. Maybe take you to a hotel." One jittery look around shows me empty lots and boarded-up buildings. I step off the curb and scoot across the street. The slap of my tennis is loud on down to the dirt. I lie there paralyzed "Go home. Don't talk to nobody, go the concrete, but I hear the beat of his while the old woman trickles a ragged straight inside. Go, now!" feet. line of salt in a circle around me. # Next thing I know, my knee twists "What do you see?" she whispers. "Been looking for you, baby." and I'm tumbling. I scramble sideways, With eyes closed, I see a figure The stench of liquor worms into my scraping my palms as I work my way dancing around the rim of a volcano. nostrils as I stagger down the street. underneath a chain-link fence. Inside, "Go." The volcano woman stirs. I duck tire rims and rusty engines, At her command, the dancing He grabs my wrist and I explode. limping through the mess of metal to figure descends. Light shoots from my eyes and I find a place to hide. "Clean yourself." sink my heat into his flesh. He falls, "Girlie, you all right?" The dancing figure undresses me screeching, at my feet. I whirl around to see an old woman and leads me to four clay pots. I dip At home, I wrestle the door open, sitting on a throne of twisted car fend- my hands into the first. Black paste click the lock behind me. ers, thick strands of hair coiled high on coats my fingers. "You're safe," the volcano woman her head. "Roach dung," she whispers as I flutters, whipping up a spiral of winds I nod mutely. slather it on my body. that cocoon me in softness. I release "Soup?" she says, motioning to a I dig into the next, scooping up rot- my terror to her warmth and collapse gigantic pot billowing steam. ten fruit to work into my hair. Tree sap on the floor. I shake my head and look back from the third cakes my armpits. The photo © Régine Romain Kiini Ibura Salaam toward the street. gin from the last splatters my skin. writes electrifying "Girl, you come to my yard with a The dancing figure spins before me fantasy rooted in wolf chasin you and you in a rush to growing brighter and brighter. My culture, identity, and go back into the night?" eyes roll back in my head as every cell freedom. Her fiction In a flash, she is standing. Her arm in my body trembles in fury. Then, has been published outstretched, holding a steaming cup. without warning, I erupt. in two collections: My hand lifts. I try not to drink, but # Ancient, Ancient my body is not under my control. When I wake, the old bony fingers and When the World After the soup is inside me, I drop grab my arm and drag me to my feet. Wounds.
The Seventh Week | Fall 2020 | Page 1 Jessica L. Drake JLD Imagery Flashing Lights Photography Seattle Stephanie Skeffington Welcome New
Board Members and Staff
Shweta Adhyam (CW '17) Betsy Aoki (CW '16) Linda Breneman
Marnee Chua Executive Director
As we approach the end of this year, I am pleased to share that several individuals have joined the Clarion M. Huw Evans (CW '12) Scott Sherman Evan J. Peterson (CW '15) West Board of Directors in 2020. Their addition to the board will help us better position the organization to for social interaction, metrics writing (stories and programs), grow, build capacity, and achieve our platforms, and gaming. With Eileen and 'rithmatic (including advanced plans to make our workshops more Brown, she is co-author of Digital mathematical topics like flexagons). accessible. They have already been Marketer, published by the British In addition, a new staff member, Evan engaging in our identity review and Computer Society. J. Peterson (all pronouns accepted) workshop review process and will be Linda Breneman (she/her) is a writer joined Clarion West in June, as our key to implementing our goals for the in Seattle. She works on fiction, essays, Marketing & Social Media Coordina- coming year. and video game journalism and pub- tor. Since joining the team, Evan has The following individuals joined the lishes Pixelkin.org. She is interested in also increasingly taken on a role with board in 2020: games and learning, consciousness, vir- our fundraising efforts, with an eye to- tual worlds, cockapoo dogs, literature, ward moving into our Fundraising & Shweta Adhyam (she/her) grew up speculative fiction, and her family. In Outreach Coordinator position by the in Madras, lives in Seattle, and writes 1996, she co-founded Seattle's literary end of the year. Evan writes strange speculative fiction. She has graduate center, Richard Hugo House. stories, nonfiction, poetry, and inter- degrees in physics and astronomy, has active games such as Drag Star! He worked as actuary and data analyst, In 2012, M. Huw Evans (he/him) left was the founding creative editor and speaks five languages, and strongly a career in health sciences and research then editor-in-chief of Minor Arcana believes escapism is vital. She is fren- to pursue his childhood dream of writ- Press and founder of the SHRIEK: A emies with ADHD, knows far more ing fiction. He attended Clarion West Women of Horror Film Series. Find about Hindu mythology than is good (where he wrote the first version of a Evan online at www.evanjpeterson. for her, and attended Clarion West in story for none other than the master com. 2017. She lives with her spouse and of time travel herself, Connie Willis), child. Shweta can be found on the web then served as Workshop Administra- Please join me in welcoming them. at www.shweta-adhyam.com and on tor for four years (2014–2017). Huw is This year has been an especially chal- Twitter as @shweta_adhyam. a freelance editor, a stay-at-home dad lenging time for our workshop and ... and a writer. community. I am so thankful our Betsy Aoki (she/her) is an industry board and staff's dedication to mov- pioneer with 20+ years of experience Scott Sherman (he/him) is a software ing forward and keeping our programs leading technical teams. Her jobs have engineer and writer. He enjoys reading thriving. centered on v.1 products and platforms (anything from a new perspective),
Page 2 | The Seventh Week | fall 2020 Donor We love our donors. That may sound Susan, like many of us, was con- glib, but in 2020, support for the arts fused about her life. Her diaries and Spotlight and social progress cannot be taken for doodling revealed this. However, she granted. Clarion West nurtures writers of lived her life, no matter how confused, science fiction (and fantasy, horror, and with direction and intent. Much of her other speculative genres) — we support energy was funneled into the study of Susan C. the artists who imagine better futures languages and history, writing many and reimagine the present and past. Our of her notes and story ideas in Rus- Petrey Fund donors make this all possible; consider sian and Turkish. She began writing what Clarion West and other organiza- as a means of combating depression, tions would look like this year without the but it became much more. She partici- continued support of donors. Our donors pated in local writers groups and had Evan J. Peterson quite literally help create the future. been accepted to attend [the] Clarion (CW '15) This fall, we'd like to pay tribute to [Science Fiction and Fantasy Writ- the Oregon-based Susan C. Petrey Fund, ers' Workshop], but she was unable to photo courtesy of Debbie Cross and Paul Wrigley which has honored us for over attend for financial three decades with their Clarion reasons. Prior to West scholarship and the more her sudden death in recent fellowship for instructors. 1980, she'd had four Recent Clarion stories accepted for West Petrey schol- publication in the ars include Celeste Fantasy & Science Rita Baker (CW Fiction magazine. '19), Laurie Steve Perry took Penny (CW '15), uncompleted story and JY Neon Yang ideas and rough (CW '13). Recent manuscripts and Petrey fellows turned them into include instruc- three stories also tors Anne Leckie accepted by the magazine. (2019), Karen Joy Fowler (2018), EJP: Clarion West is the bene- and Pat Cadigan factor of your generous scholar- Susan C. Petrey (2017). For our ship for students as well as your fall Donor Spotlight, we interviewed fellowship for instructors. What is Debbie Cross and Paul Wrigley from your greatest wish for your philan- Our greatest wish is that the Susan C. Petrey Fund about Susan's thropy toward our organization and literary legacy and the opportunities they toward the Clarion Workshop in San the scholarship winners provide in her name: Diego? enjoy their time at the workshop and use the Evan J. Peterson: You honor Susan C. DC & PW: Our greatest wish is that Petrey's memory and legacy with your the scholarship winners enjoy their experience to change philanthropy. Can you tell us more time at the workshop and use the their lives in the future. about what kind of person she was? experience to change their lives in the future. Debbie Cross and Paul Wrigley: — Debbie Cross and Paul Susan was a writer, a musician, and a EJP: "Spidersong" is perhaps Petrey's Wrigley of the Susan C. student of Turkish and Russian. She best-known story, and you've also Petrey Fund worked as a medical technologist. She produced a collection of her stories participated in Portland fandom and titled Gifts of Blood. Do you have a was a member of the Science Fiction favorite story of hers or a suggested Writers of America. Most of all, she place to start enjoying her body of was a friend. work?
The Seventh Week | fall 2020 | Page 3 extremes of 2020? What do you miss most about having an in-person convention?
DC & PW: We only attend one convention a year at present, so the virus has had no effect to date on our convention activity. Otherwise, we stay home and practice social distancing whenever we have to leave. The elec- tion is more of a concern to us at the present time.
EJP: Whom else does the Susan C. Petrey Fund support?
DC & PW: The Petrey Fund also awards an annual scholarship to the Cover Art for Gifts of Blood Clarion Workshop in San Diego. by Tim Hildebrandt In the early days of the scholarship (1982), we started with awarding a scholarship to Clarion. In 1985, we DC & PW: Although "Spidersong" Oregon Science Fiction Conventions awarded a scholarship to Leslie Howle (available to read via Lightspeed Inc., and the Susan C. Petrey Fund? to attend Clarion West and began al- magazine) was the story for which she ternating between Clarion and Clarion received a Hugo nomination, we love DC & PW: The fund started acciden- West until, in 1992, we started award- the universe where most of her stories tally. It started with $100 collected ing scholarships to both workshops. take place. They tell the story of a race, at a Portland Science Fiction Society The first Susan C. Petrey Fellow was the Varkela, who live on the Russian meeting, to send flowers to Susan's Michael Swanwick in 2005. steppes. Like vampires, they need funeral. It was then discovered that More information, including a blood to live, but they are also healers. the church did not allow flowers. It complete list of winners, may be found The payment they receive for healing is was decided that giving the money to at http://www.osfci.org/petrey. To sup- a small amount of human blood. Clarion West would be a fitting trib- port the Susan C. Petrey Fund, scroll Gifts of Blood was published as a ute. Additional donations were solicit- through the website for suggestions for 500-copy limited edition hardcover in ed to make the grant more meaningful. donating and online fundraising. Cash 1990, priced at $20, with an introduc- Because of administrative problems, donations can be made through PayPal tion by us and essays by Ursula K. Le the scholarship was not awarded in to the email address susanpetrey@ Guin, Vonda N. McIntyre, and Kate 1981, and we continued to raise money comcast.net. Wilhelm; they also signed all copies of for another year. Almost 40 years later, If you have any items to donate for the book. We still have copies for sale we are still raising money. Auctions the 2021 auction, or wish to purchase at the original $20 price, plus $4 for and sales at OryCon and surpluses a copy of Gifts of Blood signed by Le shipping and handling (see the mail- from Portland-area conventions have Guin, McIntyre, and Wilhelm, please ing address below to order a copy!). been a major source of funds. contact us at: Baen published a paperback in 1992 This year, with only a virtual which lacked the introduction and es- OryCon (the annual Portland SFF Susan C. Petrey Scholarship Fund says. Used copies may be found online convention), as this goes to press we've PMB 455 at the usual outlets. just completed an eBay auction con- 2870 NE Hogan Road, Suite E current with the convention. Gresham, OR 97030-3175 EJP: What else would you like Phone: 503-667-0807 readers to know about Susan, EJP: How are you handling the Email: [email protected]
Page 4 | The Seventh Week | fall 2020 Summer 2020 Review
Clarion West Workshop Team
Clarion West Six-Week Summer Workshop 2020/21 students joined members of Clarion San Diego’s 2020 “Ghost Class” and others at the Nebulas on Zoom. (L to R, top to bottom) LP Kindred, Amit Gupta (CW), P H Lee (CW), Mary Thaler, Jenny Williams, Louis Evans (CW), Matthew Olivas, Andrew Dana Hudson, teri.zin (CW), Anna-Claire McGrath, Joule Zelman (CW), Sydney Rossman-Reich (CW), Yilin Wang (CW), S.R. Mandel, Shingai Kagunda, and Sloane Leong (CW)
2020 challenged all of us in ways we of the folks who joined us for the ride just also [were] a whole lot of fun. As never expected. At Clarion West, this had to say: an international student, I'm also very meant trying different approaches and grateful for the accommodations in the making new connections. In April, "When the pandemic began, writing time slot, and for the opportunities to One-Day Workshop Administrator felt like trying to unmoor a ship. I'm attend events like the Nebula Awards Tegan Moore (CW '15) pivoted on a so grateful for the weekly flash fiction that I could never have attended oth- dime to pull together 43 free online goals and co-working sessions of the erwise. It's been a fantastic induction classes. We followed this in May with Write-a-thon, as well as the weekly into the community — I cannot wait another set of 13 classes, offered on a craft talks with true luminaries. Sprint for more." sliding price scale. by sprint and week by week, spending —Varsha Dinesh (CW '20/21) Meanwhile, the Clarion West the summer with CW put me back Six-Week Summer Workshop team, into a regular habit of writing and in- "Thank you so much for all of these Rashida J. Smith (CW '05) and Jae spired me to release more of my weird wonderful opportunities! The Write-a- Steinbacher (CW '14), planned a and my fun back into my words." thon was so much fun this year, thanks memorable summer for the 18 mem- —Serena W. Lin (CW '20/21) to the critique groups and especially bers of the now-postponed Class of those sprints with Jae and Rashida!" 2020/2021. With Executive Director "Over this summer I've had some of Marnee Chua, they cooked up an ex- the most illuminating conversations "I really appreciate that you have been panded version of the annual Clarion with some of the best people, and offering these learning opportunities West Write-a-thon fundraiser that learned a ton! I felt unbelievably lucky during the pandemic — it's really included flash fiction critique groups, to share (virtual) space with thought- helpful and makes me feel very sup- 33 free classes, weekly prompts and ful, approachable instructors and a ported. Thank you!" craft talks, and a Slack forum with 527 creative, inspiring cohort, with orga- active participants. nizers who went above and beyond to "I'd love to attend the summer work- Between April and August, we make this experience as close to the shop one day, but as the mother of reached 449 unique writers with our real thing as possible. In these extraor- a young child, it's hard for me to be free and sliding scale online classes. dinary times, these classes, sprints, away for that long. So online work- We also held nine classes and work- the Write-a-thon critique groups, shops, including multiweek workshops, shops for teens. This made summer and other events served as welcome are a great option for me." 2020 a hectic time, but an exciting one balms that reminded me about the for our community. Here's what some power of speculative fiction — and
The Seventh Week | fall 2020 | Page 5 Image credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC) Mission Statement We support emerging and underrepresented voices by Clarion providing writers with world-class instruction to empower their creation of wild and amazing worlds. West Writers Through conversation and public engagement, we bring Workshop those voices to an ever-expanding community. 2020 Board of Directors
Tod McCoy | Chair Misha Stone | Secretary Miriah Hetherington | Treasurer Yang-Yang Wang | Past Chair Shweta Adhyam Betsy Aoki Upcoming Events this Spring Linda Breneman M. Huw Evans Join us for a series of panels highlighting three avenues of publication in which Susan Gossman Black editors are making an impact on the genre. Brooks Peck Power in Publishing: Publishers Roundtable Nisi Shawl Scott Sherman Sunday, May 16, 1pm Pacific Gordon B. White Featuring: Bill Campbell (Rosarium), Zelda Knight (AURELIA LEO), Marnee Chua | Executive Director and Milton Davis (MVmedia) ex officio Jae Steinbacher | Workshop Coordinator With major publishers stuck in a cycle of selling the same mainstream stories or ex officio tightening their belts when it comes to the work of marginalized communities, how are Black publishers shaping opportunities for BIPOC writers to have their 7th Week voices heard? Production Team Zines and Magazines: Expanding Worlds in Speculative Fiction Elly Bangs | Database Specialist | Reader Monday, May 17, 7pm Pacific Marnee Chua | Executive Director Featuring: Craig Laurance Gidney (Baffling Magazine), Chinelo Onwualu Evan J. Peterson | Marketing (Omenana/Anathema), Eboni Dunbar (FIYAH), LaShawn Wanak & Social Media Coordinator (Giganotosaurus/Uncanny), and Brent Lambert (FIYAH) Vicki Saunders | Art Director | Reader Jeremy Sim | Front End Developer | Join prominent Black editors of online zines and magazines as they discuss their Communications Specialist | Reader journeys into editing and the role editors play in creating space for the voices of Rashida Smith | Workshop Administrator BIPOC communities in the speculative fiction field. Moderated by Arley Sorg | Reader of Locus and Fantasy Magazine. Jae Steinbacher | Workshop Coordinator Ancestors and Anthologies: New Worlds in Chorus | Copy Editor | Reader Tom Whitmore | Volunteer Copy Editor/ Date: TBD Proofreader Featuring: Maurice Broaddus (POC Destroy Horror and Dark Faith), Kyra Freestar | Volunteer Copy Editor Linda D. Addison (Sycorax’s Daughters), Sheree Renée Thomas (Dark Matter), Patty Johnson | Volunteer Copy Editor and C.L. Clark (We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2020) Tod McCoy | Volunteer Reader Misha Stone | Volunteer Reader From the groundbreaking Dark Matter to Sycorax’s Daughters to POC Destroy!, Miriah Hetherington | Volunteer Reader anthologies are one way marginalized voices gather in chorus on a particular Yang-Yang Wang | Volunteer Reader subject, subgenre, or genre. Our anthologies panel will delve into the world of Shweta Adhyam | Volunteer Reader bespoke collections with luminaries in the field, moderated by award-winning M. Huw Evans | Volunteer Reader author and editor Nisi Shawl (New Suns, Everfair, Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany).
Page 6 | The Seventh Week | fall 2020 Writing written. Ask yourself: Is this the at the images again. If you get kernel of a short story, or a person- stuck, you can just write the same al essay? Is a character, a setting, word over and over, but don't stop Prompts a conflict, a plot already inherent writing. in what I've written? Might this •• When your timer goes off, stop. from 2021 be incorporated into something I'm working on? How might I •• Put the work aside. Don't reread it. learn more details of this specific •• The next day, take it out, read it, Six-Week experience, or this specific type of edit it, and see what you've got. experience? Tina Connolly Workshop Eileen Gunn & Caroline Yoachim Instructors June 27–July 3, 2021 July 4 –10, 2021 Reading June 29 Reading July 6 courtesywikiart.org Tina & Caroline's Summer 2020 prompts: •• What does a superhero fear most? Clarion West •• What are the last words ever Workshop Team spoken? Nalo Hopkinson July 11–17, 2021 Reading July 13 Nalo's Summer 2020 prompt: We are delighted to report that our •• Write the recipe for an impos- 2020 lineup of instructors will return sible, nonexistent dish. Write it in to teach the Clarion West Six-Week the form of a short origin myth Workshop in 2021. A few of them (250–1,000 words). sent prompts this summer for the Remedios Varo, Exploring River of the Write-a-thon participants, and we've Source Orinonoco included some snippets below. Eileen's Summer 2020 prompt: Andy Duncan •• Relax. Shake yourself all over, June 20 –26, 2021 loosely, like a water spaniel. Breathe deeply. Reading June 22 •• Get ready to write. Andy's Summer 2020 prompt, condensed: •• Look at the following paintings •• Write about the weirdest thing by the surrealist painter Reme- that ever happened to you. Try to dios Varo: Exploring, Boy, Born, Honoré Damier, Stew, 1840 write down the story of precisely Gravity, Creation. what happened, in as much detail •• Take a full minute to explore each Neil Clarke as you can recall. Be honest about of the images you've chosen. Time July 18–24, 2021 what you remember, and what you yourself: one minute for each im- don't; about what you know, and age you especially like. Editor Event July 20 what you don't. This might be a few sentences, or a few pages. •• Then just set your timer for 15 Ted Chiang minutes, and write freely for that July 25–31, 2021 •• When you think you're done, put time. Write anything that comes these writings aside for a day. into your head. Don't correct your Reading July 27 •• After a day has elapsed with no typing or edit yourself. Just write. new additions, reread what you've Don't look back, and don't look
The Seventh Week | fall 2020 | Page 7 APPLY NOW January 3 through February 21 following by December 10: Sundays from 5:30 – 7:30 pm PST A brief outline (200-500 words) that explains your idea, describes the main Online Novella $375; some scholarships available, with characters, and where you see the story preference to BIPOC and marginalized going. (This can change, but Laurie students. would like a sense of what your story Bootcamp Want to make your New Year's is about!) resolutions come to life? We're pre- senting an eight-week novella work- A short personal statement (500 words with Laurie Penny shop with Laurie Penny in early 2021. or fewer) about your workshop or pub- (CW '15) Together, class members will lishing experience. Workshop experi- structure, outline, trouble-shoot, and ence and publications are not required, most importantly, complete a 17,000- but we do want to know more about you! Laurie Penny is 40,000 word novella. Using storytell- an award-winning ing techniques from screenwriting, the Scholarship applicants should state in author, journalist, aim is for each student to come away the body of their email that they are and screenwriter with a finished first draft. This class is applying for a scholarship and include from London, for intermediate and advanced writers. information in their personal state- now living in Come prepared to work hard and sup- ment about their interest and financial Los Angeles. port each other! need (please maintain a limit of 800 As a screen- If you'd like more information or words or fewer). writer, Laurie has to apply to Laurie's class, reach out to worked on The We prioritize seats for BIPOC and other Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix), The Nev- [email protected]. marginalized students, and for first-time ers (HBO), and Carnival Row (Amazon). Applicants should submit the scholarship recipients.
Clarion West P.O. Box 31264 Seattle, WA 98103-1264