JordanCon Schedule

April 20-22 I’ll be in Roswell, Georgia for JordanCon 4, a growing convention devoted to the works of Robert Jordan. I’m extremely excited to be a part of the scene, which will give me a chance to catch up with old friends (Team Jordan, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Eugie Foster among them) while making new ones.

I’ll be giving an updated version of the Jordan-as-American-Tolkien lecture that I gave last year at the TarValon.net gathering here in Charleston, but I’ll also be on several panels discussing various aspects of writing. My schedule:

Friday

• 4-5. “Is it Fantasy or Sci-Fi?” Presenters: Mary Robinette Kowal, Emilie Bush, Michael Livingston. A discussion of the differences between these often-linked genres and why (other) people don’t take them seriously enough!
• 5:30-6:30. “Shifting Language.” Presenters: Mary Robinette Kowal, Michael Livingston. Join Medieval scholar Dr. Michael Livingston and Hugo award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal as they talk about how the English language has shifted over the centuries and how you can use that shift in fiction.

Saturday

• 10-11. “Robert Jordan’s Redefinition of Tolkien’s Fantasy.” Presenter: Michael Livingston. Michael Livingston, Professor of English from The Citadel (Robert Jordan’s alma mater), presents a lecture defending fantasy literature and highlighting the ways in which Jordan is productively viewed as the American heir to the Tolkien tradition.
• 1-2. “Keeping it Short.” Presenters: Eugie Foster, Michael Livingston. A discussion on the differences in writing short fiction and novels.
• 4-5. “History and Fantasy Hour.” Presenters: Mary Robinette Kowal, Michael Livingston. A discussion about mixing fantasy with history and keeping it accurate.

Sunday

• 1-2. “Folklore and Fairytales.” Presenters: Eugie Foster, Michael Livingston. Incorporating myth and tradition into fiction.

That’s a lot to do, but it’ll be with great people!