Thu 3 Jan 2008
Welcome to the Clarion blog at blog.ucsd.edu/clarion. This is NOT a chronicle of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop that occurs every summer (since 2007) here on the UCSD campus. This is rather a place to chat about ways that Clarion can build out to the larger community of sf and fantasy readers and writers, and to start a dialogue around Clarionish stuff. Things like:
- Clarion and the Cons. What’s the best way to participate in and with the Cons to the benefit of Clarion, its students and alumni, and the fan base?
- Clarion, sf and fantasy, and K-12 education. For many young readers, sf and fantasy are the fields that provide their ‘first contact’ with literature. For many techies and scientists, sf was the field that kindled their interest in science or math. How does Clarion play a role in both those fields?
- Clarion and the YA market: the young adult fiction market is booming, but Clarion isn’t a name in that arena. Should we be? How?
- Clarion, UCSD’s Literature Department and UC overall. The Clarion Workshop is a significant opportunity for UCSD’s Literature Department; and UCSD and UC’s resources in this area — the Eaton Science Fiction Collection at UC Riverside, Darkstar at UCSD — are strong, but how to leverage them? Should we leverage them?
January 7th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
You say:
This is NOT a chronicle of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop that occurs every summer (since 2007) here on the UCSD campus.
Why not do all of it? Thoughts on the workshop but not about the workshop?
If not here - is there a blog that DOES want to talk about the workshop specifically?
January 7th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
-Clarion and Cons:
Every con has an area for putting out freebies and flyers. I would suggest making a nice color print flyer (maybe even bookmarks) and sending a small stack to individuals who volunteer to put them out. And don’t forget to mention that donations are welcome and tax deductible.
-K-12 education: Encourage established and new authors to visit schools for “career day” types of presentations to encourage students to write. Clarion could become a clearing house where interested schools could find local authors and vice versa.
-YA Market: Encourage authors who’ve published in the YA market to teach at Clarion. As a side note, at Clarion-2007, Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner rightly pointed out some of my writing was appropriate for the YA market (especially for boys) and encouraged me to pursue that.
UCSD Literature Dept: I think the Literature department could become more active in the workshop itself, promoting the idea of writing “literature” and what that means. Activities might include evening or weekend interactive sessions. Once there’s an established and on-going presence, then I think the Department can promote and encourage academic research using the Eaton Collection. The point for Clarion is to raise the stature by getting recognition and buy-in from the literary establishment.
January 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
David:
Many thanks. These are very good ideas. I am told, by the way, by another of the authors that the YA market is “booming,” and should be taken very seriously as an outlet. As a reader, I read tons of stuff that’s tagged YA that I love, so it’s not a barrier, or distinction, that I find relevant to my 52-year-old life. But it’s a great market.
Mallory:
Thanks. The distinction that I’m making is that this isn’t a blog from *within* the Workshop, or on behalf of the faculty authors and the students. We’re here to answer questions about the Workshop, and the process, etc. But the Workshop is an experience over six weeks in the summer that’s unique to each set of students and teachers. I’m just trying to clarify that we don’t claim to be speaking on their behalf.
Jim