Envisioning the future, visiting the past, and ranting about teeth
Plus, sharing my Moth StorySLAM recording before I lose my nerve
Dear readers,
Lately, I’ve been excited about doing true storytelling events. If you’re a Denver-area local, don’t forget to snag tickets for my performance at The Narrators on Oct 16. The theme is “Long Lost” and I’m planning to tell the personal story of my time as a molecular biology researcher and why I left despite a lifelong fascination with science.
Another local event coming up is MileHiCon (Oct 25-27), a Denver-based science fiction and fantasy convention. One of my favorite sci-fi writers will be there—Charlie Jane Anders (author of Victories Greater Than Death). I’ll also be signing books and speaking on panels, including a review of the most exciting science published this year. If this sounds fun, grab some con tickets!
If you can’t make it to those, the other place that the Denverites among you might run into me is at your own homes. Up until the November general election, I’ll be door-knocking around the city to help get out the vote for ballot issue 2U: a city charter amendment that would give all City/County of Denver workers (e.g., librarians, trash collectors, social workers, and parks & rec employees) the right to collective bargaining—to form a labor union and negotiate wages, working conditions, etc. with their employer. Currently, the only Denver municipal workers with this right are police, firefighters, teachers, and sheriffs. If you’re local and want to help get out the vote, shoot me a message!
And now, a bit of catch-up on an exciting month…
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) “Visioning Energy” Workshop (Aug 28 - Golden, CO)
This event was SO FUN! It was a positive-futures brainstorming collaboration between NREL researchers and sci-fi authors like myself. I was invited to bring the perspective of a grassroots organizer, since the workshop leaders recognized that great social force will be needed to usher our society into an age of true sustainability.
We played out different scenarios of what the year 2100 could look like and discussed what needs to happen for us to get there. My group produced a relatively positive vision, with widespread agri- and eco-voltaics (the integration of agriculture and/or native plants into solar parks); a return to intentional community relationship-building; and increased economic localization (wherein local industries primarily exist to meet the local population’s needs). Another group envisioned a more dystopian future in which almost all humans live underground.
I came away with renewed optimism, amazing contacts, and a notebook full of ideas for my next book. In February, I’ll be writing up a piece about this workshop for the Imaginary Papers publication from Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination, so you’ll hear more details about these theoretical futures then.
Bubonicon (Aug 23-25 - Albuquerque, NM)
Okay, this was a cool convention. Everything is rat-themed because the con’s name references the Black Death. The fans are the stars of the show. Multiple fan groups attend in costume (e.g., the Trekkies) and throw competing parties. But no group has more cred than the fans of the con itself, who call themselves the “Rat Patrol.” They strut around with their red sashes like they own the place (because they do own it, let’s be real) and they’ve made it their mission to guard the free snacks in the con’s hospitality suite. I wish I could tell you more about them, but I’m not sure whether my intel is fact or myth.
I met some incredible authors and added two books to my signed book collection: Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin, and A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher (amazing story concept, by the way—a young witch with a sourdough starter for a familiar??? I literally bought googly eyes to put on my sourdough starter jar because of this book.)
I also got to be on TWO panels with the legendary Connie Willis, author of the Blackout novel diptych, which won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards.
The Moth StorySLAM competition (Aug 16 - Denver)
I finally received the recording of my winning Moth StorySLAM performance. The competition theme was “Hot Mess” (see last month’s post for my feelings about this experience). It feels a bit scary to share the video since it’s such a personal story, but I’m on a journey of learning to open up and connect with my fellow humans on a deeper level. So, here it is. <3
Visiting my past (plus a rant about teeth)
I visited my parents earlier this month in my hometown of Chico, CA. One of our family activities is water skiing, and even though I haven’t done it in three years, my body remembered exactly what to do. After such a long hiatus, it felt like my brain had been transplanted into the body of an athletic person. Here’s the video evidence:
While I was home, my parents asked me to go through some of my old stuff. Among the junk jewelry and garage sale treasures was a tiny box full of teeth. I had forgotten that I saved ALL of my teeth. And not only my teeth but my old dog’s baby teeth, too.
I could talk about teeth for a good while. I remember losing my first tooth in the kitchen of my childhood home in Paradise, CA. I lost my last tooth in high school, which fascinated my peers because they had all lost theirs years before. I hate going to the dentist almost more than anything else. I have frequent dreams about my teeth falling out. I keep a list of “reasons I’m anxious,” which features several teeth-related items. The best prank my dad ever played on me was when I lost a tooth at age seven and he called up the Tooth Fairy on my plastic play kitchen’s wall phone to let her know my tooth would be waiting for her under my pillow that night. I begged him to pass the phone so I could talk to her, but he ignored me and hung up. When I snatched the receiver off the cradle, there wasn’t so much as a dial tone. Still, I didn’t consider that he might have lied; I thought he knew some magical way to activate it but wouldn’t share the secret.
Okay, but why did I keep all those teeth? I guess I just couldn’t think of an alternative. Teeth are in finite supply, unlike hair or fingernails. I was taught they had value—at least a dollar per—and I don’t throw money away, either (except on earplugs and socks, which I’m constantly losing).
What did y’all do with your teeth? How about your kids’ teeth? Did you throw them away? Make art or jewelry with them? What do people do with TEETH??
Anyway, thank you for indulging my rant and, as always, for joining me on this journey. :)
Love,
Rachael
Be Proud!! You are an amazing woman in so many ways!!!
Ugh, your Moth performance was beautiful! So heartfelt and wide open. Bravo!!