Appearances and Events - Vera Nazarian

Scheduled Appearances and Events

2 0 0 7 E v e n t s

To be announced . . .

2 0 0 6 E v e n t s

Loscon 33
Los Angeles, CA
November 24-26, 2006

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, November 24, 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM - Philadelphia
"Reading: Vera Nazarian"
Friday, November 24, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM - Autographs
"Autographing: Vera Nazarian"
Saturday, November 25, noon - 1:30 PM - Atlanta
"Essential Reading For Writers - What books should be on the writers' bookshelf?"
Tony N. Todaro, Chris Weber, Vera Nazarian
Saturday, November 25, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM - Chicago
"Memories of My First Time - Pro authors recall their first professional sale."
Tim Powers, Harry Turtledove, Vera Nazarian, Barbara Hambly
Sunday, November 26, noon - 1:30 PM - Denver
"Ariel, Darryl and Hans - Mermaids in myth, literature, cinema and art: mysterious creatures, femme fatalles, or just plain cute?"
James Stanley Daugherty, Marina Stern, Vera Nazarian

L.A.con IV Worldcon - Anaheim, CA
August 23-27, 2006

The following is the final program schedule:

Wednesday, August 23, 12:00 noon - 1:30 PM - Dealers Room
"Wildside Press Dealer Table (staffing)"
Vera Nazarian
Wednesday, August 23, 2:30 PM - ACC 205-A
"New Maps of Heaven"
Robin Wayne Bailey, Ellen Kushner, Vera Nazarian(M), Fiona Patton
Recent times have seen an explosion of science fiction and fantasy tales centered in cosmologies and mythologies outside of the North American mainstream. Writers discuss what draws them to these other mythos and what lessons they offer.
Wednesday, August 23, 5:30 PM - ACC 210-D
"Fantasy -- How Can It Be Good?"
Alma Alexander, ElizaBeth Gilligan, Vera Nazarian, Darrell Schweitzer(M)
To a lot of hard SF readers, fantasy stories are those where the authors don't have to be consistent -- it works because it's magic. But good fantasy is consistent, within each world's own rules. What are the rules and the restrictions for writing a "good" fantasy.
Thursday, August 24, 1:00 PM - ACC 209-A
"Vampires in Literature -- Horror vs. Heroic"
Paula Guran, Charlaine Harris, Lee Martindale, Sean McMullen, Vera Nazarian(M)
Vampires are making a resurgence. And not just with the usual horror readers. They've gone mainstream, with some tales of vampirism reaching the bestseller lists. But what about the books that cast a different light (you should excuse the expression) on vampires, as heroes with bad press?
Thursday, August 24, 2:30 PM - ACC 211-A
"Guerilla Marketing for the Neo-Pro"
Tobias S. Buckell, Diane Duane(M), Robert B Hole, Jr., Vera Nazarian, Don Sakers
You don't have the money to take out ads in "Publishers Weekly" or "Time Magazine". What do you do to build "brand value"? How do you promote yourself without turning off your audience? How do you get more sales? How can you connect with your fledgling fan base?
Friday, August 25, 12:00 Noon - ACC ATGR3
"Autographing: Vera Nazarian"
Vera Nazarian
Friday, August 25, 2:30 PM - ACC 205-A
"SFWA Business Meeting"
For SFWA Members Only
Friday, August 25, 5:00 PM - HILTON CR9
"Reading: Vera Nazarian"
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, August 26, 10:00 AM - ACC 201-D
"Small Press Publishing"
Nat Gertler, Vera Nazarian, Alan Rodgers, Cecilia Tan, Michael J. Walsh(M)
What do you need to know? Where do you find authors and artists? What niche do your books fill? Do you need a million bucks or will a couple hundred do? How do you get what you publish into stores?
Saturday, August 26, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - SFWA Table, Dealers Room
"SFWA Table (Staffing)"
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, August 26, 5:00 PM - ACC KAFF3
"Kaffeklatsch: Vera Nazarian"
Vera Nazarian
Sunday, August 27, 1:00 PM - ACC 207-D
"You Can't Make a Cutting Edge By Grinding Your Axe"
John Barnes, Scott Edelman, Lee Martindale(M), Vera Nazarian, Tim Powers
It's an accepted truism in critical circles that If your motivation in writing is to promote a political, social, or cultural agenda, you're not going to produce great art. Is that really true? What about the works of Joanna Russ, Octavia Butler, Allen Ginsberg, Phil Ochs, or Neil Young? Is the truism actually false or is there something more to it?

An Evening with Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
Venice, CA

Presented by Venice Branch Library
and the Friends of Venice Library:

Tuesday, July 18, 2006
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
"Multi-Author Book Signing"

Venice Library - Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch
Jon David Waldron Community Room
501 South Venice Boulevard
Venice, California 90291
Phone 310-821-1769

2006 Nebula Awards® Weekend - Tempe, AZ
May 4-7, 2006

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, May 5, 12:00 noon - 12:30 PM - Location TBA
"Reading - Vera Nazarian"
Friday, May 5, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM - Location TBA
"Multi-Author Autograph Session"

ConDor XIII - San Diego, CA
March 3–5, 2005

The following is the final program schedule:

Saturday, March 4, 10:00 AM - Garden Ballroom I
"Structuring Your Novel"
Amy Casil, Vera Nazarian, Matt Pallamary, Deirdre Saoirse Moen (m)
Saturday, March 4, 11:00 AM - Garden Ballroom I
"World Destruction Panel I: Creating the enemy. Will they be aliens, mutants, trolls, or what?"
John DeChancie, Judy Lazar, Vera Nazarian (M), David Ross, Jefferson Swycaffer
Saturday, March 4, 2:00 PM - Poolview Room
"Portraying Death"
Lorna Freeman, Jeanie Graham (m), Howard Hendrix, Nancy Holder, Vera Nazarian
Saturday, March 4, 3:00 PM - Executive Room
"Dark Fantasy Keeps Getting Darker"
Cody Goodfellow, Jeannie Graham, Nancy Holder, Allison Lonsdale (M), Vera Nazarian
Sunday, March 5, 10:00 AM - Garden Ballroom I
"Are You Sure You Want To Go There?: Rape, torture, what, if anything, is too much?"
Nancy Holder, Todd McCaffrey (M), Vera Nazarian, Jefferson Swycaffer
Sunday, March 5, 11:00 AM - Executive Room
"Historic Voice in Speculative Fiction: Writing as if it were done by people of the period"
Bret Culpepper, Sheila Finch (M), Howard Hendrix, Vera Nazarian
Sunday, March 5, 2:00 PM - Autographs
"Autographs"
Vera Nazarian
Sunday, March 5, 3:00 PM - Board Room
"Ligustics in Science Fiction"
Allison Lonsdale, Alice Massoglia, Vera Nazarian, Stephen Potts, William Stoddard (M)

2 0 0 5 E v e n t s

Loscon 32 - Los Angeles, CA
November 25–27, 2005

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, November 25, 11:30 AM
"Genre Fiction: Is it really about writing for a target audience?" - Room TBA
Friday, November 25, 2:30 PM
"Reading of Atlanta Nights" - Room TBA
Friday, November 25, 4:00 PM
"Birds of a Feather: Live journal - innocent hobby or cyber drug?" - Room TBA
Sunday, November 27, 11:30 AM
"Kiss, Kiss, Zap, Zap: Mistakes Romance Writers Make in writing Science Fiction/Fantasy." - Room TBA
Sunday, November 27, 2:30 PM
"Autographing - Vera Nazarian" - Room TBA

Melody of Words - Los Angeles, CA
April 20, 2005

7:00 PM and 7:45 PM

Two head-to-head presentations for high school students and their parents:
"So you want to be a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer?"

2 0 0 4 E v e n t s

Loscon 31 - Los Angeles, CA
November 26–28, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Saturday, November 27, 1:00 PM - "How to Create Characters" - Room TBA
Sunday, November 28, 10:00 AM - "Autographing - Vera Nazarian" - Room TBA
Sunday, November 28, 2:30 AM - "Women in Horror & Dark Fantasy" - Room TBA

World Fantasy Convention 2004 - Tempe, AZ
October 28-31, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Thursday, October 28, 4:30 PM - "Reading - Vera Nazarian" - Xavier Room
Friday, October 29, 10:00 PM - "Wildside Press Party" - Suite 4038

Conjecture 3 - San Diego, CA
October 1-3, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, October 1, 7:00 PM - "Ice Cream Social / Return of the IRON HACK" (2 hours)
Back for a second year, Chairman Conje will challenge the competing Iron Hacks to improvise a story using secret ingredients contributed by the audience.
C. S. Friedman
Nancy Holder
Kevin Andrew Murphy
Vera Nazarian
Jefferson P Swycaffer
Friday, October 1, 10:00 PM - "Faith in the Future" (1 hour)
Of the world's religions, which ones are best suited for living effectively alongside an advancing technology? Is religious fundamentalism inherently anti-technological? When humanity reaches the stars, which forms of faith will travel with us and which will stay behind?
Christian B. McGuire(M)
Vera Nazarian
Sue Dawe
Saturday, October 2, 10:00 AM - "Writer's Workshop" (4 hours)
Joy Oestreicher
Kevin Andrew Murphy
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, October 2, 4:00 PM - "Tolkien as Horror Writer" (1 hour)
Some might characterize the horrific elements in Tolkien's work as hackney: the evil characters are ugly and deformed, while the majestic elves are beautiful and charismatic. Are Tolkien's horrific elements effective in the context of the story? And if so, why do most people think of LoTR as a light rather than dark epic?
Peter Flanagan(M)
Stephen W. Potts
Vera Nazarian
Sunday, October 3, 11:00 AM - "Beyond the First Draft" (1 hour)
Writers and Editors discuss how to best proof, polish and professionally edit manuscripts.
Lee Martindale(M)
Vera Nazarian
Joy Oestreicher
Jefferson P Swycaffer
Sunday, October 3, 1:00 PM - "The Sources of Dark Fantasy: Folklore & Mythology" (1 hour)
What mythologies or folklore has most influenced your dark fantasy and horror writing?
Vera Nazarian(M)
Joy Oestreicher
Jill Braden
William F. Wu
Sunday, October 3, 2:00 PM - "Book Signing/Reading: Vera Nazarian" (1 hour)

Authors & Booksellers
Queen Mary
Long Beach, CA
September 19, 2004

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Coppercon 24 - Phoenix, AZ
September 10-12, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, September 10, 4:00 PM - Autographing
Vera Nazarian
Friday, September 10, 7:00 PM - Meet the Pros
Saturday, September 11, 10:00 AM - WRI 23: "Crossing Over... Genres" - Location: B
Romance and Fantasy. Fantasy and History. Mystery and Fantasy. The genre of Fantasy, once (and still in the eyes of many) clearly defined as falling into dangerous stereotypes, is now branching out into other genres, reaching a wider audience.
Ray Poulsen (M)
Janeen O'Kerry
Vera Nazarian
Jeff Mariotte
Saturday, September 11, 1:30 PM - WRI 3: "Vampires as Heroes" - Location: E
Are vampires ready for the epic treatment? Is heroism as virulent as vampirism itself? Vampires have developed from villains to anti-heroes to full fledged heroes. Get ready to be bitten by the vampire-reading bug!
Maryelizabeth Hart (M)
Jeff Mariotte
David Lee Summers
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, September 11, 3:00 PM - WRI 7: "Dark Fantasy -- Why Is It Not Written Any More?" - Location: E
(Roundtable Discussion) Why is dark fantasy continuing to get less and less dark? How can this trend be reversed? Can it?
Ken St. Andre (M)
Adam Niswander
Vera Nazarian
Michelle Welch
Christopher Turco
Saturday, September 11, 4:30 PM - WRI 9: "What Makes It an Epic?" - Location: E
What makes a series epic vs. what makes a single book an epic? Do all epics share something in common?
Ken St. Andre (M)
Janeen O'Kerry
Michael A. Stackpole
Vera Nazarian
Alan Dean Foster
Christine Carmichael
Saturday, September 11, 7:00 PM - WRI 6: "Designing Theologies" - Location: E
What is the best way to create fictional religions for your characters? What works? What does not? Obtain design tips with writers new and old.
Michelle Welch (M)
Vera Nazarian
John DeChancie
Saturday, September 11, 9:00 PM - RDG 7: Reading - Location: Reading Room
Join Author Vera Nazarian for a selection from "The Clock King and the Queen of the Hourglass"
Sunday, September 12, 12:30 PM - WRI 1: "Designing Cultures" - Location: E
What is the best way to create a fictional culture for your characters? What works? What does not? Discover design tips with writers new and old.
Catherine Wells (M)
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Michelle Welch
Pat Broussard
Vera Nazarian
Kit Townsend
K. Mark Hoover.

Noreascon Four Worldcon - Boston, MA
September 2-6, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Thursday, September 2, 2:00 PM - "Where Do Elves Come From?" (slide projector)
Esther Friesner
Theodora Goss
Kathy Morrow (M)
Vera Nazarian
Terry Pratchett
Elves have their roots deep in European folklore, and have also burrowed deeply into modern fantasy literature. Why is this? What makes elves so interesting? What about them appeals to our psyches? Are there different kinds of elves? Are Tolkien's else- beings who are almost preternatural humans - different in kind for the cute Victorian elves or from the grimmer elven folk of Andersons's "Broken Sword" And what about the modern elves that appear in the night in many urban fantasies... why are they there? What is the significance of a separate, magical or supernatural race of human-like beings?
Thursday, September 2, 4:00 PM - SFWA Table - Autographing
Vera Nazarian
Thursday, September 2, 6:00 PM - "Language: Barrier or Bridge"
Nomi Burstein (M)
Anna Feruglio Dal Dan
Sheila Finch
Yves Meynard
Vera Nazarian
Translations bring works to audiences who can't read them in the original, but how are the works affeected when the words change?
Thursday, September 2, 7:00 PM - Dinner (scheduled ahead)
Friday, September 3, 8:00 AM - SFWA Musketeers Breakfast
Friday, September 3, 1:00 PM - Autographing
Jay Caselberg
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Vera Nazarian
Susan Shwartz
James A. Stevens-Arce
S. M. Stirling
Cecilia Tan
Friday, September 3, 3:00 PM - "Online Journaling" (Onesie, 0.5 hrs)
Vera Nazarian
Why do we live our private lives in public places? Are we merely emotional exhibitionists, or are we continuing (in a different form) the vernerable art of journaling. Sure, it's also a great way to network, but what can journaling do for you? Or, TO you? As more and more people do it everyday, is it turning into a problem?
Friday, September 3, 4:00 PM - SFWA Table - Staff
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, September 4, 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon - SFWA Business Meeting
Saturday, September 4, 12:00 Noon "What New Writers Need to Know"
Having sold a few short stories or a first novel, a writer often enters that awkward age between being and nothingness. What are the best ways to approach a nascent career, and learn the ropes about promotion, copyrights, the IRS, etc. How do you move orward into the realm of name recognition? And how do you capitalize on that shiny-new SFWA membership, anyhow?
Saturday, September 4, 1:30 PM - SFF Net Suite - Reading
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, September 4, 4:00 PM - "SFWA Musketeers" (1 - 2 hours?)
Jay Caselberg
Brenda W. Clough
Melanie Fletcher
Esther Friesner
Laura Anne Gilman
John G. Hemry
Lee Martindale
Elizabeth Moon
Vera Nazarian
Madeleine E. Robins
Selina Rosen
Susan Shwartz
Steven H. Silver
Laura Underwood
Liz Williams
Saturday, September 4, 6:00 PM - Publisher Dinner (scheduled ahead)
Sunday, September 5, 9:00 AM - Private Group Breakfast (scheduled ahead)
Sunday, September 5, 11:00 AM - "Writers' Tools (and Desk Fetishes!)"
Michael A. Burstein
Daniel P. Dern
Vera Nazarian
Amy Thomson (M)
Shane Tourtellotte
What do writers keep on their desks? How do these objects help their writing? Professionals show-and-tell what their compositional touchstones are all about, and five hints on how to find your own particular desk fetishes.
Sunday, September 5, 2:00 PM - Kaffeeklatsch
Charles N. Brown
Katherine Kurtz
Vera Nazarian
Janny Wurts
Sunday, September 5, 4:00 PM - Private event (not on program)
Monday, September 6, 10:00 AM - "Curses!"
Hilari L. Bell (M)
Mark Mandel
Vera Nazarian
Profanity for fantasy and SF -- what makes made-up profanity either work, or fail. Panelists can bring in examples of both, and share their own techniques for creating profanity that has the same emotional weight that real profanity does.
Monday, September 6, 1:00 PM - Reading (0.5 hrs)
Vera Nazarian

ConKopelli WesterCon 57 - Litchfield Park, AZ
July 2-5, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM LIT 45 / MYTH 32 "Myth as Writer's Learning Stage"
Jean Lorrah, Vera Nazarian, Brenda Cooper (moderator), Darragh Metzger
Saturday, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Autographing - Dealer's Room
Diana Gabaldon, Bobbie Benton Hull, Vera Nazarian
Saturday, 1:00 AM - 2:00 PM - LIT 7 "Genres... We Don't Need No Stinkin' Genres!!!"
Romance and Science Fiction. Fantasy and History. Military Suspense and Horror. The genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror once (and still in the eyes of many) clearly defined and falling into dangerous stereotypes, are now branching out into other genres, reaching a wider audience and becoming even more popular with readers. Still, booksellers and marketing suits insist on a genre. Urban Fantasy. Steampunk. Cyber-Horror-Science Fiction. Is this kind of hair splitting necessary? When does working in "sub-genres" work?
Diana Gabaldon, James Glass, Walter Hunt (moderator), Todd Ellison, Vera Nazarian
Sunday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM "Reading: LORDS OF RAINBOW" - Fireplace Lounge
Vera Nazarian
Sunday, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM LIT 1 / MYTH 1 "Alternative Myths & Religions Used in Science Fiction and Fantasy"
Panelists address the challenges and advantages to developing cultures and religious systems in Fantasy realms based on other cultures besides the European/English/Irish backdrops found dominating the genre. I reference the application of myth and religious hierarchies from Asia, Egypt, Russia, and even 20th Century America.
Annette Sexton-Ruiz, Vera Nazarian, Lee Gold (moderator), Kevin Radthorne, Michael Underwood
Sunday, 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM ERC 404 / LIT 36 "How to Write a Romance SF Novel" Jane Fancher, Vera Nazarian

Baycon 2004 - San Jose, CA
May 28-31, 2004

The following is the final program schedule:

Saturday, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM "Non-Western Fantasy" - San Juan
Not all fantasy is set in western cultures, nor does it use western mythology. Our panelists will discuss their favorite non-western fantasy stories.
Vera Nazarian (Moderator)
Dave Smeds
David Bratman
Dorothy Heydt
Eleanor Farrell
Ashley Grayson
Saturday, 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM "Reading: Vera Nazarian" - San Jose
Saturday, 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM "Autographing: Vera Nazarian" - Autographing Area
Saturday, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM "Gay Marriage" - Carmel
Fifty years ago, the very concept of blacks and whites intermarrying was scandalous, and, in some states, unlawful. Did San Francisco break the law, or was it just ahead of the curve? Will we look back in 50 years and wonder what all the fuss was about?
Vera Nazarian
Jane Mailander (Moderator)
Kevin Roche
Annalee Newitz
Douglas Berry
Randy Smith
Saturday, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM "SFWA Meeting" - San Juan
Closed meeting for SFWA members only.
Sunday, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM "Electronic Publishing" - San Carlos
Are e-books and Web sites the publishing wave of the future? Or is the "killer appliance" still missing that will replace our favorite paperback book format?
Lee Martindale (Moderator)
Vera Nazarian
Dave Smeds
Kevin O'Donnell, Jr.
Lori Ann White
Sunday, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM "Kaffeeklatsch: Vera Nazarian" - Klatsch Room
Sunday, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM "Emigrating: The Quirks of Other Cultures" - Santa Clara
Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Reality is often very different from what is expected.
Vera Nazarian
Howard Hendrix
Hugh Daniel
Carolyn Dougherty (Moderator)
Cheryl Morris
Sunday, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM "Changing Characters, Changing Balance" - San Carlos
When you change a character, how does that change the overall balance of the story? When might you want to change a character? When should you leave the character unchanged?
Adrienne Gormley
Vera Nazarian
Deborah J. Ross (Moderator)
Ken Wharton
Lori Ann White
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
Sunday, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM "Gay, Queer, Genderqueer, Whatever" - Carmel
In the days when sexual identity and gender identity aren't as rigid as they used to be, how are these concepts changing? We live in a world where many GBLT folk are harassed. How can we, as a society, do better?
Vera Nazarian
Ctein
Andy Trembley
Annalee Newitz
Christian McGuire (Moderator)
Sarah Goodman
Katie "Chaos" Savitzky

2 0 0 3 E v e n t s

Loscon 30 - Burbank, CA
November 28-30, 2003

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, 11:30 AM - "Publication Alternatives — E-Books, Print on Demand, etc." - Sunset A
Vera Nazarian
R. Laurraine Tutihasi
Wil Wheaton
Saturday, 10:00 AM - "Vera Nazarian Autographing Session." - TBA
Autographing Session.
Vera Nazarian
Saturday, 1:00 PM - "Fantasy that Breaks the Mold." - Gala
John DeChancie
Sheila Finch
Brad Linaweaver (M)
Vera Nazarian
Deborah Ross
J. Neil Schulman
Sunday, 11:30 AM - "The Art & Craft of Writing" - Sunset B
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
Laura Frankos
Vera Nazarian

Conjecture 2 - San Diego, CA
October 3-5, 2003

The following is the final program schedule:

Friday, 8:00 PM - "Alien Standards of Beauty"
In humans, beauty was once based on signs of youth and health, but cultural pressures have changed that (consider extreme body modification in Africa, and American supermodels too thin to be fertile). What might constitute "beauty" to an alien species, especially if their reproductive patterns and cultural evolution are radically different from our own? After First Contact, will fashion in both species change as we try to look more palatable to each other so the wheels of interspecies commerce run more smoothly? (We know humans are more likely to buy things from a pretty salesperson.)
John Hart, Kathryn Daugherty, Patricia MacEwen, Vera Nazarian, Adina Sobo
Friday, 11:00 PM - "Special Panel: Iron Hack"
Chairman Conje will challenge the competing Iron Hacks to improvise a story using secret ingredients contributed by the audience. Who do you think should be on this one? Iron Hack Hard SF? Iron Hack Epic Fantasy? Iron Hack Space Opera?
Allison Lonsdale, Christian McGuire, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Vera Nazarian, Michael Phoenix, Jefferson Swycaffer
Saturday, 1:00 PM - "Themed Reading: Humor"
Each panelist does a short reading of what they consider the funniest scene or passage they have ever written.
Lee Martindale, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Vera Nazarian, Jefferson Swycaffer
Saturday, 3:00 PM - "The Epic in a Soundbite Age"
Who could have guessed that the MTV generation would so fervently embrace Tolkien's long-winded epic? (Well, obviously, the financial backers of Peter Jackson's films did.) In an era of short attention spans and widespread ADHD, the rampant success of the Lord of the Rings films is surprising. Does the human brain crave epic stories even if it was raised on soundbites? Or is it just because the guys in the cast are totally hot?
Sue Dawe, Christian McGuire, Vera Nazarian, Michael Underwood
Saturday, 6:00 PM - "Why do We Need Urban Legends?"
We constantly need to have something that goes "bump in the night." Why do we keep making new mythos? Are our old legends no longer valid or as powerful in a "new" age?
Neal Hallford, Dorothy Heydt, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Vera Nazarian (Moderator), William F. Wu
Saturday, 8:00 PM - "Editing Your Own Work"
It may not be the best idea, but sometimes you have no choice. And the preliminary editing -- the work of the copyeditor and proofreader -- needs to be done before your manuscript lands on the purchasing editor's desk. How can you clean up your own work? Tips and tricks for looking at your all-too-familiar prose with the detached eye of an editor, and fixing things about your darling baby that you can hardly bear to change.
Jean Graham, Nancy Holder, Vera Nazarian, Deirdre Saoirse Moen
Sunday, 3:00 PM - "If We Could Fix One Thing"
The end of Sheri S. Tepper's Gibbon's Decline and Fall presents an array of choices for changing humanity to diminish unnecessary suffering; the reader never learns which option was chosen. Given Tepper's focus on sexual politics in the book, all of the choices have to do with changing our reproductive patterns. But that may not be the best way to go about it, persuasive though she is. What one change in the human race would reduce suffering the most without having catastrophic side effects? Raising intelligence, empathy, or sense of humor? Making us telepathic? Debate.
Maryelizabeth Hart, Patricia MacEwen, Lee Martindale, Vera Nazarian

BookExpo America - Los Angeles, CA
May 28 - June 1, 2003

Here are photos of the Wildside Press booth that I staffed together with Amy Sterling Casil and Alan Rodgers. It was lots of fun!

Baycon 2003 - San Jose, CA
May 23-26, 2003

The following is the final program schedule:

Saturday, 1:00 PM Cedar - "The Future of Sex"
Gay, straight, bi -- we already have a lot of sexual choices, but not always the freedom to express them. What sexual options may become more accepted in the future? Will technology play a part in any of them?
Vera Nazarian (Moderator)
Jane Mailander
Andy Trembley
Kristina Theriot
Saturday, 4:00 PM San Carlos - "Fantasy That Breaks the Mold"
No castles, no evil wizards, no mightily thewed heroes.
Vera Nazarian (Moderator)
Deirdre Saoirse Moen
Dorothy Heydt
Lori White
Karen Anderson
Saturday, 5:30 PM Monterey - "Yes, I Did Just Have My First Novel Published"
What is it like to see your first novel in print?
Cory Doctorow
ElizaBeth Gilligan
Vera Nazarian (Moderator)
Mark Ferrari
Sunday, 12:30 PM San Jose - "Reading: Vera Nazarian"
Vera Nazarian
Sunday, 1:00 PM Monterey Foyer - "Autographs: Vera Nazarian"
Vera Nazarian
Sunday, 4:00 PM San Carlos - "Self-Promotion and Publicity for Writers"
Hey, over here! Fine words for sale.
Vera Nazarian
Tracy Blackstone
Lizzy Shannon
Kevin Andrew Murphy
Monday, 1:00 PM San Carlos - "Publishing Credit: What Counts and Why"
Does self-publishing lead to paid publishing? Do E-zine sales lead to hardcover publishing? Are you wasting your time submitting to small press publishers? What does help you get credit?
Vera Nazarian (Moderator)
Kent Brewster
Marty Halpern
Monday, 11:30 AM Klatch Room - "Klatch: Vera Nazarian"
Vera Nazarian

Literacy Day - Upland, Pomona, CA
April 12, 2003

I am a scheduled speaker at two Wal-Mart store locations in the Literacy Day event sponsored by Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, both on Saturday, April 12th, 2003.

Store 1992
1540 W Foothill Blvd
Upland, CA 91786
Store phone: (909)920-4021
at 10:00 AM (Pacific)
Store 2288
80 Rio Rancho Road
Pomona, CA 91766
Store phone: (909)620-4602
at 2:00 PM (Pacific)

2 0 0 2 E v e n t s

Loscon 29 - Burbank, CA
November 29 - December 1, 2002

The following is the program participant schedule.

My two panels are both on Saturday.

SATURDAY, November 30th, 2002:

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
HOW TO GET PUBLISHED THE FIRST TIME

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
THE LITTLE INFRA-RED SCHOOL HOUSE

Conjecture - San Diego, CA
Ocrober 18 - 20, 2002

The following is the final program participant schedule. It is alphabetical by participant.

ConJose Worldcon - San Jose, CA
August 29 - September 2, 2002

The following is the final program participant schedule.

THURSDAY, August 29th, 2002:

1:00 PM Venus Rearmed: How Dangerous Have New Genre Heroines Become?
Dr. Janice Marie Bogstad
Mari Kotani
Chris Moriarty (M)
Vera Nazarian
Does the endurance of SF/Fantasy heroines encourage exploitation and pose a threat to feminist principles?
THURSDAY, August 29th, 2002:
4:00 PM Staffing the SFWA Table (Dealers Room, 1 hr)
Vera Nazarian
FRIDAY, August 30th, 2002:
2:30 PM Autographing
Greg Bear
John G. Hemry
Thomas Hopp
Kay Kenyon
Vera Nazarian
Christy Hardin Smith
FRIDAY, August 30th, 2002:
5:30 PM Russia: Can This Country Be Saved?
Hugh S. Gregory
L. E. Modesitt Jr.
Vera Nazarian (M)
With the Russian Mafia controlling the economy and Vladimir Putin more concerned with centralizing his own personal power than solving the country's problems, is there any way Russia can join the 21st century?
SATURDAY, August 31st, 2002:
11:30 AM SFWA Musketeers Swordfighting Demo
Brenda W. Clough
Doranna Durgin
John G. Hemry
Lee Martindale
Elizabeth Moon (M)
Vera Nazarian
Jody Lynn Nye
Selina Rosen
Sherwood Smith
Kristine Smith
SATURDAY, August 31st, 2002:
4:00 PM SFF Net Suite - Reading
Vera Nazarian
SUNDAY, September 1st, 2002:
10:00 AM The Chinese Century?
Dr. Janice Marie Bogstad (M)
Susan R. Matthews
Vera Nazarian
William F. Wu
Will China pass the U.S. as the world's superpower? And can they do it without abandoning communism?
SUNDAY, September 1st, 2002:
2:30 PM Print On Demand: Books When You Want Them
Roger MacBride Allen
Kent Brewster (M)
Richard Michaels
Vera Nazarian
The advantages (and disadvantages) of print-on-demand from several perspectives.
SUNDAY, September 1st, 2002:
5:30 PM Ethical Systems in Alien Societies
Sheila Finch
Keith Hartman
Vera Nazarian (M)
Robert Reed
How would historical and biological development determine alien moral and ethical codes?
MONDAY, September 2nd, 2002:
11:00 AM SFF Net Suite - Reading
Vera Nazarian (M)
MONDAY, September 2nd, 2002:
2:30 PM Reading (0.8 hrs) Room: CC F
Vera Nazarian (M)

Westercon 55 - Los Angeles, CA
July 4 - 7, 2002

The following is the final program participant schedule.

THURSDAY, July 4th, 2002:

3:45 PM The Future of Small Press Publishing
V. Nazarian, D. Smeds, M. Walsh, M. Ward.
(location: La Jolla A)
THURSDAY, July 4th, 2002:
5:00 PM Dragon by Dragon
R. Hobb, V. Nazarian, D. Ross, D. Smeds, S. Smith.
(location: D)
FRIDAY, July 5th, 2002:
10:00 AM Girl Cooties
B. Landry, B. Meacham, V. Nazarian, W. Spencer, C. Willis.
(location: EF)
SATURDAY, July 6th, 2002:
2:30 PM Autographing
Vera Nazarian.
(location: Catalina)
SUNDAY, July 7th, 2002:
1:45 PM Self-Promotion and Publicity
V. Nazarian, D. Hooker, B. Meacham, M. Moscoe, W. Spencer.
(location: La Jolla A)

Baycon 2002 - San Jose, CA
May 24th - 27th, 2002

The following is the final program participant schedule.

SATURDAY, May 25th, 2002:

2:30 PM The Business of Writing
Writing is only the first step.
(location: Monterey)
SATURDAY, May 25th, 2002:
4:00 PM I now pronounce you... Lexicography
What our pronunciation tells others about us. What our definitions tell us about the world.
(location: Cedar)
SUNDAY, May 26th, 2002:
11:30 AM And Justice for all
Should the Bill of Rights only apply to US citizens? What are the dangers?
(location: Cedar)
SUNDAY, May 26th, 2002:
1:00 PM Reading: Vera Nazarian
Reading with special effects.
(location: San Jose)
SUNDAY, May 26th, 2002:
2:00 PM Autographs: Vera Nazarian
(location: Autograph Hall)
SUNDAY, May 26th, 2002:
5:30 PM Science Fiction, It's More than just English
Is science fiction a universal language? Are there problems when translating from one language to another? What are we missing by only reading English?
(location: Santa Clara)

2 0 0 1 E v e n t s

Loscon 28 - Burbank, CA
November 23 - 25, 2001

The following is the final program participant schedule.

FRIDAY, November 23th, 2001:

4:00 PM Marketing Niches: A Necessary Evil?
A book can be marketed as science fiction, fantasy, or mainstream work without changing a line. What is the difference to the author, and who makes the decision?
(Hartman, Turtledove, Nazarian, Wrede, Willson, Dumars)
SATURDAY, November 24th, 2001:
11:30 AM Psychotic Fantasies
Many protagonists in science fiction and fantasy novels are driven or violent characters. Are sane, well-adjusted people boring, or perhaps less believable than madmen?
(Hartman, Shetterly, Turtledove, Nazarian, Gilden)
SATURDAY, November 24th, 2001:
1:00 PM Small Press, Smaller Press, No Press At All...
Never mind the technological implications of books moving from paper to e-books and CRT's - what are the social implications? Do we want anybody with a website and a program to be a publisher? When something like that happened in music we got punk rock... are we ready for a literary version?
(Nazarian, Bloom, Weber, Cantor, Schulman)
SATURDAY, November 24th, 2001:
4:45 PM Reading - Vera Nazarian
SUNDAY, November 25th, 2001:
10:00 AM Skeptical Teaching
Teaching people to think for themselves carries the risk that they will someday oppose their teachers' own ideas. How skeptical do we want our children to be? How do we find that balance?
(Osborn, Nazarian, Koslow, Maners, Weber, Bondi)

Millennium Philcon Worldcon - Philadelphia, PA
August 30, 2001 - September 3, 2001

The following is the final program participant schedule.

THURSDAY, August 30, 2001:

5:00 PM Evolution of Online Communities: How Did They Start? Where Are They Going?
Tom Galloway
Saul Jaffe
Wilma Meier (M)
Vera Nazarian
Sharon Sbarsky
FRIDAY, August 31, 2001:
11:00 AM A World-Wide Endeavor: Science Fiction from Around the World
Charles N. Brown (M)
Tobias Buckell
John Costello
Vera Nazarian
12:00 PM - The SFWA Musketeers Gala Show
SATURDAY, September 1, 2001:
11:00 AM Reading - Vera Nazarian - SFF Net Suite
2:00 PM Ur-SF: Folklore and Myth as a Basis for SF - If mythology and folktales are our roots, what in them has been used in SF and fantasy writing?
Brenda W. Clough
Tony Daniel
P. C. Hodgell
Vera Nazarian
4:00 PM Autographing - Vera Nazarian - CC2 Exhibit Auto
SUNDAY, September 2, 2001:
11:30 AM Reading - Vera Nazarian - CC106B