Caren Gussoff writer. geek. bon vivant. dot com

This seems like it should be the time I’d be pushing out frequent updates to the three or four of you dedicated readers. Instead, I have temporarily deserted you and experienced the last whirlwind month without you in my front pocket. What a terrible, negligent virtual pal I have been. I have been ensconced in velvet for the past few weeks and I have shared nary a corner.

Clarion West season is very consuming. There are now parties, weekly readings and all other variations of social engagements in which I get to see friends and make new ones—as well as honk incomprehensible love-words towards writers of whom I am a sick-ass fan. Maureen McHugh, my long-distance crush, materialized into this lovely woman with a gentle, no-bullshit personality and a wicked sense of humor. I did not curl up in her lap, although I wanted to, and remain convinced that she could have totally taken it without freaking out over my needy adoration. Plus, I was lucky enough to sit in on one of her CW classes and get proof-pudding that she the genius that I have lovingly expected her to be.

I was also present during the reception in honor of Octavia E. Butler’s induction into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and was blessed into meeting some of her relatives, her whip smart/red headed agent, and other friends and readergellencia.

The beginning of this week found me back to heaven-on-earth (AKA Hedgebrook) to a party in honor of the writers who were honored with this year’s Elizabeth George Foundation Awards. I was one of these honorees, and I was bursting with pride and nervousness and self-doubt. But, between the nourishment of Hedgebrook, Elizabeth George’s quiet, classy, feisty generosity, a rousing round of croquet, the spying of bald eagle fledglings, and some very, very, very wonderful conversation over red wine with Gloria Steinem, I felt wrapped in angel wings of printed paper.

To top this sundae of holy-shitness, I’m taking on as web manager for the SFWA website, creating and implementing a content plan that allows fresh, interesting, relevant, and useful articles, interviews, and reviews go up on the site nearly every day. I’ve spent the past few weeks ramping up. I have pulled back a corner as a place from which to jump, so watch for me pulling my parachute—possibly in your direction—starting this week.

Oh, yeah. I’m also trying to whip some novel pages into order so they can be sent out as partials.

Sometimes, I sleep.

Of all the writers in the world that I would have liked to have known, Octavia E. Butler tops my list for a hundred different reasons.  I will be in attendance at the Carl Brandon party celebrating her deserved induction into the Hall of Fame. I hope you’ll join me and spread the word.

I’m officially FUCT (like it? I just thought of it)–a freelance, urban, cat-owning thirty-something.*

Potlatch, the convention, is coming March 5-7, 2010 to Seattle, WA.

Potlatch, an all-volunteer, non-profit, literary event for the readers and writers of speculative fiction. Proceeds from Potlatch benefit Clarion West. And this year, I will be acting as the workshop administrator for the Friday writing workshop–open to all speculative fiction writers, regardless of experience, who want to get critiques  in a round-robin Clarion West style.

So, read more about it, grab a copy of the book of honor (Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny), mark your calenders, book your room, and plan on being there.

is now live at Birkensnake.

I wrote this story at Clarion West (in week 5), after a joking dare from Connie Willis on whether I could write a hard SF space opera in less than 2000 words. “Correspondence” weighs in at just over 1500 words, and was inspired by an idea seeded to me by my husband, Chris (who always wants more robot stories). It’s not a space opera in the traditional sense, except that it’s in space, has a hero, and a battle (of sorts).

I also highly encourage you to order a hand-bound, hand-singed (with a blowtorch!) copy of the mag. It’s a lovely object and a steal at 4 measly bucks.

If you live in Seattle and are not attending the Tuesday night Clarion West reading series, you are out of your piehole. Karen Joy Fowler’s reading last night was awesome. Next Tuesday, 7pm, University Bookstore = Elizabeth Bear.
Also: I am working hard. Tonight, there will be no writing. There will be no reading, no laundry, no working on the porchstead, no returned phone calls or emails, not even a shower. I am going to eat 1/2 a pint of chocolate ice cream, lie on the comfy futon, stare at the TV, pat the cats, then pass out gloriously/blissfully, disgustingly early.
I’ll do all that useful stuff Friday, during the day (I have the day off!), before the CW party for KJF.

I’ve had a crazy week, crazier weekend–both crazy good. I started a day job as a community management consultant for Projectline, who recently made the list of Washington’s 100 Best Companies to Work for (by Seattle Business Magazine)! That’s been a bit all-consuming, but pleasantly exciting. My co-workers are very smart, engaged, and interesting people, the work is going to be challenging, the best of what I could hope for, really. I feel super lucky for finding this gig, especially in such an unlikely economy.
Friday was the combo Locus Awards/Clarion West party in honor of John Kessel, who just finished teaching week one. I went to Kessel’s reading at the University Bookstore Tuesday night, and was too awestruck to introduce myself–I am the hugest John Kessel fan in creation. Seriously. When I was writing lit fic, banging my head against walls, I read Kessel’s story “Buddha Nostril Bird,” which singlehandedly made me reconsider genre (I grew up a fan, as most of you know/guess, but somehow never thought, for some idiot reason, I could do serious literary work in SFF. Dumb). But that story led me to seek out more of his work, which got me reading again in the genre, which was the kick in the head that I needed. Anyway, Kessel = ROCK STAR in my head, so Friday, pal Todd Vandemark (a current CW student and author of this week’s excellent Brain Harvest story) introduced me and I managed to effuse without creeping him out. I even got to buy him a drink.
Saturday was the Locus Awards/Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction. So.many.writers.and.artists. Got John Kessel and Nancy Kress to sign battered copies of their books for me, then walked around and just goggled at people with my CW fam (Maggie Croft, Chris Reynega, Carlton Mellick III, Rose O’Keefe and friends were up for the event). I even talked to quite a few other people, including Elizabeth Bear, who is super funny and really nice, and got a signed print for my Chris from Michael Whelan (who was also very, very, very nice!).
I was publicly shamed for not wearing a Hawaiian shirt, as required, but was sufficiently penitent, so I think Connie Willis (my teacher, my heroine, and now, 2009 SF Hall of Fame-r) forgave me.
Is your head swimming yet? Mine is.
Sunday, I missed the Pride parade, but did have a pho breakfast with Chris and Maggie before they took off back to the Bay Area. Then, seriously, I can’t remember anything else I managed to do, of any note, aside from watch a bit of “Ninja Warrior” with husband, have a Brain Harvest editorial meeting, and eat ice cream for dinner—one of the few truly awesome things about being an adult—I mean, if I have to deal with gravity and taxes, then I should treasure my ice cream dinners.
Now the week turns back on itself and I am at my day job again. Tonight—CW writeathon writing time—tomorrow, the Karen Joy Fowler reading at the University Bookstore (7pm, free!). Come! I’ve never seen her read, but I have heard piles and piles of great stuff about her.

There’s still plenty of time to sponsor me. I diddled around with ideas for my first story, which I think will have to do with comedians, integrating organic and inorganic substrates, a failed love affair, and lightning.
It’s hard to think about new folks over in the Clarion West house, getting ready, setting up their wi-fi, meeting each other and their first instructor–it doesn’t feel like a year’s gone by since that was me doing all that. But I am so excited for them and can’t wait to meet them–and pass along the CW lore handed down, class to class, over beers at the weekly parties. Plus, I know what a tough, inspiring, incredible challenge will unfold for them over the next six weeks, and I look forward to cheering them on.
I get to meet them first at the first reading in the summer reading series that CW does in conjunction with the University Bookstore: John Kessel, this Tuesday the 23rd, at 7pm, upstairs in the University Bookstore. The readings are free, but everyone is encouraged to buy books to sign and to donate to CW while they are there (or sponsor a writer in the writeathon), but there is no pressure or anything. I will be there, at all of them, but especially this one–I am a wicked Kessel fan.
This week’s new Brain Harvest story, “I Like to Tease People,” by Martin Meiss is live. It’s a great piece, really clever, mean spirited with a heart of gold. Also, be sure you are prepping for the super awesome Brain Harvest Mega Challenge, judged by the amazing Jeff VanderMeer (I go all fan-girl a-flutter when I remember that VanderMeer is the judge. Hoo boy. VanderMeer is so fucking awesome).
OK, off to bed with me. I have work in the morning (A job! Me! Finally! Doing a really amazing project for a company I am so happy to be a part of–a company that values its smart, creative people–works ‘em hard, but truly supports them trying to live a whole life. I am excited to go to a day job now, for the first time in a very long time).

My natural impatience is showing, these days, like a slip I just can’t keep from sliding down. I feel like the universe set me and mine on some sort of divergent path last year, in fact, right about this time–beginning with the apartment fire (still traumatized), then Clarion West (the summer heat is making me wistful for my comrades), then the drunk driver totaling our car, then personal stuff with Chris, then unemployment, then continued unemployment, then, then, then. It’s been an intense learning experience, as times of extended crisis should be, and I feel like we are getting close to the end of it, to a new beginning. But we aren’t there yet and it’s stressing me right the fuck out.

So, please excuse my occasional bouts of radio silence. It’s better for us all, otherwise you’d have to read pages and pages of me agonizing over why.things.don’t.move.faster.because.I.want.them.to and other assorted control issues and irritations.

In other news, and there’s a bunch:
1. My short-short-short, “The Ghost of Henry’s Past” is a finalist in Fantasy Magazine‘s May Madness Micro-Fiction Contest. Winner is by reader poll, so I would sure love it if you would go read it, and if you like it, vote for me (and 2 other favorites here). Go on. I’ll sit here while you do.
2. There’s a lot going on at Brain Harvest. If you haven’t read this week’s story, “Snake Eyes,” by Kevin Bishop, go now. I’ll wait again.
You should also vote (more democracy in action!) to choose which story, published in May, will be read by our voice talent for our first ever mini-podcast.
And! Visit the site tomorrow to get all the details on Brain Harvest’s first ever fiction contest. Cash prizes! Celebrity judge! Fame, fortune, adulation, envy!
3. Finally, I sure would love it if you rifled beneath your couch cushions and sponsored me as a writer in the 2009 Clarion West Writeathon. The money goes to keeping the workshop alive, as well as to pay instructors, help students with scholarships, and all kinds of really good causes. I’ve pledged to write a new story each week of the workshop, and to send a special “e-book” of all the raw, ugly, unfinished drafts to all who sponsor me (so be sure and email me and let me know you’ve sponsored).

Editor John Joseph Adams wrote a very generous and excellent blog post cataloguing the SFF writing and writing-related programs and workshops. I was thinking of doing something similar, but he totally beat me to the punch and kicked ass.

And my excuse for being scarce? I’m over mucking around with Brain Harvest. We launch Sunday, you know. W00t, indeed!