Subscribing is definitely the best way to make sure you get a hug for your pocket, but you can have a sneak peak at today’s e-postcard and look at last fortnight’s postcard if you what to check out our newest work in progress http://eepurl.com/ctLf3T
And apologies for the dark blue urls! I shall fix the template!
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It filled me with so much joy to see old friends and meet new fans. You guys inspire me and I will try to work harder for you every day. We have some challenging years ahead of us and it will be important to find a multitude of ways to bring the awesome. I was impressed by the quality of conversations in many spaces at Orycon and I hope to be back next year.
I’ve just finished up a contract at Microsoft, so now is a great time to chat with me about projects. I’ll be using this as an opportunity to treat myself as a client as well, as I have neglected myself a little. It’s an exciting opportunity for me, and possibly for your organization!
It’s no secret that I adored my experience at ACA. Through the power of our Master Artist, you can get a taste of it for yourself, look at some pretty photos, AND get a nudge for your own projects.
http://jessicaabel.com/2016/11/17/simple-goals/
Flying home from ACA, inking Things comics I sketched while there. So much deep work. I found new capacity as a storyteller. I was inspired by great people who I got to talk to and listen to and exist in space with. I realized, again, ways I rob myself of my own power an watched myself repeat those behaviors. Compulsions that will take time to balance.
I found/remembered new ways of fun for my practice. New capacity to push into, the raw and muted. To feel and laugh and cry and share full throated Karaoke.
New projects are coming. New approaches are coming that should offer fun for you and me AND help me honor and value my time more!
Looking down at a river of lights. Landing soon and ready to come home, again and again and again.
Master Artist Jessica Abel with Liz Argall, Jenny Blair, Lacy Davis, Robin Ha, James Kettner (Kett), JD Lunt, Stacy Pigg and Keith Wilson.
Master Artist Natasha Barrett with Rebecka Ahvenniemi, Andrew Babcock, Brona Martin, Rob Seaback, Eli Stine, Robert Scott Thompson, Giulia Vismara and Benjamin Whiting.
Master Artist Sanford Biggers with, Jacob Broussard, Jen Everett, Katya Grokhovsky, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Catalina Ouyang, Victor Perez, Megan Reed and Oli Rodriguez.
If you would like more Things in your diet please head over to Uncanny Magazine and check out Things React to Star Trek where we look at love as a tool we use to shape ourselves, and shape our communities.
Thanks to Mary Anne Mohanraj and Una McCormack for being the muses on this one (go read their essays), and thanks as always to Uncanny Magazine and all the Uncanny backers for creating this space for the Things to come, play and be inspired by the great fiction, non-fiction, poetry and interviews.
http://uncannymagazine.com/liz-argalls-things-react-star-trek/
A brain tumor took Kate Yule from us yesterday.
She was/is (for the quality of character can extend beyond time) an exemplar of so much of what I love about the community of science fiction and fantasy, and why I choose SFF author over author as a label.
The first time I met Kate I felt accepted, included and wrapped up in a community where squee was a normal state of being. Kate was kind, generous, lively, and infinitely curious. Her crafty projects filled me with awe. I loved how her eye lit up in the face of new adventure (be it organizing a convention, untangling yarn or pondering the nature of the cosmos).
The treatment for an aggressive glioblastoma is not a kind one. Last time I saw her the frustrations of aphasia brain fog and overloading were frustrating her, but she was holding up with a grace Olympians would admire. Her strength was remarkable, as was her ability to articulate her aphasia while having aphasia.
Kate was a community maker, an enthusiasm spreader, generous of heart, and with a strong spirit. I spent an hour or two trying to draw her today, so hard to capture a spirit, but it struck me that she only looks anything like herself when she is smiling. I ran out of good paper until I created one that captured a little of her something as I see it.
<3 to David, I’m so glad you had 25 years together, and gratitude for being so open about this difficult journey. <3 to all the people who stepped up to help with caring roles and kept community close.
Vale Kate.
So many fantastic things! Here’s a quick roundup in the life of Liz.
Kevin J. Anderson & Sherrilyn Kenyon rocked the Author Spotlight for “Trip Trap” in Lightspeed Magazine. I learn so much interviewing people.
Uncanny Magazine knocked it out of the park twice! They hit all their stretch goals for the Kickstarter AND won a Hugo award for Best Semi-Prozine! I’m so happy to be associated with them. Thanks to generous supporters on Kickstarters the Things will be returning for the next year of Uncanny. So much joy, so much good.
In glorious and wonderful news I will be an Associate Artist in Residence at ACA in August-November, with Jessica Abel as the Master Artist in Residence. I am so beyond excited about this. I found out a while ago, but I’ve been so busy with life that I haven’t had a chance to tell many folks. I’ve been working hard to get through various backlogs so that I can have something shiny and new to work on for ACA, not so new I flop around too much, but not so old that I can’t benefit from all the critiquing and workshopping of the concept.
I saw some photos of the place recently and my jaw kinda dropped. I was excited about working under Abel, but holey moley the grounds are gorgeous!
I turned in the first drafts of a project that I’m so excited to be on. I am so curious about what the edits will be like, as it’s a kind of work for hire that is new to me. I hope to tell you all more in a few months, for now I get to be all excited and nervous and relieved.
The Things are now 500 comics old, and that’s not including a few side projects that ended up on the website! I’m trying to think of how to properly celebrate it and do some kind of belated birthday party. Maybe more magnets? Maybe custom M&Ms? I really like the idea of more Things magnets with words that you put on the fridge, so you can have hugs and I believe in you and stuff like that. But maybe stuff isn’t the answer, I already have a spoonflower store and a redbubble store. I need to think about it some more.
The fabulous Writing the Other folks have master class series starting soon, each independent class dives deeply into a specific topics! There’s the Sentient Squid Scholarship (<3 anonymous benefactors and the I Should Be Writing and Ditch Diggers podcasts) you can apply for if you need a hand.
They’re pretty fab, check em out!
One of the most epic night of nights. The Eunuchs of the Forbidden City worked hard to make Emperor Stardust proud. Now I must go renew my SFWA membership ;-)
#sfwapro
I recently interviewed the fabulous Merc Rustad for Lightspeed, then saw them looking totally swank at the Nebulas, but alas had no time to chat in person! Next time gadget!
In the meantime, here is their interview, full of a vision and a mission for more joy and happy endings for queer characters.
Finding Home is a great part of that mission, you can read it for free online and purchase it if you want to support folks to keep bringing the awesome to the world of spec fic. Go check it out!