A Short Review of A Supernatural Convention

Last weekend was my first Creation Supernatural Convention (I had previously gone to an academic conference on Supernatural hosted by DePaul University)

Overview:

I overall had a great time. There is something amazing about the Supernatural Family. And yes it really is a family.

• For some fandoms the characters define the fandom
• For other fandoms the actors define the fandom
• For other fandoms the mythology/world building defines the fandom
• For other fandoms the symbolism  defines the fandom

For the Supernatural Family all these things are combined. The cast calls the fans family and the fans consider the cast family. Together they have shown their power in supporting good causes. Everything from Stoke and Diabetes awareness, to Building free public high schools, to working to create our own Mental Health Hotline to support all those who are struggling. 

While I don't think I can clearly articulate how special the Supernatural Family is I think part of it might be that those who have seen the show have experienced a common experience which creates a "Band of brothers". 

The show has explored many issues over the years: Alcoholism, Alcoholism effects on others, Family, Adopted Family, Found Family, What we owe family, What is owed to us by family, Trauma, Depression, Numbness, The role of fate, Finding home, Fandom itself, Ambition, The meaning of free will, Faith, What happens when Angels lose faith in God, What happens when God is MIA .......

Some highlights from the Con:

• Having the opportunity to ask Mark Sheppard a Question during his panel. I asked if Crowley (The King of Hell) knew he was loved. And I actually got a semi serious answer from Mark (which is uncommon) about how there is a difference between being told you are loved and knowing you are loved. Which implies I have to keep worrying about my poor Cowley

• Death's panel (Julian Richings) where we learned that Julian thinks Death's final thoughts while being Killed were "You bugger", also  how his death as Death was less surprising then another show where he reacuring character was killed with out informing him.  

• Osric Chau (Kevin Tran: A prophet of the lord): We determined at the Con that Kevin should be God's Wife (Husband), God aka Chuck (Rob Benedict) agreed, Osric gave the advice that it is better to do a ton of short imperfect projects then try to get one perfect. Also learned that the song Sweet Caroline is now Sweet Osric Chau (I mean both God and Gabriel said so, so it must be true)

• There were many other highlights but I don't have the time to go on. 

Notes on the Convention as a Convention

As a creation event it was run differently then many of the smaller fan run or academic fan conferences I have attended. The main thing which stood out to me was there was only one track of programming. But I have to say that those panels were lots of fun. And the whole convention felt like a 3 day rock concert because of Louden Swain was our house band. Overall I would describe it as a family reunion where it was great to catch up, especially with actors who have not been on the show in over a decade but still are family. 

This week I am away at a Supernatural Convention, I will most likely write something about that next week. But I am leaving you with a wonderful Gem I found online. 

In this wonderful interview with Graham Moore covers everything from Depression and Mental Health, To Sherlock, Alan Turing, and the Legal battles around the light bulb.  Check it out.

http://podcast.cnn.com/the-axe-files-david-axelrod/episode/all/1I1pkE6MHxfBjM/cuex3h.1-1.html

Selections From A Summer In Books

This Summer I read 25 books while completing the Chicago Public Library's "Book Bingo" game. Here are some brief notes for 5 of these stories in no particular order.

(Comment at the end with one book you read this summer, or a book you are excited to read this fall, or a book you would recommend)

Nonfiction:

  

Yes, Ron Chernow's Biography is a wonderful Biography, and the inspiration for the musical Hamilton, but it is more that an biography. It is a history of the founding of America, a history of the political debates we still have today, and an explanation of our economic system. Chernow is able to balance both gushing about Hamilton and being critical of Hamilton at the same time. Chernow also did a great job explaining and working through Hamilton epic amount of writings. I am excited to begin reading Ron Chernow's biography on George Washington next.

This may be a selection of nonfiction

But in reality it is a fairy tale

A magic show, An adventure

A Love Affair with stories and books and writing

(From my poem on reading this book)

This was a wonderful collection and I recommend you read my previous post which went into more detail about why I loved it: http://adventuresofadreamingace.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-view-from-cheap-seats-love-affair.html

This was an interesting read, and examines the interplay between america's cultural responses to: Gender, Sexuality, Race, and Economic situations. The book also looks at the push back which occurred whenever individuals from any group stepped outside the cultural norms of their times. It is always interesting to see how often these cultural norms changed and what was "proper" behavior was never static

Fiction

This was a story which I had heard about at a "Banned Books" Event, which peaked my interest, and when I saw it would fit a square of "Book Bingo" I went for it. I really enjoyed this collection of vignettes, which looked at the challenges of life, and being a writer, and family, and knowing your place in the world, expressed with lots of warmth and love. This really is a wonderfully written book. 

This is a story I would have never found if it was not for "Book Bingo" and the "A book from the state you were born in" (which I converted to "A book from the "city" I was born in"). This is a very sweet (Pun intended) story about a middle schooler dealing with her single mother, who is bi-polar, moving herself and her deaf brother across the country from Texas to Schenectady to start a ice cream store. It is a story about building a community, working for your dreams despite the challenges, and asking for the help you need in life. Warning: This story is going to make you crave to eat ice cream :)

   

Poem on Fanfiction: Romance by Proxy

This is re-posting a poem I posted on Facebook earlier this week. I had been musing on all the Fanfiction I had been reading recently and some of the reasons why I am so drawn to Fanfiction as a field of writing/reading/daydreaming. 

Romance by Proxy

As I search my Heart

As I search my Soul

As I search for The Stories 

Day in and Day out

I realize I seek

Romance by Proxy

Couches and Movies

Late night cups of tea and conversation

Those who tell you to stop if you are working too hard

Those who give hugs and forehead kisses

Those who write letters of romance

And Yes often in Fanfiction

The romance leads 

To "Dot Dot Dot"

But even that can seem sweet

Between characters

In fantasy

By reading the tags

You know who will end up with whom

How they will go out two by two

Or sometimes even sweeter

How they will go out three by three

Where Romantic friendships

Passionate friendships

Queerplatonic relationships

Are all as common 

As heteronormative relationships 

Are out in the wilds of the real world

I cling to a reality

Within stories

Where the rules are clearly stated

Instead of this world we call reality

Where the rules are listed in code

Where asking even for the coded version

Is not proper: Not the way things are done

I realize I seek

Romance by Proxy

And sometimes that is a lifetime of enough

And sometimes I feel I am missing out on something

I realize I seek

Romance by Proxy

I realize I seek

Romance by Proxy

I realize I seek

Romance by Proxy

Hillywood at it again

Hillywood has released the latest in their line of wonderful productions

Sherlock

I love the dancing and the Chorus but it did take a few watching to get into the rest of the lyrics (Mainly because it was a rhyming scheme I was not as familiar with, 

Not because it is not a wonderful production).

With Sherlock this means they have completed the whole Superwholock trio. 

Check out the videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArdWL2uKf7k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCZy8cAgBlM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WBqHdI5Bdw

Federalist Paper Poem

This poem is in response to Ron Chernow’s amazing and wonderful Biography of Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton the musical, and various soul searching I have been doing recently

(Please see notes and references at end)

Federalist Paper Poem

(A defense of myself to myself)

This is a poem of confessions

This is a poem of soul searching

This is a poem about relooking at what “America” Means

I was born in America

My story is not the immigrant story

The “Young, scrappy, and Hungry” Story

The “Just you wait” story

The “I’m not throwing away my shot” story

Mine is the story

Of seeing

The warts

The scares

The bruises

Of this country

I have lived here

All my life

(But two years in Peace Corps)

But not feeling

A Strong Identity as an American

But starting with a Musical

Followed by a book

I am relearning

The foundations of this country

Of those who gave up everything

In order to bring this country into being

Who understood the importance of a central government

Which was surprisingly touch and go

I see the foundations of our economics

And why economics matters

To a country

I also see

The breaks

The factions

The fears

Which created the political systems

We live with to this day.

There is power in seeing

Those who would have given everything

Who did give everything

For this country

For the idea of this country

For the promise of this country’s future

Sometimes our countries scars feel like Kintsugi

Sometimes they feel like puss filled wounds

Sometimes we are a bully

Sometimes we challenge everyone we know to a duel

And sometimes we can be

The Honorable Underdog

We all can root for

Today we stand

In the gumbo we call America

And we still cut each other down

We still need

“Black Lives Matter”

“Immigrant Lives Matter”

We need to fight

A revolution against

Whitewashing our media

Whitewashing our history

Whitewashing our identities

We need to fight

A revolution for

Ending Hate

Ending Discrimination

Ending Fear

And on a more personal level

I need to fight

A revolution

A revolution for Love

“Love is Love is Love is Love is Love”

A revolution for life

No matter how heavy the weight of Time feels

A revolution of identity

Who am I?

Not the Historical Hamilton

Not the Musical Hamilton

Not the Fanfiction Hamilton(s)

Who am I?

This is where this Federalist papers poem

Co-mingles with an Reynolds Paper poem

Part of what I expressed in a letter mailed

To Lin-Manuel in a moment of darkness

Hamilton and You

Speak to how little time we are given to make a difference

What is your advice?

When instead of too much life to fit into the time I have

It seems there is too much time for the life I have

Don’t worry

I have family and friends

And I will never choose

To make them sing

Their own version of

“It’s Quiet Uptown”

“Working through the unimaginable”

I will #AlwaysKeepFighting

Because that is what is requested of me by my various fandoms

And by you and all those I admire

And I never want to break your hearts

And when I write for others

The comfort and hope

Flows from my pen

That I don’t always find inside for myself

Lin-Manuel Miranda

You are Loved

Each atom of your being

Each thought in your head

Each dream of your soul

Is Loved, Is Loved, Is Loved

But When I ponder

“Who lives, Who dies, Who tells your story”

I am remarkable ready for someone else to tell my story

And find despite only being in my early 30’s

It feels there is a too infinite number of tomorrows

Before my story is finished

As a writer I would never ask

Where your ideas come from

But instead I ask questions

With even more nebulous answers

Where does your passion for life come from?

How does someone see themselves through the eyes of others?

Where should we look when the world is amazing: But it feels too sweet?

Like something which, while is wonderful, feels like it has gone on a bit too long?

And I know this poem

Is a moment of personal privilege

And in the morn

I will face the day

And experience its joy and magic

Until the next time

My soul cries out

Against the heaviness of Time

And I wonder how long this journey will be

Not sure what magic words

What dream worlds or answers

I hoped to find via this poem

But I feel like I have to let

These Words

Go blowing in the wind

And see where the wind takes them

And hope as the writer of Hamilton

You somehow understand

What I am saying

It is said

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king."

Who am I?

A wanderer?

One of the Lost?

A light?

A shadow?

Something in-between?

Reader?

Who am I?

Can you pin it down?

Can you tell me what my Legacy will be?

Until that time I will cling to

History and Historical Figures

Writers and actors and dreamers

The hopes of others

The fears of others

The dreams of others

I fear that Hamilton would tell me

“We studied and we fought and we killed

For the notion of a nation we now get to build

For once in your life, take a stand with pride

I don’t understand how you stand to the side”

But I stand here

And time feels like a Hurricane

Just on the horizon

Sometimes all I can do

Is put one foot in front of the other

One foot in front of the other

And taking a stand

Is just something which I cannot do

I don’t always know how to

Build a life

Build a country

Build my life

My America

My place of Birth

My I don’t know what you are

I will tell you what I hope to gain

From the study of you

I seek an Eliza

I seek a Hamilton

I seek an Angelica

I seek a Washington, a John Laurens

So I will read

And get lost in books

And get lost in stories

Of Yesterday and Today

I seek the wisdom

Each morning of Lin-Manuel posts

Reminding us to Live

That we are all important

That life is to be cherished

Interspersed with “Music, love, and pride”

I seek the wisdom

To “Make Good Art”

I seek the wisdom

To “Write what you feel”

I seek the wisdom

“Stay Weird”

I seek things which cannot be put into words

A pat on a shoulder which touches my core

Which can still be felt months later

Someone to lean on

A purpose

Which is deep enough to touch

My heart and mind and soul

Seeking a different time and place

Where it feels like

We are standing on the cusp of something

Something different

Something magical

Something powerful and maybe awe inspiring

Now I think I will leave this here

Since I am getting as wordy as Hamilton himself

And I think I have lost the thread

So in the end

I ask you

I request from you

I need to know

The answers to a few questions

How do you (Live) like tomorrow won’t arrive?

How do you (Live) like you need it to survive?

How do you (Live) ev’ry second you’re alive?

Ev’ry second you’re alive? Ev’ry second you’re alive?

How do you write like tomorrow won’t arrive?

How do you write like you need it to survive?

How do you write ev’ry second you’re alive?

Ev’ry second you’re alive? Ev’ry second you’re alive?

How do you (Live) like tomorrow won’t arrive?

How do you (Live) like you need it to survive?

How do you (Live) ev’ry second you’re alive?

Ev’ry second you’re alive? Ev’ry second you’re alive?

(How) do you write like you’re running out of time?

(Live) day and night like you’re running out of time?

Ev’ry day you fight, like you’re running out of time?

Because in the end

I hold these truths to be self-evident

A story shared

A story shouted

A story whispered in the Dark

Is a truth better understood?

So here in this moment

Is my soul

Bared for you

Given to you

Hamilton

Notes:

Large sections of this poem come directly from the lyrics of musical Hamilton,

Other Quotes come from Lin-Manuel, Neil Gaiman, Robbie Thompson, Graham Moore and Lord of the Rings

This week

Was a week filled with wonders

Was filled with GISHWHES

And Raps about Alan Turing

And shout outs by Lin-Manuel

Windy City Physics Slam: Where Particle Physicists Collide

And watching Olympics

Filled with stories such as 

Oksana Chusovitina who is competing in Gymnastics at 41

So this weeks blog

Is super short

As I catch my breath

So off to bed

Before the early morning

Calls me to work

Have a great week everyone