I can’t wait for Balticon this weekend. It’s always fun, and the panels look really good. Hope to see you there!

Friday, May 22

5:30 PM
James
Readings
Panelists: Jo Miles, Dominick Rabrun, Jean Marie Ward

10 PM
Federal Hill
“Don’t Get Me Started!”
Our intelligent and witty panelists will pull a topic out of a hat. They will then have two minutes to rant on that topic. Audience will submit topics, the least rant-worthy topics imaginable. Moderator retains the right to reject topics that violate this standard. In the second round, our panelists will take it to the next level and create a conspiracy theory linking two topics from the hat.
Panelists: Yakira Heistand (mod), Daniel M. Kimmel, Nomi S, Ian Randal Strock, Jean Marie Ward

Sunday, May 24

1 PM
Mount Washington
Advancing The Story Without Trauma
While it is accepted that an inciting incident is required as a launch point for a plot arc, our protagonists—and their audiences—might have had enough of certain literary devices. From fridging to sexual violence to burning down the village, creators frequently give characters agency only after making them powerless. Panelists will discuss alternative strategies for kicking off a plot and character motivation.
Panelists: David Simms (mod), Jeanne Adams, Doc Coleman, Jean Marie Ward

2:30 PM
Pride of Baltimore
Strong Female Leads
From the Bechdel test to the Sexy Lamp test, we have lots of metrics for determining if our media is treating female characters well. Yet there’s still much debate about the need for “strong female leads,” and what exactly that means. Why is physical strength/badassery the thing that seems to make a character “strong,” and why would it be a requisite for main-character-dom? Why is a female character’s value dependent on her strength or main character status? And why does falling in love (especially with a man) commonly seem to undermine that strength?
Panelists: MJ Huntsgood (mod), Rigel Ailur, Jennifer Blackstream, 2026 Compton Crook Winner Haley Gelfuso, Jean Marie Ward

Monday, May 25

1 PM
Federal Hill
The Practical Politics of Fairy Tales
What happens after Snow White rides off with her prince? Does anyone consider the power vacuum left behind after the Evil Queen is defeated? Let’s talk about political things overlooked in fairy tales, such as the kingdom-wide repercussions of a king being turned into a frog, what “The Snow Queen” is actually queen of, and why there are so many princes and princesses riding around anyway.
Panelists: Nik Alexander (mod), Pat Bahn, Robert Lewis, Jean Marie Ward

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