Acquired Taste is a Pittsburgh-based food-themed reading series, held at various locations, each featuring several local or traveling authors. On Friday, May 29th, at 7 p.m., Acquired Taste presents “Wild Food” at The Smiling Moose on East Carson Street, featuring readings by Aubrey Hircsh and Mark Brazaitis, plus a tale of psychic apocalypse in miniature rock-opera form, “Bonnie Wipes It All Clean”, by perennial Pittsburgh art punks Tecumseh EQs. All attendees will receive a limited addition copy of the libretto. The band is fronted by mustachioed Parsec devotee Douglas “Pete” Gwilym.
Confluence 2015 will feature something new: a speculative poetry workshop. Submit an SF or fantasy composition (up to 100 lines) and improve it with the assistance of published poets including:
Timons Esaias – Herb Kauderer – Geoff Landis – Mary Soon Lee – Mary Turzillo – Stephanie Wytovich
The workshop will also provide advice on finding markets, and an opportunity to read your work to a small circle of other poets. Registration is limited to 12 participants, so register early by writing to conprogram@parsec-sff.org. Please include POETRY WORKSHOP in the subject line.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has an article today about Diane Turnshek: Highland students learn about space
Audio files for the April 11, 2015 Parsec Meeting are available at:
https://parsec-sff.org/this-month/past-meetings
Part 1 – Introduction to the meeting, announcements and business.
Part 2 – Lawrence C. Connolly’s presentation Dreams, Memories and Time Travel.
The Confluence pre-reg list is up. If you think your name should be on the list, please contact Barb (bcarlson15210@gmail.com).
Larry Ivkovich has sold his fantasy short story, “The Three Stages of Atsushi,” to the new Scottish genre magazine, Shoreline of Infinity. He’s also had his short story, “The Demon on the Mountain,” accepted for the upcoming SF anthology, Beyond the Karman Line from Laurel Highlands Publishing.
The Parsec Short Story Contest is now closed to submissions. We received 189 stories. We’ll be sending the top eight on to the judges for consideration. Prizes are $200, $100 and $50 for the top three stories. Good luck to all submitters!
Mary Soon Lee was the Poet of the Week at Songs of Eretz Poetry Review and they published six of her poems online. One of the poems is from “The Sign of the Dragon,” Mary’s epic fantasy poetry sequence and may be read here. Another poem from that sequence appeared in Uppagus and may be read here: Pigeon. Two other poems from the sequence were printed (actually printed on paper, not online) in Tales of the Talisman. Mary has an antiquated website at http://www.marysoonlee.com.
Parsec member Jamie Lackey had four short stories published in March.
- “Her Mother’s Book” in Mad Scientist Journal
- “To Go on Two Feet” in Swords and Sorcery Magazine
- “The Mutable Sky” in The Colored Lens
- “The Sour Thread of Doubt” in The Sockdolager
Mary Soon Lee’s fantasy poem “Training: Horse” is online in Mirror Dance. She has also had a third poem nominated for the 2015 Rhysling Award, and has had poems published in the past month in the Cold Mountain Review, Mobius: The Journal of Social Change, and Songs of Eretz Poetry Review. She has an antiquated website at http://www.marysoonlee.com.