Chicon 2000: Academic Track

   Chicon 2000 
   
                                Academic Track
                                       
      Rev. 12-Jul-2000
      
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  Continuing Education
  
   Anyone interested in earning Continuing Education Credits from Oakton
   Community College (at a rate of 1 credit for 10 hours of
   participation), contact Beverly Friend at Beverly.Friend@chicon.org.
   
   A PDF of the Continuing Education Form has been posted. Those
   interested in CE credits should print it out, and take the form to
   your local college to get course approvals.
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  What's Happening on the AcaTrack
  
   Beverly Friend, Beverly.Friend@chicon.org
   
   Long ago, in a place not so far away (Milwaukee), Jerry Pournelle
   dismayed an audience of academics attending the annual meeting of the
   Science Fiction Research Association.
   
   First, Jerry likened science fiction authors to hunters, going out
   into the woods to bag their prey, bringing it home slung over their
   shoulders. Then, he compared science fiction critics and teachers to
   parasites, living off those writers.
   
   That view continues today, giving fans a distorted view of academia.
   
   To fight back, Neil Rest led a wonderful panel on "Fandom for
   Academics" at another SFRA meeting, this time in Evanston.
   
   Now, the discussion continues on two Academic Track CHICON Panels.
   
   Neil will be joined by Phyllis and Alex Eisenstein, Leah Zeldes, Dick
   Smith and Diane Blackwood for the panel, "What Academics Can Learn
   from the Fans." Then, Diane will shift gear and join Betty Hull and
   myself for a parallel panel on "What Fans Can Learn from Academics."
   Betty and I are continuing our thoughts from another SFRA moment when
   we spoke on "Who's Afraid of the Ph.D's."
   
   Academics are fans, too, it's just that their fandom may spill over to
   main-stream authors: Hemingway, Joyce, even Jane Austen. Many
   academics also wear several hats. Some are authors and critics as well
   as fans, and the academic track will cover such diverse topics as
   teaching SF, the state of criticism, feminism, utopian fiction, and
   the minority presence in science fiction literature.
   
   Eric Rabkin, from the University of Michigan, is planning one of the
   most exciting presentations. He will be joined by some of his student
   researchers for "SF Red in Tooth and Claw: the Genre Evolution Project
   Studies the Struggles of the American Science Fiction Short Story."
   For a closer look at their work in progress, see their website The
   Genre Evolution Project <http://www.umich.edu/~genreevo/>.
   
   Additional programming, so far, also includes presentations from
   scholars nationwide:
     * Bob Blackwood, Wright College.
     * Gail Bondi. Jacksonville University.
     * Bill Clemente, Peru State College.
     * Solomon Davidoff, Bowling Green State University.
     * Bill Ernoehazy, M.D.
     * John Flynn, Towson University.
     * Victoria Garcia, University of Colorado.
     * Joan Gordon, Nassau Community College.
     * Jim Gunn, University of Kansas.
     * Jesse Rhines, Rutgers University.
     * Joe Sutliff Sanders, University of Kentucky.
     * Batya Weinbaum, Cleveland State University.
     * Gary Wolfe, Roosevelt University.
       
   To submit ideas, or join us, contact Beverly Friend at
   Beverly.Friend@chicon.org.
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   Betty Hull and Beverly Friend are working on the programming for the
   Academic Track, and seeking ideas and participants. So far, the
   following topics have been suggested:
     * Beyond Harry Potter
     * GOH Ben Bova
     * State of Criticism
     * Teaching (all levels, espcially online)
     * Chicago SF history
     * Writing manuals
     * The Jazz Age and SF
     * Explaining Fandom to the Academics
     * Explaining Academia to the Fans
     * What's wrong with Orwell
     * Feminism
     * Attending authors (Name the author/s):
     * Chicago Critics (Name the critic/s):
       
   We would also like to know if attendees would be interested in
   receiving Continuing Education Units for attending.
   
   Please send your comments to Beverly.Friend@chicon.org.
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