Re: CHAT: Conlang and Writers

Laurie Gerholz wrote:

>
>
> A few years ago there was a panel on constructed languages in SF &
> Fantasy, held at our local (largish) SF convention, Minicon.
Where is this local, largish SF convention?  I'm assuming Minneapolis?Tim Smith
organizes the Albacon in Albany NY, and we spoke there
last October on invented languages.  He's thinking of doing another
one next fall.


> One of the
> panelists was Suzette Haden Elgin, the creator of Laadan. The other
> panelists were also published authors of various stripes. Unfortunately
> M.A.R. Barker, the creator of Tsolyani, who is also local, didn't make
> it to the convention that year.
Yes, this has to be Minneapolis!  He's a professor as well, isn't he?Does
anybody know of what?

> I went in hoping to learn all about
> language creation by Professionals. And what they said was almost
> identical to what Sally cites above! They all said that the language
> creation was just a bit of additional flavor for the novels, and none of
> them claimed to be particularily interested in it outside of that. I got
> a definite feeling of condescension.
Do you think this is a pose?  You get a bunch of conlangers togetherat a
convention of mostly writers, and the conlangers who are also
writers have to be "in the swim" with the writers.  Savvy about market,
readership, agents, publishing houses, what sells, character arcs, hooks,
contracts, North American rights, royalties, sequels, staying on top.
Working in this kind of world is "cool."  Lucubrating late into the night
over your conlang is not.  No, I imagine they're posing.  Not admitting
to what really drives them.  Elgen is a linguist with an axe to grind.  I
find her novels almost unreadable.  I keep saying, stick with it, we'll
get to the Laadan sooner or later... turning pages filled with ugly
invective against men and their atrocities and condescensions towards
women.  I was never even able to finish _Native Tongue_, which has
no pacing and no interesting narrative voice.  And Laadan, the
book behind the book, is out of print and even Amazon can't get it.


> I hope I'm not mis-remembering what
> Ms. Elgin said, but I do remember feeling very disappointed after
> sitting in on that panel.
What did you contribute as rebuttal to these luminaries and theiropinions?

> So I was thinking of doing a panel myself. Not an analysis of the
> literature or anything, but more of a workshop, for people who might
> like to try playing with the idea. A working group - tell everyone to
> bring their notebooks and pens, and present some basic concepts from
> linguistics. But this year Minicon is undergoing Radical Changes. I
> decided to shelve the idea until we learn where Minicon as an event is
> going. And there is also a World-Building Society that meets locally. I
> really should try to hit some of their monthly meetings. I might find
> some more local kindred spirits. I've managed to miss the last couple
> local ConLangCons.
We'd have a local conlang in the Upstate area if we could get peoplefrom the
east and west to come to it... to have TIME to come to it.
I was supposed to use this week to visit Tim and his friends for 24
hours and I declined.... too frantic over my duties.

> And I hope, Sally, that you don't now think that all knitters who write
> are condescending towards conlanging! I do all three. I will say that
> sometimes my knitting keeps me away from my conlangs, but there is
> really no worse effect.
Oh no... that was just some local color.  That's what I remember herdoing most
vividly.  That and talking compulsively and interrupting
people.  What was her name?


Sally Caves
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves