[extropy-chat] Fwd: She's Such A Geek

[David Lubkin]

For the distaff among us.


-- David.

>Call for subs: She's Such a Geek
>
>15 November 2005, 11:06 AM
>
>Annalee Newitz and Charlie Anders are editing an anthology of essays
>titled She's Such a Geek; below is a copy of the call for subs (posted
>with permission). Spread the word!
>
>Note that this anthology is open only to female writers.
>
>Also note that I'm not affiliated with it in any way, nor do I know
>anything about it beyond what's below; if you have questions, please
>direct them to the editors.
>She's Such a Geek
>
>An Anthology by and for Women Obsessed with Computers, Science, Comic
>Books, Gaming, Spaceships, and Revolution
>
>Slated for Fall 2006
>
>Geeks are taking over the world. They make the most popular movies and
>games, pioneer new ways to communicate using technology, and create
>new ideas that will change the future. But the stereotype is that only
>men can be geeks. So when are we going to hear from the triumphant
>female nerds whose stories of outer space battles will inspire
>generations, and whose inventions will change the future? Right now.
>
>Female geeks are busting out of the labs and into the spotlight. They
>have the skills and knowledge that can inspire social progress,
>scientific breakthroughs, and change the world for the better, and
>they're making their voices heard, some for the first time, in Annalee
>Newitz and Charlie Anders' book She's Such a Geek. This anthology will
>celebrate women who have flourished in the male-dominated realms of
>technical and cultural arcana. We're looking for a wide range of
>personal essays about the meaning of female nerdhood by women who are
>in love with genomics, obsessed with blogging, learned about sex from
>Dungeons and Dragons, and aren't afraid to match wits with men or
>computers. The essays in She's Such a Geek will explain what it means
>to be passionately engaged with technical or obscure topics—and how to
>deal with it when people tell you that your interests are weird,
>especially for a girl. This book aims to bust stereotypes of what it
>means to be a geek, as well as what it means to be female.
>
>More than anything, She's Such a Geek is a celebration and call to
>arms: it's a hopeful book which looks forward to a day when women will
>pilot spaceships, invent molecular motors, design the next ultra-tiny
>supercomputer, write epics, and run the government.
>
>We want introspective essays that explain what being a geek has meant
>to you. Describe how you've fought stereotypes to be accepted among
>nerds. Explore why you are obsessed with topics and ideas that are
>supposed to be "for boys only." Tell us how you felt the day you
>realized that you would be devoting the rest of your life to
>discovering algorithms or collecting comic books. We want strong,
>personal writing that is also smart and critical. We don't mind if you
>use the word "fuck," and we don't mind if you use the word
>"telomerase." Be celebratory, polemical, wistful, angry, and just
>plain dorky.
>
>Possible topics include:
>
>     * what turned you into a geek
>     * your career in science, technology, or engineering
>     * growing up geeky
>     * being a geek in high school today
>     * battling geek stereotypes (i.e racial stereotypes and geekdom,
>cultural analysis of geek chic and the truth about nerds, the idea
>that women have to choose between being sexually desirable and smart,
>stereotypes about geek professions such as computer programmers)
>     * sex and dating among geeks
>     * science fiction fandom
>     * role-playing game or comic-book subcultures
>     * the joys of math
>     * blogging or videogames
>     * female geek bonding
>     * geek role models for women
>     * feminist commentary on geek culture
>     * women's involvement in DIY science and technology groups
>     * stories from women involved in geek pop and underground
>cultures. These might include comic book writers, science fiction
>writers, electronic music musicians, and women interested in the
>gaming world.
>     * women's web networks and web zine grrrl culture
>     * issues of sexism in any or all of the above themes
>
>Editors: Annalee Newitz and Charlie Anders are geeky women writers.
>Annalee is a contributing editor at Wired magazine and writes the
>syndicated column Techsploitation. Charlie is the author of Choir Boy
>(Soft Skull Press) and publisher of other magazine.
>
>Publisher: Seal Press, an imprint of Avalon Publishing Group,
>publishes groundbreaking books by and for women in a variety of
>topics.
>
>Deadline: January 15, 2006
>
>Length: 3,000-6,000 words
>
>Format: Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and paginated. Please
>include your address, phone number, email address, and a short bio on
>the last page. Essays will not be returned.
>
>Submitting: Send essay electronically as a Document or Rich Text
>Format file to Annalee Newitz and Charlie Anders at
>sheissuchageek at gmail.com.
>
>Payment: $100 plus two books
>
>Reply: Please allow until February 15 for a response. If you haven't
>received a response by then, please assume your essay has not been
>selected. It is not possible to reply to every submission personally.
>
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