blairmacg | My Wiscon Schedule

Just a little less than three weeks to Wiscon! I'm so excited to see folks I know and meet folks I don't.

I'm on a couple panels this year.

Taking Care of the Writer's Body
Saturday 1:00pm - 2:15pm
Writing is usually not considered to be a physically demanding occupation, but it does take its toll. Eye strain, aching backs, and repetitive motion disorders are common complaints. What can we do to keep our bodies healthy while we write? How can we adapt our workspaces to accommodate injuries or disabilities? Ergonomic keyboards? Voice recognition software? Treadmill desks?

The Joys of Failure
Sunday 10:00am - 11:15am
All too often, we treat failure as a bad thing that stops us rather than a feedback mechanism to help us be more awesome if we try again—especially those of us who are targeted by oppression. The inner statistician might keep track of all the shots that we miss while playing basketball and the inner critic might fill us with regret for trying, guilt for failing, or shame for being the kind of person who does so, but nobody can ever know how many shots we might have made if we had tried again. Some of these ideas were expressed recently in the Failure Club series on Yahoo Screen, which featured the trials and failures of eight brave New Yorkers who dared to hope for extraordinary results. This panel is an opportunity to look at failures through a more empowering lens.

I opted into the first panel because of my background in wellness. I chose the second one because I've researched failure, and have even delivered a couple keynote addresses on the topic of failure and resilience. I'm hoping I can be a good panelist, and helpful to those who come with questions.

Why no writing panels? Because, frankly, I'd still much rather listen to others talk about it than listen to myself.

I'll also be volunteering for a bit at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer's Room (schedule unknown at this time).