more Wiscon panel brainstorming

I got tea and a holiday card from krait. Thank you krait!

I have another panel to propose:

Why We Gather

In The Art of Gathering Priya Parker says that the first step in convening people meaningfully is committing to a bold, sharp purpose. As we recreate and recommit to WisCon, let's talk about that. What is WisCon's purpose? What is your purpose in coming to WisCon? How will you know whether you succeeded in your purpose?

What elements of WisCon serve which purposes? Parker says that rules and traditions -- like our Code of Conduct, and our blue tape for accessibility -- help create a temporary alternative world. The pandemic has made it riskier to share space with each other. What purposes do the Gathering, the Con Suite, Sign Out, Workshops, and so on serve, and how can we fulfill those purposes safely?

All comments are welcome.

ETA: The panel suggestion form has a max of 500 characters. I cut my other panel description down, but I'm really not happy with it:

Villain redemption or reconciliation?

Kinitra Brooks says that being confronted with America's history of slavery, genocide, and colonialism makes villain redemption stories very appealing. Afrofuturist stories are more likely to take a path of truth and reconciliation: You have to acknowledge the whole truth of what you did, and listen to hard truths about the effects on other people. Let's talk about speculative fiction that grapples with the problems in the villain redemption arc!