The Outer Dark Symposium on The Greater Weird 2020
When the world gets weird, the Weird goes virtual. August 14-16, 2020.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 2020
An evening of exciting readings, viewings, and discussions kicks off a weekend full of Weird.
7:00 One of Us: Newcomer Welcome Jamboree
8:00 Intro to The Weirdness
8:10 Friday Night Readings Presented by Nightscape
Readers: teri.zin, Carrie Laben, Fiona Maeve Geist, Brooke Warra Hosts: Robert S. & Jennifer Wilson
9:00 Panel: Weird Metamorphosis or Life Change: Where the Body Becomes the Setting
Mod: Lesley Wheeler | Panelists: Edward Austin Hall, Brooke Warra, Mike Allen, Benjamin Capps, teri.zin, Fiona Maeve Geist
10:00 Reading: Mike Allen
10:15 Film Screenings: Toothache by Stacey Palmer, Re-Home by Izzy Lee & Civet by Benjamin Capps & Q&A Moderated by Brian Hauser
11:00 Room Parties on Discord
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 2020
Focusing on creators, this day is all about cross-pollination of what forms Weird fiction across genres.
10:00 Come All Ye Weirdos Breakfast Hour (Discord)
11:00 Intro
11:10 Readings: Seb Doubinsky, Sara Amis
11:30 Panel: Beyond Good and Evil: Can Faith, Religion, and Spirituality Co-Exist with Weird Horror and Spec-Lit?
Mod: Kortney Y. Watkins | Panelists: Gabriela Damián Miravete, Kristi DeMeester, Violette L. Meier, Kyoko M, Gordon B. White
12:30 Readings: Gabriela Damián Miravete, Edward Austin Hall, Kyoko M
1:10 East Coast Lunch Break w/ Intermission Programming
2:00 Readings: Ian McDowell, Valjeanne Jeffers, Jeff Strand, LM Davis
2:45 Panel: Weird World-Building: Strange Cities, “Other” Countries, and Cobbly Universes
Mod: Natania Barron | Panelists: Jesse Bullington, Jeffrey Ford, Seb Doubinsky, LM Davis, Sarah Read
3:45 West Coast Lunch Break w/ Intermission Programming
4:30 Readings: Laura Blackwell, Gregory Norman Bossert, Tonya Liburd
5:10 Panel: Art of The Weird: How Do You Illustrate Something that Defies Description?
Mod: Eric Schaller | Panelists: Chris Gavaler, Nick Gucker, Jeanne D’Angelo, Michael Bukowski, Lynne Hansen, Matthew Jaffe
6:10 Reading: Jeffrey Ford
6:25 Outro
6:30 Dinner Theatre - Silver Scream SFX Lab Virtual Tour Followed by Q&A with Shane Morton
8:00 Short film: Disco Graveyard (dir. Izzy Lee) + Intro with Scott Nicolay & Anya Martin
8:15 Pseudopod Reading Block:
Readers: Gwendolyn Kiste, Gordon B. White, Sarah Read, Donyae Coles; Host: Alex Hofelich
9:00 State of The Weird Roundtable
Mod: Scott Nicolay | Panelists: JS Breukelaar, Chesya Burke, Larissa Glasser, Orrin Grey, Tonya Liburd, Julie C. Day
10:15 Readings: J.S, Breukelaar, Larissa Glasser
10:35 Short Film: The Obliteration of the Chickens (dir. Izzy Lee) + Outro with This Is Horror: Michael David Wilson & Bob Pastorella
10:45 Room Parties on Discord
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 2020
A half day of programming finishes off a weekend of revelry.
11:00 Come All Ye Weirdos Hangover Hour (Discord)
12:30 Intro
12:40 Presentation: Weirding Whiteness: Genre and Eugenics - Chris Gavaler
1:10 Panel: Deep Down: The Weird in Conversation with Southern Gothic, “Black Gothic Revival” and Other Regional Strange Tales
Mod: Nicole Givens Kurtz | Panelists: Ian McDowell, Valjeanne Jeffers, Carrie Laben, Sara Amis, Sumiko Saulson
2:10 Readings: Sumiko Saulson, Violette L. Meier, Jesse Bullington, Lesley Wheeler
3:00 Break w/Intermission Programming
3:15 Jean Ray Reading + short Q&A: Scott Nicolay
3:45 Panel: From Yellow Wallpaper to Spectral Hues: Color in Weird Fiction
Mod: Brian Hauser | Panelists: Daniel Braum, Craig Laurance Gidney, Gwendolyn Kiste, Hysop Mulero, Liv Rainey-Smith
4:45 Readings: Milton J. Davis, Julie C. Day, Eric Schaller, Natania Barron
5:30 Outro including Sponsor & Volunteer Roll Calls
5:45 Encore Screening: Silver Scream FX Lab Virtual Tour
6:30 Symposium programming ends but conversations and parties can continue on Discord
What it’s all about.
A VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM
The Outer Dark Symposium team monitored developments related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and potential impact on travel to this year’s symposium and came to the conclusion that the only safe and responsible course of action was to cancel the event on the originally scheduled dates in March and reschedule for a virtual symposium August 14-16, 2020. Our thoughts and concern are with those affected in the U.S and globally.
For the most up-to-date information regarding the virus, please refer to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
WHAT DO I GET?
With a ticket to the virtual symposium, you will get:
Access to the live symposium via Zoom and/or Facebook Live
Access to our private Discord
e-Book of the 2020 Symposium Program Chapbook
…and more goodies to come!
HOW DO I JOIN?
The event will take place on Zoom. You can join as a participant via Zoom, or via Facebook Live which will be shared to a private group of participants.
Access details will be privately shared with ticketholders.
WHAT iF I GOT TICKETS TO THE PHYSICAL SYMPOSIUM?
You’re automatically registered for a ticket for the physical 2021 symposium and included as a participant for the virtual symposium.
As always, please reach out with thoughts, questions or concerns to: theouterdarkpodcast@gmail.com
CONFIRMED GUESTS FOR RESCHEDULED DATES:
Mike Allen, Sara Amis, Natania Barron, Laura Blackwell, Gregory Norman Bossert, Daniel Braum (NEW!), JS Breukelaar, Michael Bukowski, Jesse Bullington, Chesya Burke, Benjamin Capps, Donyae Coles, Jeanne D’Angelo, L.M. Davis, Milton J. Davis, Julie C. Day, Kristi DeMeester, Seb Doubinsky, Jeffrey Ford, Chris Gavaler, Fiona Maeve Geist, Craig Laurance Gidney (NEW!), Larissa Glasser, Orrin Grey, Nick Gucker, Edward Austin Hall, Lynne Hansen, Brian R. Hauser, Alex Hofelich, Matthew Jaffe, Valjeanne Jeffers, Gwendolyn Kiste, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Carrie Laben, Izzy Lee (NEW!), Tonya Liburd, Kyoko M, Ian McDowell, Violette L. Meier, Gabriela Damián Miravete, Shane Morton, Hysop Mulero, Stacey Palmer (NEW!), Liv Rainey-Smith, Sarah Read, Sumiko Saulson, Eric Schaller, Jeff Strand, Brooke Warra, Kortney Y. Watkins, Lesley Wheeler, Gordon B. White, Robert Wilson, Jennifer Wilson, teri.zin.
HOSTS
Anya Martin & Scott Nicolay
Our Sponsors
YOU CAN SPONSOR A CREATOR’S ATTENDANCE
Our sponsors help us run the whole she-bang - if you’ve smiled at our podcast or at any of our events, you can thank the wicked people and organizations above.
Do you want to help bring creators, educators, and weirdos of all stripes together at the world’s only conference on contemporary weird fiction? It’s easier than you think - as easy as a chat with an organizer.
Fill out the form to get the conversation started.
THE TEAM
Anya Martin | Director
Melissa Eisner | Logistics & Personnel Coordinator
Melanie Crew | Asst. Director & Editor, Program Chapbook
Jess Lewis | Programming & Website
Kortney Watkins | Educator Programming
Hysop Mulero | Marketing
Kim McGibony | Registration
Rebecca Perry | On-Site Sales & Shipping
THE VIRTUAL BRAIN TRUST
Greg Bossert
Alex Hofelich
Jess Lewis
Kitty Sarkozy
Eric Schaller
Tyler Unsell