Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the James Tiptree Jr Award

I hear that there are lots of people who, beginning their journeys home from WisCon, now find themselves in stranded travel situations, meaning they're spending hour upon hour in airports, waiting. My sympathies to you all. (This seems to happen more frequently every year, doesn't it?)

At this year's WisCon, the Tiptree Award celebrated its 20th birthday. In addition to holding the wildly popular annual auction conducted by the inimitable Ellen Klages (and this year assisted manfully by Geoff Ryman)and announcing this year's winners and Honor List as is usually done after the Guest of Honor speech(es), the Tiptree Award Motherboard threw a party. (Was it Friday night? I think so, but the days, the nights, at WisCon have rather blurred together in my memory.) The party featured not only the usual alluring refreshments to be found at WisCon parties, but also a splendid cake by Georgie Schnobrich. Matt Austern photographed the cake and graciously sent it to me:

As Pat Murphy noted before introducing Penny Hill, who chaired last year's jury, from the Tiptree Award's inception, WisCon has been key. Pat also announced that the Tiptree Motherboard had been awarded SFRA's 2011 Thomas D. Clareson Award for Distinguished Service. She said that when she and Karen Joy Fowler were making their travel arrangements, Karen had some hesitation about spending the money necessary for them to travel to Poland (where the SFRA held their annual conference this year), only to be reminded that the Tiptree Award is about "World Domination." (Originally through bake sales, granted...)