tales from
sycamore hill

The Sycamore Hill Writer's Conference is an invitational writer's workshop that has included (but not contained) some of the most interesting writers in science fiction. Founded in 1984 by John Kessel and Mark Van Name, it has moved around a bit here and there, from North Carolina to Philadelphia and back again. This year, hosted by John Kessel and Richard Butner, it was held at Wildacres, atop a small mountain just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

As we did last year to the writers at Rio Hondo, The Infinite Matrix this year issued a challenge to the Sycamore Hill writers: to write, at the workshop, a science fiction short-short. Ten Rio Hondo stories were turned in. How many Syc Hill stories will there be? Time will tell.

In the picture we have the 2003 workshop. Clockwise from left, they are: Kelly Link, Maureen McHugh, Jonathan Lethem, Jeffrey Ford, Alexander Irvine, Andy Duncan, Richard Butner, Dale Bailey, Eileen Gunn, L. Timmel Duchamp, John Kessel, Karen Joy Fowler, James Patrick Kelly, Christopher Rowe.

We start with Christopher Rowe's clever Seared Scallops and Steamed Green Beans, written as a birthday present for Gwenda Bond. Happy Birthday, Gwenda! The next story will appear Tuesday, July 22.

the stories

Seared Scallops and Steamed Green Beans
Christopher Rowe | 07.12.03