On Fri, 4 Jul 1997, Kate Bolin wrote:
> I am beginning to wonder what type of people sign up for this
> list...Do we have a lot of professors? College students? Random people?
> Writers? Computer geeks? Et cetera?
I'll go with "computer geek" for my current full-time job is super
computer-geeky. We write Ada compilers and development tools for IBM
RS/6000 computers (e.g. Deep Blue). However, I could be a college student
(I'm taking education courses at UVA), or by even more of a stretch a
professor (That's my target career).
Now for the biography. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
I have been a feminist for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a
non-violent, feminist, queer-friendly (is there a better way to say that?)
intentional Quaker community in Pittsburgh. I never called my parents by
anything other than their names (Lise and Mark). I constantly have to
explain how my last name (VanLaven) is a melding of my parents' names
(Levie and VanRaden). I played with dolls and trucks as a child. The
most important thing is that my parents taught me to question everything
and evaluate things for myself. So, rather than forcing their beliefs on
me, we discussed the issues from multiple viewpoints. My mother in
particular will (without warning) take a position subtly though
fundamentally in opposition to what she actual believes in to play
devil's advocate and force me to think for myself. Somehow, much to
their amazement, I developed my own beliefs strikingly to theirs.
Part of my belief system (that I suppose could be traced to the
"Golden rule" and/or the Quaker belief of "looking to the light" is that I
should try to empathize, and imagine myself in the position of other
people and kinds of people. In a way, I try to reduce my self-image as
much as possible in order for it to be as expansize as possible
(sort-of). Anway, I find science fiction to be an incredibly useful and
enjoyable tool in exploring who "I" can be that is more fundamental
than "white" "male" "human" ... Perhaps because of my strong feminist
drive, I find that I gravitate toward feminist sci-fi in particular.
I find that I like "firm" science fiction that ties the story and ideas
in it to the real world with some sort of scientific explanation.
Essentially, while fantasy is fine (given suitable new, rational rules for
the universe) I dislike super-fantastic mystical spin rides. I sort of
need to feel that there is an intellectual floor supporting me. I also
don't like fiction that doesn't seem to have a (maybe more than one)
point. In general such points must be about what it means to be "human" in
some way or other.
-- Joel VanLaven
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