Programming Descriptions
The Program Descriptions by Name follow this format:
Program Title
Moderators/Panelists
Day, Time
Location
Description
MISTI-Con 2023 Programming Descriptions:
Alan, Storytime
Sunday, May 21, 5 PM
Gunstock
Description TBA.
The Bravest Man I Ever Knew – For V. Nigel Taylor
Ashe Jaei, J.D. (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 11 AM
Belknap
V. Nigel Taylor (Vladimir Snape) was a fixture in the HP community for many years, and his absence from the spaces he loved is deeply felt. This meet up is to honor him in all of his many forms: musician, actor, father, brother, friend, and soulmate. No waiting til 4AM in the lobby necessary.
Buy Nothing Merch Exchange
Nadia Mulvihill (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 1 PM
Gunstock
Do you have Harry Potter merch that you no longer want? Are you looking to get some merch without contributing to royalty checks? Join us for a totally free exchange inspired by the Buy Nothing movement, meaning that money will not be involved and no bartering is necessary. You can take home items without donating any and you can donate items without taking any. Items must be in good condition.
Celebrating Queer Joy in Potter Fandom
Kristin Cavuto (all pronouns)
Saturday, May 20, 10 AM
Granite
Our fandom has been in a state of upheaval and pain. For those of us who are LGBTQ+, this has been a deeply personal ordeal. This session will center queer joy within the Potter fandom, and celebrate our survival, resilience, and pleasure. Come celebrate ourselves, our loves, and our community! Allies are welcome, but should be aware that this session explicitly centers LGBTQ+ voices.
Checking in on Your Vault: A Personal Finance Meet-Up
Jillian Staniec (she)
Saturday, May 20, 3 PM
Gilford
Whether you're as wealthy as a Malfoy or living a more Weasley lifestyle, this is a meet up to come together and chat about personal finance stuff. This open meet-up will be framed by the participants and may include different approaches to managing your galleons, how to get one of those well-paying Ministry jobs, and hopefully hearing from some folks who are planning to "Incendio" (FIRE) their lives.
Did the Polyjuice Wear Off? When Someone You Loved Isn’t Who You Thought They Were
Lorrie Kim (she/her)
Saturday, May 20, 11 AM
Granite
Professor Moody was really a Death Eater, but he taught Harry to fight. The Half-Blood Prince was dodgy, but Muffliato is great. Can Harry love his own Slytherin traits, or do they all come from Voldemort? Can we trust ourselves when an author we loved turns out to be hateful? Can we love stories by someone who now endangers us? It starts and ends with the books. Soul-search through canon discussion.
Disney Sing-Along!
Jillian Staniec (she)
Sunday, May 21, 11 PM
Blackstone
Do you enjoy singing Disney songs by yourself in the shower every morning? How about singing in public with other people who also enjoy singing Disney songs. We can do some classics, some new songs, and a few in between! Enthusiasm required; singing talent optional.
Every Poet is a Witch - How to Write a Spell, Pt 1
Every Poet is a Witch - How to Write a Spell, Pt 2
Susen James
Pt 1: Saturday, May 20, 2 PM
Pt 2: Sunday, May 21, 2 PM
Belknap
This will be a two-part workshop. Part One - We will meet to discuss the definition & components of a spell & how to write one. Contemporary examples of Poetry Spells will be shared & we will write a group spell & give instructions for personal spells. Part Two - We will share the spells we've written & group critique.
Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Wizards (also possibly Witches and Non-Binary Magical Folk)
Sylvan Groth (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 3 PM
Blackstone
Inspired by David M. Martin’s Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches, we will examine the texts to find examples of how the female characters attempt to ensnare the hapless males of Hogwarts. Does the Quibbler give dating advice to rival muggle teen magazines? Who has the best recipe for love beyond the cauldron? What would a worthwhile piece of adolescent romance guidance for the modern witch look like and who likely writes it?
Family Feud
Septimus Blackwood (they/them)
Sunday, May 21, 12 noon
Blackstone
It's time for Family Feud! Up to 6 teams of 5 individuals will be able to sign up ahead of time to compete in this classic head to head game where contestants must attempt to guess the top answers in a given category.
Fanfiction in the Wake of a Wounded Fandom
Eustacy “Stace” Santiago (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 4 PM
Granite
Our fandom has been gravely wounded. The effects extend to transformative works. Let’s discuss how we as readers, writers, allies, and transgender, non-binary, and intersex people engage with fanfiction in the aftermath of TERF-apocalypse. Then, select authors of the MISTI-Con 2023 Fanfiction Collection will share excerpts from their work. Intended for general audiences. There will be a separate adults-only program at another time.
Fantastic Poems and Where to Find Them
Samuel Ruff (he/him)
Sunday, May 21, 1 PM
Granite
Do you have an ode to an augery? A haiku for a horklump? Join Newt Scammander to share your poems about your favorite fantastic beasts (and maybe meet a few). No prior experience with writing poetry is needed!
Five Scenes We Didn’t See
David the Hufflepuff (he/his/him)
Sunday, May 21, 5 PM
Blackstone
The Harry Potter novels are told mostly from Harry’s point of view – what he sees and hears. But we know about some events that we do not see. We'll imagine and invent those scenes together:
Dumbledore rescuing Umbridge from the Centaurs.
Hermione receiving her Hogwarts letter.
Scabbers the rat coming to the Weasleys.
Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel putting their affairs in order.
Snape returning to Voldemort after his rebirth.
A Gathering of the Venerable Participants
Marti Sterin
Saturday, May 20, 5 PM
Gilford
A gathering of those of us who are looking at 60 (or 50) in the rear-view mirror.
Hem Hem…I take Umbridge with Canceling Queer Fans: JK Rowling & The Half-Blood Fan
Brent Satterly (he/him/his)
Sunday, May 21, 4 PM
Blackstone
Many Queer folks have left the fandom in solidarity with Trans people. The Pureblood message for those remaining Queer fans is clear: Snap your wands or be canceled. Those who remain, “Half-Blood fans,” are left as sundered as a horcrux. This fractured fandom leaves Half-Blood fans in tenuous positions in Queer circles. This paper explores paradoxical and conflicting imperatives, narratives of Queer Half-Bloods, those who have left, and moving forward with integrity and justice.
Herbology 101
Susen James
Sunday, May 21, 9 AM
Belknap
Herbology 101 will be an Introduction to Herbology as taught at Hogwarts.
How long can you last? A reading of My Immortal
April O’Neil (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 12 midnight (Saturday night)
Blackstone
How long can you last? Can you last a page? Two pages? Come and find out with us. We will be reading (out loud) My Immortal. We will start with the first person and once they start to laugh, the story will be pasted to the next person.
The Impact of Going Into Hiding, or Why Wizards Use Old-Fashioned Things
David the Hufflepuff (he/his/him)
Saturday, May 20, 4 PM
Belknap
The magical folk in the Harry Potter novels use many “old-fashioned” artifacts, such as quills and torches, although other contemporary fictional representations of witches (such as "Bewitched") show them using telephones and electricity. Why is the HP world so different? This presentation argues that using such old-fashioned things is a logical consequence of the wizards going into hiding in 1692 and consequently missing out on things that have been developed since then.
Jeopardy
Septimus Blackwood (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 1 PM
Blackstone
This is Jeopardy! Get ready for a battle of wits as three contestants try to be the first to buzzer in this classic quiz show. Contestants will be able to sign up ahead of time.
Kids on Brooms: A Hogwarts TTRPG
Septimus Blackwood (they/them)
Friday, May 19, 2-5 PM
Gunstock
Have you ever wanted to star in your very own adventure at Hogwarts? Join your fellow students as you deal with the mishaps and mayhems of the wizarding world in a 3-hour one-shot designed for up to 5 players. Open to anyone 13+, including those with no roleplaying experience. Spectators welcome as well. Character sheets will be pregenerated so session time can be dedicated to playing.
LGBTQ+ shipping meetup (slash/femmeslash)
Kristin Cavuto (all pronouns)
Sunday, May 21, 4 PM
Gunstock
A meetup for all of us who ship queer relationships! Whether your OTP is a fandom classic or a rarepair, if their love is so gay, this is the place for you!
Magical Crafting Workshop
Dariti Peterson (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 2 PM and 3 PM
Gunstock
Join Professor Violetta Craftswick (aka Dariti Peterson) for a fun session or two of magical crafting! Come for one session or both. Using ordinary muggle items, you will learn to create at least four Magical swaps, which are small handmade trinkets that you can keep, gift, or trade with new or old friends here at MISTI-Con! Fantastic mementos/keepsakes of a magical time you will want to remember. There is a small workshop fee of $5 per person, per session, to cover supplies.
Magical Zines
Bess (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 11 AM
Gunstock
Learn the easiest way to share your fandom thoughts and get crafty - zine making! Materials provided. Whether you're a zine veteran or never heard the word before, this workshop is about creation and sharing fandom joy.
Marietta Edgecombe in Umbridge's Mirror
Lorrie Kim (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 10 AM
Granite
Spots that never come off: Was Hermione too harsh on Marietta Edgecombe? How do Marietta’s pimples compare to Dark Marks or Harry’s scars? Marietta glimpsed her reflection in Umbridge’s mirror and stopped talking. Why? What might have happened if Marietta had told everything? Discuss this controversial topic in a way that makes room to hear and respect one another's responses.
Occlumency Lesson (Guided Meditation)
Nadia Mulvihill (she/her)
Sunday, May 21, 10 AM
Belknap
Unlike Snape’s occlumency lessons, this is a supportive space to clear your mind as a means of protecting it. Take a break from the stresses of Muggle life to join us in a guided meditation. This will be a read aloud of narratives in various settings in the wizarding world. Disclaimer: I am not a therapist in any way, just a writer and teacher who values mental health.
The Owlery Game
Kevin (he/him)
Saturday, May 20, 9 AM
Belknap
Welcome to The Owlery Game! You have been assigned a Letter that you must protect until you can deliver it on Sunday. Every other Owl in the game will also have a Letter. To win the most points for your House, try to steal as many Letters from other Houses’ Owls as you can before delivering them on Sunday evening – but be careful, since the other Houses’ Owls will be trying to steal your Letters!
Pitching Hollywood: How to Write Up Your Television Series Proposal
Blue J
Sunday, May 21, 11 AM
Gilford
Have you ever wanted to pitch your own original television series? Or do you just want a better idea of how Hollywood works? Learn what documents you need, and how to write them properly so that you look like a pro. We will also cover how Hollywood typically goes about selecting new television ideas.
Poisons in the Hogwarts Garden
Susen James
Saturday, May 20, 5 PM
Belknap
Poisons in the Hogwarts Garden will be a presentation about the dangerous plants growing at Hogwarts & their use as potion ingredients.
The Presence of the Past in the Harry Potter Novels
David the Hufflepuff (he/his/him)
Sunday, May 21, 10 AM
Gilford
The Harry Potter novels take place in a history-saturated world. We are surrounded by evidence of the past – ghosts, portraits (especially those in Dumbledore’s office), Hogwarts castle itself. Some mysteries are solved only by discovering what happened fourteen, fifty, or a thousand years ago. Characters are explained by revealing their past. This presentation examines how the past is always present in the Harry Potter novels.
Reconsidering Snape After 2016
Lorrie Kim (she/her)
Saturday, May 20, 9 AM
Granite
Three new perspectives influenced my 2022 update of my 2016 book on Snape. Cursed Child portrayed him as an unambiguous hero rather than morally gray. The rise in U.S. hate crimes brought more focus on those who leave hate groups and fight to bring them down. The author’s transphobia prompted me to work with a trans sensitivity reader to reconsider Boggart Snape. The character’s the same, but the context has changed.
The Representation of Mental Processes in the Harry Potter Novels
David the Hufflepuff (he/his/him)
Friday, May 19, 2 PM
Blackstone
Things that happen inside our heads – our mental processes - are real. In the Harry Potter novels, the author has created magical objects and creatures which represent such processes. For example, depression is represented by dementors, irrational fears are represented by boggarts, daydreaming is represented by the Mirror of Erised, etc. From reading about such fictional creations, we can learn important truths about the real processes.
The Restricted Section: A Literary Salon Hosted by The Quill Society
Eustacy “Stace” Santiago (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 12 midnight (Friday night)
Blackstone
At this literary salon, let us regale you with fiction of the explicit variety. Connoisseurs of erotica and “mature” fic will be treated to a rousing live reading of selected works from the MISTI-Con AO3 Fanfiction Collection as well as original writings by community authors. Writer and fanfiction coordinator Eustacy “Stace” Santiago will finish you off, so to speak, with a spicy teaser from their novel-in-progress, The Quill Society. Mature adults (18+) are welcome.
Secrets and Lies: The Role of Deception in the Harry Potter Novels
David the Hufflepuff (he/his/him)
Saturday, May 20, 10 AM
Belknap
Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus, he was a natural. -- Aberforth in Hallows, page 562
The HP novels run on secrets. The climax of each novel is reached when secrets are revealed. What is the role of deception in these novels? Who deceives whom – and how? And how does the author deceive us so that we are surprised when the secrets are revealed?
Sex Scenes: How (and Why) to Write Them
Cecilia Tan (all pronouns fine)
Friday, May 19, 11 PM
Blackstone
If a hallmark of strong fiction is three-dimensional “complete” characters, then why should a character’s sex life be left off the page? Maybe it shouldn’t! A sex scene doesn’t have to be prurient, but it can illuminate a character or a relationship in ways that another scene couldn’t. Often, it’s the “missing piece” of a characterization or plot, but we may have been so trained to always keep sexual elements off the page or behind closed doors that as writers we don’t even realize it’s missing. (Readers, on the other hand, especially those raised on fanfic, will know right away when sex is the missing element!)
In this workshop we’ll explore the narrative language of sex and sexuality, identify and unpack sexual tropes, and go over ways to move past societal fears about talking about or showing sex in our fiction. The sex scene should ultimately be one of the colors available on the fiction writer’s palette, even if only sparingly used.
Shoot The Canon: Reimagining (and Improving?) Harry Potter
Jillian Staniec (she)
Sunday, May 21, 1 PM
Blackstone
Have you ever wished you could change a plot point, reimagine a character or group of characters, change a setting, or make another change to the canon to build a better Harry Potter story? Take a shot at the board, propose a change, explore the consequences of that change, and then incorporate in the next crowd-sourced proposal. Collectively, we'll build a reimagined (and hopefully improved!) Harry Potter canon. Don't throw away your shot!
Songwriting 101
Geoff Hutton (they/them), Hawthorn & Holly, Kalysta Flame, Eustacy “Stace” Santiago (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 5 PM
Granite
In this panel, some of our wizard rock musicians will get together and talk about their writing process. Where did some of their most popular ideas come from? Is there a way they like to write that inspires them? What advice do they have for aspiring wrock stars/fellow musicians? Join us as we discuss what it's like to create and perform their own music.
Ten-Minute Talks -- By You!
Brent Satterly (he/him/his) and Lorrie Kim (she/her)
Saturday, May 20, 2 PM
Blackstone
What HP topic do you know so well that you could give a ten-minute talk about it, with no preparation? Bring your own ideas or take prompts from the audience – your choice. Enter your name into the Goblet of Ad Lib. If our own Professor Umbridge draws your name, you’ll have ten minutes of our rapt attention! We’ll have enough time to cheer on four champions. And… Sonorus!
Ten-Minute Talks By You -- After Dark Edition!
Brent Satterly (he/him/his) and Lorrie Kim (she/her)
Saturday, May 20, 11 PM
Blackstone
18+ only! Our own Professor Umbridge kicks things off with a risqué welcoming number. Then enter your name into the Goblet of Ad Lib for the chance to be one of four people delivering a 10-minute HP talk on the spot – choose your own topic or take audience suggestions. Hem hem! It doesn’t have to be on a naughty topic – but it certainly can be!
To Absent Friends: A Celebration of Life
Ashe Jaei, J.D. (they/them)
Sunday, May 21, 11 AM
Belknap if indoors, outside by campfire if outdoors
We have suffered immeasurable losses in this community between the last MISTI-Con and this one. The enormity of grief is not a weight you need to bear alone; gather with us as we celebrate the lives, love, and legacies of the incredible people who left us too soon.
Traci, How Fandom has Changed You
Friday, May 19, 4 PM
Blackstone
Description TBA
The Unpaid Labour (Queer & BIPOC only Space)
Jaz Boston (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 4 PM
Gilford
An open & safe space for folks on intersections of being queer+BIPOC (QTIBIPOC: Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black, Indigenous, People(s) of Colour.) Have you been in an environment where you're the first/second person to be there? Did you chuckle at that question? A space for like-minded folks to discuss anything and everything (HP & within the time limit). Maybe make a new friend. No pressure. Bring your authentic self. Allies, please give us the room.
Upcycling Collage Workshop
Nadia Mulvihill (she/her)
Saturday, May 20, 10 AM
Gunstock
In this new era of mixed feelings about the wizarding world and its creator, let’s remix our Potter materials into personal collages. Let’s re-envision what Potter means to us by taking it apart and putting it back together again. Materials will be available but you are welcome/encouraged to bring your own!
Who Will Be “The Next Harry Potter”?
Cecilia Tan (all pronouns fine)
Sunday, May 21, 2 PM
Blackstone
It's time for us, the citizens of MISTI-Con, to choose who will be the Next Harry Potter? Each candidate, or their spokesperson, will give a brief speech outlining why they should be crowned Next Harry Potter. Whom would you rather have as our next role model, our next hero with questionable judgement, our next martyr with Daddy issues? Wednesday Addams or Greta Thunberg? Orion Lake or Quentin Coldwater? Waymond Wang or Peter Parker? (Cosplay encouraged.)
Wizard Rock Sing-Along
Eustacy “Stace” Santiago (they/them), Hawthorn & Holly, Kalysta Flame
Friday, May 19, 5 PM
Outdoors by the campfire
Join wizard rock bands and fans for a campfire-style sing-along (+/- actual fire). Bring your voices, ukuleles, kazoos, percussions, guitars, or any other acoustic instrument and prepare to perform as a collective, or just watch and clap along. We'll play a predetermined set of old wrock favorites and new tunes. Check social media for that list and learn the songs ahead of time, or just show up and jam.
Wizard Rock: Then and Now
Geoff Hutton (they/them), Hawthorn & Holly, Eustacy “Stace” Santiago (they/them)
Sunday, May 21, 9 AM
Granite
Wizard rock has been a part of the Harry Potter fandom for almost as long as the fandom has existed. Like the fandom, it has evolved over time and the people in it have had many experiences along the way. Come join some of our wizard rock stars as they talk about their own journeys as fans and musicians.
Wizarding World Pub Quiz
Septimus Blackwood (they/them)
Saturday, May 20, 12 noon
Blackstone
Gather a team of your most knowledgeable Ravenclaws, hardworking Hufflepuffs, cleverest Slytherins, and confident Gryffindors as you answer trivia questions from all aspects of the wizarding world! Groups won't need to sign up ahead of time and anyone will be free to participate.
WOrM Scouts Welcome Meeting
Dariti Peterson (she/her)
Saturday, May 20, 9 AM
Gunstock
Let's reunite our WOrM Scout friendships, and welcome new magical beings that want to help make the world a better place for the magical & non-magical alike. Engaging with others who have similar interests, through WOrM Scouts you will have fun, earn badges, and make new friends. At this meeting, we'll have fun doing some badge activities, and a fun WOrM Scout craft.