Text of Sharon Lee's Heinlein Acceptance Speech

[rolanni]

I promised to post this before I left for BaltiCon, so that people could read what I intended to say.

It's worth noting here, for those of you who may someday be called upon to give a speech before a live audience, up on the stage, that, unless your eyes are much better than mine (not impossible), you won't be able to read your speech.  Memorize the Key Points.  Really.  It will save you some adrenaline.

So, here you are -- 630ish words.  Stage Directions in CAPS.

Sharon Lee Acceptance Speech, Heinlein Award, May 23, 2025

It's traditional on occasions like this to ask the people you meet, "What was YOUR first Balticon?"

Well. Some of you may not know this, but I'm FROM Baltimore, and for many years, BaltiCon was my Home Convention.

But my FIRST BaltiCon – that was Balticon TEN – in 1976.

At that time in my life, I had no idea that there were science fiction conventions, and no idea that there were science fiction fans. I wanted to be a writer – so I entered a short story contest.

PAUSE

And I won.

My prize was: Membership in Balticon 10, $25 in cash that I immediately spent on books in the dealers room, an introduction to that year's Guest of Honor – who was Isaac Asimov, and introductions to the judges of the short story contest.

One of the judges was a writer named Steve Miller, who happened to be running the art show. We spoke VERY briefly.

PAUSE

About a year later, I met Steve Miller again. We were by chance taking the same college writing course because we both wanted FINGER QUOTES "easy credits."

After class, we got to talking.

Then we moved in with each other.

AND THEN, we started to write together – as you do.

PAUSE

Now Steve -- STEVE was a science fiction fan. He was active in the Baltimore Science Fiction Society as the Club MOP – that's MINISTER OF PROPAGANDA – and vice chair of the Baltimore in 80 WorldCon bid. He was a writer and a reviewer. He'd also been a performance poet, AND the founding curator of the Kuhn Library Science Fiction Research Collection at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County.

PAUSE

The point of all this being that – by the time I met him, Steve had read an Awful Lot of science fiction.

I was a reader, and I'd read SOME science fiction, including a book by some guy named Robert Heinlein – CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY.

PAUSE

WHICH? I didn't like.

So, I was – a little surprised when we were shelving books together in OUR apartment to see QUITE A NUMBER of titles by this Heinlein guy in Steve's MANY boxes of books.

PAUSE

Now, we had a LOT of duplicate titles.

But the only duplicate Heinlein title – in fact the ONLY Heinlein title in MY many boxes of books – was STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.

"So this Heinlein guy – is he any good?" I asked.

Steve looked at me – you know the Look? The LIBRARIAN DEATH STARE where they're trying to figure out How Much You Can Take?

Then he reached into a box, grabbed some books and started to make a pile next to my knee.

THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS
THE ROLLING STONES
STAR BEAST
BETWEEN PLANETS
THE DOOR INTO SUMMER
GLORY ROAD

"That'll get you started," he said.

Well. It was ONLY six books, and I was in love. I read them – AND THEN YES I READ THE REST, because this guy Heinlein DID have something going for him. His books were FUN.

This is key. We tend to discount FUN, as if it lessens the value of whatever we're doing, instead of being one of the most important things in life.

PAUSE AND LOOK OUT OVER THE AUDIENCE

I mentioned that Steve and I began to write together. We wrote together for over forty years, collaborating on MORE THAN 100 Published Works -- BECAUSE IT WAS FUN. Our pact was that we'd stop when it WASN'T fun anymore.

PAUSE

So, there we were writing, and having fun, and in 2003 we were invited to attend BaltiCon 37 as Writer Guests of Honor.

PAUSE

That was fun, too.

In 2016, we came back to help celebrate BaltiCon's 50th anniversary.

And now – BaltiCon 59.

LOOK OUT OVER THE AUDIENCE

Thank you, BaltiCon. My life would have been MUCH different without you.

TURN TO BEATRICE IF SHE'S STILL ON STAGE

Thank YOU, Heinlein Board, for choosing to honor the universe Steve and I built together.

TURN TO AUDIENCE

And most of all – THANK YOU – for reading – for listening – and for having fun.

PAUSE; GATHER PAPERS

Have a good con.

--end--

For comparison purposes, here's the link to what I Actually Said.

Comments

[catherineldf]

I also enjoy the addition of instructions! Very sensible and glad it went well!