2018 Sessions
Miss Fisher Con 2018 was held in Portland, Oregon, at the Embassy Suites Portland Downtown. This year's sessions were many and varied - and all of them were amazing!
Thursday, June 28, 2018
6:00 pm-10:30 pm
Welcome reception
Friday, June 29, 2018
9:00 am – 10:00 am
M’Lady’s Boudoir: Underwear from 1900 to 1930 || Laura Ehrlich
Trace the changes in silhouette, functionality, and form of women’s underwear from the demise of the corset in 1900, to the introduction of the brassiere in 1910, and into the flapper fashions of the 1920s and the first introduction of the bra and panties as we know them today. Costumers, historians, and fanfic writers alike will learn all about the little-documented field of historical women’s underwear and the proper layers for the right effect.
10:15 am – 11:15 am
Archaeology, Pharaohs, and Miss Fisher: Egyptomania in the 1920s || Dr. Amanda Groff & Jennifer Branson
Was King Memses real? What would Miss Fisher have worn to an archaeological dig? Join two archaeologists as they decipher the secrets of “King Memses’ Curse.” They’ll walk you the through the archaeological facts and fiction of Series 1 Episode 13 and the impact of Egyptian archaeology on popular culture of the 1920s.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
The Sociology of Miss Fisher || Lauren McDonald & Nayla Huq
Explore the sociological themes and progressive values of the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries TV show. Collaborate with the speakers on a celebratory and critical sociological analysis of MFMM, including the topics of gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and social class. In this interactive discussion, we’ll use an intersectional approach to understand how the show’s characters navigate the social, economic, and political context in which they find themselves.
Break for lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Maker session: Create Your Own Phryne Fashion Headpiece || Kitty Felde
Bring your broken jewelry, unique buttons, bits of feather or ribbons or flowers. Or bring a thrift store hat. We’ll deconstruct your frippery, and by the end of the hour, you’ll come away with a fabulous piece you can wear all con long. Feel free to bring your lunch and eat while you work!
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
Sisterhood Is Powerful: The Honourable Miss Fisher and Her Literary Sisters || Pamela Smith Hill
Come and listen to an exploration of the sometimes surprising and even unlikely connections between the Honourable Miss Fisher and classic literary heroines from Elizabeth Bennet to Laura Ingalls and beyond.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Surreptitious Entry of Locks & Safes || Deviant Ollam
A pick-lock and master screwsman will demonstrate how to open secured doors and containers without the key or combination. Come learn how tumblers can be manipulated and how safes can be cracked, so that you can assist DI Jack Robinson should Miss Fisher be unavailable.
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Interview with Ruby Rees
We are thrilled to welcome Ruby Rees - our very own Jane Ross - to Portland this year! Mary and Jo Jo of The Miss Fisher Philes podcast will interview Ruby, and then we’ll open the session up to questions from attendees. After the session, Ruby will be signing autographs, so be sure to bring something (or pick something up at one of our vendors) for her to write on!
Break for masquerade prep
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Dinner & Masquerade
We’ll start our masquerade with the judged rounds—three categories: Handmade, Pre-assembled, and groups—and then we’ll dine in style while our judges deliberate! After dinner, prizes will be awarded and everyone who wants to will get a chance to walk the catwalk for their fellow con attendees’ accolades.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
9:30 am – 10:45 am
Runnemallova: Harnessing More Horsepower for Your Writing || Sarah Thompson & Jeneen Preciose
Whether you write for fun, for business, or just to get your holiday letter out to your friends and family every year, a writer’s goal is to be read. This interactive session is geared toward those who leapt off the starting line after last year’s con, as well as those who’ve only just gotten in the driver’s seat. We’ll show you ways to enhance your writing and keep your readers’ attention as you participate in exercises that draw from tested tools and techniques that will help you build your skills. Grab your goggles and give the throttle a good squeeze—you’ll be amazed at what you can bring across the finish line.
11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Sex? Yes, Please! Sex Positivity in the Fisherverse || Cunning Minx
Vibrators, polyamory, premarital sex, lesbianism, and contraception. Phryne Fisher scoffs at more early 20th century cultural sexual taboos than you can shake a vibrator at. What can we learn about sexual independence and women’s sexual health from Miss Fisher? Join this panel of podcasters, writers, and sex-positive activists as we discuss the sex-positive themes presented in the Fisherverse.
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Member luncheon & episode rewatch
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
All’s Fair in Love and War || Jon Callas
The 1920s was the pinnacle of human codes and ciphers before machines and computers took over. A real-life code maker and breaker will show how to include engaging and historically accurate secret writing, codes, and ciphers in your fiction, games, and movies. We’ll explore what spies, smugglers, lovers, artists, and crazed millionaires used in real life and how you can make clues, puzzles, and mysteries come alive in your art.
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
A Dinner Party With Phryne: Classic Cocktails & Recipes || Tarah Wheeler & Tamzen Cannoy
Ever wanted to have a lovely dinner party with Miss Fisher and her fabulous friends? Learn to make classic interwar cocktails like the Sherry Cobbler, invented in Melbourne, and the French 75—Phryne would surely have brought it back from Paris with her. Then learn to make the incredible Lobster Mayonnaise, which fans of the books will recognize as Phryne’s favorite dish. These and many more historically accurate food and drink recipes are yours for the taking, as all attendees will leave with a menu plan and recipes for all!
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Hotel happy hour
Dinner will be on your own this evening, but those who are staying at the hotel can start it off right by having a drink with your new friends!
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Miss Fishnet’s Stripper Mysteries
If you scored your tickets to the hottest show in town, head on over to the Star Theater for an evening of Miss Fisher–inspired burlesque. Put another pin in your hats—it’s gonna be a fast ride!
For those not headed to Miss Fishnet’s, this is a free night in Portland! The city’s restaurant scene is not to be missed—food for every palate and price point. Tapas, curry, Korean BBQ, Japanese ramen, Pacific Northwest seafood, you’ll have your fill—and many choices are just walking distance from the hotel!
Sunday, July 1, 2018
10:00 am - ??
Spend the day in our host city!
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