Interview With Katie Casey – Part 2

Welcome back for the conclusion of our interview with Katie Casey, blogger and Steampunk Magazine contributor.

Part 1 can be read here.

AA: Continuing our discussion about writing an ongoing blog, do you talk with other bloggers or authors to trade ideas?

KC: Not nearly enough! I run ideas past my little steampunk gang at school, but I would love to talk to other bloggers more!

AA: What are some of your favorite blogs, topics, and people that you follow?

KC: Beyond Victoriana and Steampunk Workshop are both good stuff. I love Steampunk Home for the pretty pictures, and TreeHugger and Shakesville for saying awesome things. (Those two aren’t steampunk, but are pretty badass regardless.) I read a ton of blogs, so the list is pretty endless…

AA: Daydream question – If you had unlimited access, time and budget, what is one item you’d leap at to do or blog about?

KC: I keep finding articles about dirigibles making a comeback for environmental reasons. If I could give a first-hand account of that – which would, of course, require extensive travel in such vehicles, to all manner of far-off places – I would be the happiest little steampunk alive. (Alternatively: I really wanna go to Dances of Vice and Maker Fair. So, so much.)

AA: For those readers and fans who enjoy the various steampunk blogs and are thinking about getting similarly involved, what advice or suggestions do you have them?

KC: Write lots, read more. Make friends with your commentors (They’re often quite friendly – I asked for help paying for textbooks on my blog and got a box with three of my books in the mail! Thanks Dylan!). Take time to proofread: Even ideas you thought long and hard about rarely come across clearly at first draft.

AA: What advice or suggestions do you have to people who want to be involved with Steampunk Magazine?

KC: Ask us! We’re friendly, and can be reached on Gaslamp Bazaar or by e-mail. (And one of our editor types, Dylan Fox, has a fantastic set of hints for people thinking of submitting to the magazine!)

AA: Aside from Steampunk Magazine and your blog, what other steampunk things are you involved with?

KC: Costuming! I’m not very good, but sewing things is my one true steampunk love. I also have an RP blog with some friends, chronicling the adventures of our steampunk circus in a much-altered 19th century France, which can be found at cirquedevapeur.blogspot.com.

AA: You were at the Steampunk World’s Fair in May – What did you think of it and what were you favorite highlights?

KC: It was incredible! I worked registration, and got to watch all the amazing costumes come through into the fair. There were some fantastic panels and shows – I went to the Steampunk Social Issues panel, which featured all sorts of awesome discussion on race, gender and class in Steampunk, and saw a show of fire-eaters and jugglers and such that was incredible. My favorite part was probably dancing outside the hotel at 2am on Saturday night with Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band and the ladies of the Outlanders It was fabulously surreal and carnival and colorful, which is how steampunk events ought to be!

AA: Looking beyond blogging, costuming, and conventions, what are your interests outside of steampunk?

KC: Well, I’m a fencer, so I like to stab things. (My school team is full of fantastic people – one girl has Victorian fencing outfit, for example, and we go as a team to the Renaissance Faire every year – so we have a lot of geeky fun.) For school, I study religion and women’s studies, and I’m a perpetual student of all things crafty. My most recent craft is knitting, and I’ve been making little toy Cthulhus for my friends! I also like nerdy things and politics and cooking (mostly cupcakes).

AA: Do you find any overlap or influence of those interests with steampunk?

KC: I love putting religion and gender issues into my steampunk writing and I craft steampunk-inspired things, and I sometimes even get politics in my steampunk, so yes! But no steampunk cooking yet, alas…

AA: Any final thoughts that you’d like to share with our readers?

KC: My friends and I have recently decided that a group of steampunks is a Goggle. (A gaggle of geese, a goggle of punks, haha. A gear and a dirigible were also suggested.) If enough people started using that to make it common usage, it would probably be the best thing ever, so get on that, people of the internet!