Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff

Performing at DucKon 2008
Born 1954
California
Occupation writer/musician
Nationality US
Genre science fiction/fantasy
Website
www.mysticfig.com
Maya Bohnhoff at Ohio Valley Filk Fest, 2008

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (born 1954 in California and raised in Nebraska,[1] residing near San Jose, California[2] is a versatile author and performer, best known for her science fiction and fantasy works. Bohnhoff also writes magic realism, nonfiction, and has written and performed music professionally or semi-professionally since 1979[3] — generally folk or rock music, and since the 1990s more specifically filk and parody music styles — with her husband, Jeff Bohnhoff.

Personal life

Bohnhoff, mother of three, has been married since 1981 to Jeff Bohnhoff. The couple and their children are members of the Bahá'í Faith.[4][5] She began her interest in science fiction after watching The Day the Earth Stood Still as a child.[1] Her mother was a singer and music was a predominant passion over writing, through her high school and college days.[6]

Over a decade after her high school experience of being pressured to choose between practical subjects and the arts of music and writing, Bohnhoff wrote an autobiographical essay "But My Mother Was a Singer"[6] in which she chronicles her struggle with the question and argues that though the Bahá'í teachings include an emphasis on the importance of the arts and earning a livelihood by one's calling, "… using our cultural criteria, the arts may seem to have little to do with survival. But they have a tremendous amount to do with 'carrying forward an ever advancing civilization'." Eventually she held a day job as an Instructional Designer and Manager for Kelly Services[7] for some years but bosses would either "urge me to give up music" or told her "You don't belong here" while co-workers would misunderstand the life of the artist — "'If you are any good, what are you doing working here?'" "Minor setbacks", Bohnhoff continues, "in my 'career' provided intensely embarrassing situations at work."

On the musical side the drive to do music "…took me through years of food stamps and rice cakes, the disappointment and frustration of losing band members and starting over…" as well as taking her through "… the inertia when playing 'wall paper' music …[and] the 'top 40' club act". Along with such struggles is the spiritual one of purity of motive — "I, too, love applause, and to me the act of sharing music is more rewarding than writing it" and which genre of music was spiritual? She writes that at one point, eight months pregnant, she had an opportunity to work at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley for "fifteen hour days" but learned that "…I was a musician and a writer by natural inclination, not a celebrity" and "found a deeper understanding of Bahá'u'lláh's admonition to be independent of all save God." She resolves the conflict noting "Any musician who has heard a song come to life out of the weave of rhythm and melody, any writer who has ever created a set of characters, any painter who has laid brush to canvas, any sculptor who has ever been up to his elbows in clay or marble dust, any woman who has ever given birth to a child, any and all have experienced something central to understanding the love that motivated the First Creator." Bohnhoff writes using an Apple Inc. PowerBook.[8]

Bohnhoff is now a full-time writer, working alone and in collaboration with Michael Reaves.

Writings

Short writings

Bohnhoff has written several dozen short stories and novelettes in most of the well known publishing magazines: Analog magazine, Interzone (magazine), Amazing Stories, Realms of Fantasy, Jim Baen's Universe, and others. Many of them have a recognizable relationship to religions — several have a significant basis in relation to the Bahá'í Faith and a few use Pagan (Spirit Gate), Catholic (Infinite Space, Infinite God[9]), and Moslem (The Sons of the Fathers[10]) characters or situations. Two brief examples include "Home is Where..."[11] in which a pair of time traveling historians from the future employ an unusual conflict resolution method when their homesick kids go on strike during a Cold War visit to a US Air Force Base, and "The White Dog" wherein a lady comes to terms with her shocking albino appearance through the allegorical totem used by `Abdu'l-Bahá — a little white dog.[12] The story "The White Dog" was a finalist for the 1999 BSFA award. "Cruel and Unusual Punishment" was included in the E-book anthology Infinite Sky, Infinite God which won the 2007 EPPIE award.[13] The story "O, Pioneer" was a finalist for the 2006 Sidewise Award for Alternate History.

Long writings

In addition to her shorter works Bohnhoff has written several full-length novels which elaborate on her interests in examining/promoting feminist and religious concepts in science fiction, fantasy and related genres. Her most well known novel may be The Meri which became a trilogy and has been published twice (1992 and 2005) and was a finalist for Locus magazine's 1993 award for Best First Novel[14] Bohnhoff has worked with internet development of online content with her editorship of Hackoff.com — a blook by Tom Evslin.

Feminist and religious themes

The Meri series revolves around the period of transition among the people who live on a peninsula. The chapters are headed with quotes from scripture presented as those of the religion of the people but many are in fact quotes from Bahá'í scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Dhammapada and other Buddhist sacred texts, the Qur'an and the Bible. The first and second book also carry an acknowledgement of Bahá'u'lláh, a Local Spiritual Assembly and Bahá'í community.[15] The plot involves a progression on the understanding of a people in relation to the role and position of women. Unknown to the people of the story, women have always been instrumental to their religion as agents of God and a chosen few have always acted as the personification of the Spirit of God, or "Meri".[15] The first book focuses on a young girl destined to take on that role. While similar to other stories of the triumph of women it has several unique qualities most particularly a central male character being her benefactor and teacher and not an obstacle she has to overcome. The second book focuses on the return of the prior "Meri" who takes it as her mission as the head of the renewed religion to promulgate the new paradigm of the role of women. The third book focuses on her transition to being a head of state but wrestling with several of the same issues from among as well as beyond her people. Another novel she has written called The Spirit Gate has many of the same features but is written in a different context — a fantasy work set in a historical time and place of roughly AD 1000 in the area today of Poland and Ukraine where two forms of Christianity (Eastern Orthodox and Catholic) and Islam met the pagan older religion. Bahá’í themes, especially in the respect granted other religions, are largely identified with the older religion. Several of these themes are also in Bohnhoff's shorter writings — "Infinite Sky, Infinite God" highlights a Catholic future. Several short stories center on women — like "The Doctor's Wife" and "The White Dog" and both have reference to a religion. Reprints of some of Bohnhoff's works containing references to Baha'i themes are collected in the Juxta Press release, _I Loved Thy Creation_.

Professional advancement

Bohnhoff has worked in a number of venues to contribute to the field of authorship and relevance of Science Fiction and Fantasy at SciFi/Fa Conventions. She has participated in and moderated panel discussions for over a decade. She participates in the Museitup online writers conference and the Catholic Writers' Conference, and is a founding member and regular blogger at the Book View Café,[16] a fiction website created by a cooperative of over 20 professional genre writers as an alternative publishing venture.

Bohnhoff has also contributed to professional writing magazines[25] and online presentations.[26]

Publications

Much of the short fiction listed above is available for reading at the Book View Café.

Music

Though Bohnhoff's interest in music as a career stretches back to her high school years[6] and her mother, her avocation as a musician was started by 1980 when she was a member of a band called "Talisman"[4] playing a mix of original progressive rock and top 40 and got some airtime on KZAP, a radio station in Sacramento, California. The Bonhoffs later reformed as part the band "Syntax" through which they released a cassette tape "Silent Planet" in 1990 — "Syntax" using a substantial amount of MIDI based music. They were introduced to filk music in 1991 and predominantly use acoustic guitars in their live shows. In 1991 the Bohnhoffs had been invited to a science fiction convention for Maya's "Hand-me Down Town" publication in Analog magazine because Maya was up for the Nebula Award. At a party for the event Jeff had the opportunity to a jam session with founding filk musicians Dr. Jane Robinson, Cynthia McQuillin and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.[4] After other conventions mostly for Maya's writing, Jeff and Maya were spontaneously invited to play music at the 1995 Baycon by Kathy Mar. It was after a long evening of music that they wrote "Knights in White Satin". Filk and parody have become their main musical presence, though now they perform through their own production company, MysticFig and as a duo predominantly.

Mrs. and Mr. Bohnhoff have given concerts at various science fiction conventions and conference for many years and have won awards doing so. They have attended conventions Norwescon, Worldcon, LepreCon, Consonance, OryCon, the Ohio Valley Filk Fest and others. They have produced a quartet of CDs through their own production company. They also play often at the local Bahá'í events and Centers. Maya also participated in a panel discussion "Intro to Filk - Who are those people sing weird songs?" at the 1997 OryCon[20] and "Steal That Tune - Filkers have borrowed tunes from folk sources, rock singers, Broadway shows, you name it. And not all of the results are parodies...." with her husband and others.[21]

Releases

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Jim Baen's Universe Author biography)
  2. ↑ LiveJournal profile
  3. ↑ OVFF Pegasus Winners and Nominee Artist Profile
  4. 1 2 3 Ohi, Debbie Ridpath (March 2001). "Interview with Jeff Bohnhoff". The Dandelion Report. Archived from the original on 2006-09-04. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  5. ↑ Official Website statement of faith
  6. 1 2 3 Bohnhoff, Maya Kaathryn (1989). "But My Mother Was a Singer". In Michael Fritzgerald. The Creative Circle - Art, Literature and Music in Bahá'í Perspective. Los Angeles: Kalimat Press. pp. 39–49. ISBN 0-933770-68-5.
  7. ↑ Author page at Linkedin
  8. ↑ Inkygirl interview by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
  9. ↑ Twighlight Times Books profile "An anthology of fifteen stories about how the future Catholic Church uses--or fails to use--its faith, wisdom and imagination to grow with the changes of the future.
  10. ↑ Century #3, Reviewed by Steven desJardins The WSFA Journal December 15, 1995, ISSN 0894-5411 Edited by Joe Mayhew
  11. ↑ Baha'is in Science Fiction and Fantasy
  12. ↑ Bohnhoff, Maya Kaathryn (1999). The White Dog. Interzone. London.
  13. ↑ Winners of the EPPIE award for 2007
  14. ↑ Voting Ballot for Analog Awards, 1993
  15. 1 2 _The Meri_ and _Taminy_ by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff a book review by Mary K. Kuhner
  16. ↑ Book View Café
  17. ↑ Evelyn C Leeper at L.A.con IV for Stephen Hunt's Crowsnest reports on a panel discussion "Different Types of Writing?" moderated by Bohnhoff, with James Patrick Kelly, Stephen Leigh, Delia Sherman, and Robert Silverberg.
  18. ↑ Worldcon MidAmerican Fan Photo Archive of panelists
  19. ↑ LoneStarCon 2 Convention report by Evelyn C. Leeper, includes panel discussion "Is SF Relevant Any More? Was It Ever?" which included Bohnhoff, Gregory Benford, Ginjer Buchanan (moderator), Kathleen Ann Goonan, Betsy Mitchell, Richard Parks, and Walter Jon Williams
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 OryCon 1997 Program:
    "Mythic roots of fantasy", with panelists Kara Dalkey, Heather Hudson, Adrienne Martine-Barnes, Anthony Pryor-Brown
    "Coping with and/or embracing change" with panelists John Cramer, Kij Johnson, Sonia Orin Lyris, Mike Moscoe,
    "The Rise and Fall of Civilization: Which way are we going? How do we tell with any assurance?" with panelists Steven Barnes, Betty Bigelow, Margaret Forsythe, Andrew Nisbet,
    "Historical Fiction: Call it fantasy, and they'll buy it. Will readers--and thus editors--only buy historical fiction when you add magic and fairies?" with panelists Kara Dalkey, James Fiscus, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
    "Intro to Filk - Who are those people sing weird songs?" with panelists Heather Alexander, John Bunnell, Steve Dixon, Cecilia Eng, Roy Torley
    "Science and Religion: Harmony or Discord. Can we avoid being affected by this battle?" with panelists Amy Casil, Lenora Good, Andrew Nisbet, Mike Tanaka, Theo Williams.
    "Cardinal Richelieu revisited - the good and evil priest in literature." with panelists Dan Berggren, Loren Joseph MacGregor, Mari-el Mor, Irene Radford, Rhea Rose
    "Research for alternate history. Sources to use so good history can make good fiction." with panelists James Fiscus, Eileen Gunn, Jean Lamb
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 OryCon 2002 Program:
    "Is it now chic to be geek - Is this the age of the geek?" with panelists Janice Gelb, Melinda Hutson, Bridget Landry, Irene Radford
    "Steal That Tune - Filkers have borrowed tunes from folk sources, rock singers, Broadway shows, you name it. And not all of the results are parodies...." with panelists Jeff Bohnhoff, Steve Dixon, Jeffrey Hitchin
    "And Now for Something Completely Different - Breaking the European medieval mindset: Asian-themed fantasy, urban fantasy, maybe even Roman fantasy? Getting creative with one's imagination" with panelists Irene Radford, Kevin Radthorne, and Deborah K. Strub
    "Disenchantment - Fantasy novelists portrayals of Christian and Christian-like faiths often seem harsh and authoritarian or as a totalitarian backdrops to stories. What's the source of the antipathy?" with panelists John C. Bunnell, Mark Ferrari, Ashley J. Harper
    "Evolution - Science vs. Religion why do they disagree? And if people can re-engineer themselves where does that leave God?" with panelists Cat Faber, Ken Scholes, Dave Trowbridge
  22. ↑ Loscon 2003 - Vera Mazarian News Flash "The Art & Craft of Writing" with panelists Laura Frankos and Vera Nazarian
  23. 1 2 3 Norwescon 2005:
    Thursday Program "Tolkien vs Jackson" moderated by Bohnhoff with panelists Vladimir Verano, Robert J. Grieve
    "Filk and the Mainstream" moderated by Jeff Bohnhoff with panelists Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Karen Rall
    Friday Program "Parody Writing" moderated by Jeff Bohnhoff with panelist Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
    "Show me - Don't tell me" moderated by Bohnhoff with panelists Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Jak Koke
    Saturday Program - "Plot, Settings, and Characters" moderated by Bohnhoff with panelists Mike Shepherd-Moscoe, Susan Stern Grossman
  24. 1 2 3 4 Westercon - Gnomeward Bound 2007 Program :
    "How to Write the BEST First Line" moderated by Bohnhoff, with panelists Valerie Estelle Frankel, Howard Hendrix, Kage Baker
    "The Wiccan Culture: An Introduction" with panelists Diana L. Paxson, Deirdre Saoirse Moen
    "The Short Story as an Art Form" moderated by Bohnhoff with panelists Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Michael Swanwick, Lori Ann White, Howard Hendrix
    "Getting Your Writing to Grow Up" moderated by Bohnhoff with panelists Howard Hendrix, Beth Meacham, Michael J. Swanwick
  25. ↑ LPS Design - Some Thoughts on Subplots by Lisa Paitz Spindler references Bohnhoff's thoughts on subplots
  26. ↑ Muse Online Conference lists Bohnhoff offering a workshop/private forum and realtime chat examining Systems of Faith and Magic.
  27. ↑ Dust of the Time - New Catholic Sci-Fi Anthology 2007
  28. ↑ Emily Chang - eHub Interviews
  29. ↑ Filk- und LARP- Song- und Media-Datenbank
  30. ↑ SF Site News for 2003
  31. ↑ 2005 past Pegasus Awards
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