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Encouraging the Exploration & Expansion of Gender
The 2016 Tiptree Award for
When the Moon was Ours
by Anna-Marie McLemore
"It is a story of secrets, and of speaking them, and the power of sayingand livingyour truth, without fear."
-- Christina Tesoro
The award sculpture is a translucent molded crystal diorama of a tree standing in an iridescent atmosphere; its branches extending outward, from which moons are suspended swinging in the breeze. The 3/8" (.95cm) thick diorama is supported by a cast crystal oval of autumn leaves having fallen upon a grassy field. Resting upon the ground is a purple rose with a pink center. All of these elements play their parts as the story unfolds.
The sculpture stands approximately 10" (25cm) tall, weighing 4.5 lbs. (2kg).
The award is named for Alice B. Sheldon, who wrote under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr. By her impulsive choice of a masculine pen name, Sheldon helped break down the imaginary barrier between "women’s writing" and "men's writing." Her fine stories were eagerly accepted by publishers and won many awards in the field. Many years later, after she had written some other work under the female pen name of Raccoona Sheldon, it was discovered that 'James' was female. The discovery led to a great deal of discussion of what aspects of writing, if any, are essentially gendered. The name "Tiptree" was selected to illustrate the complex role of gender in writing and reading.
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