World Fantasy - Con Report Day 1

[pegkerr]

I left work at 12:30 and arrived at the con. As I mentioned yesterday, I had been crabbily wondering whether I would enjoy it, but the first day was a great success.

Saw tons of people. I had a very nice conversation with Caroline Stevermer, who I haven't seen in ages, although she lives right here in Minneapolis. To my astonishment, I discovered that her house is very close to mine (why have I never known this???), and we immediately decided we would try to get together to write in a coffee shop or something sometime. Fans of Sorcery and Cecelia will be delighted to learn that not only is that original book going to be re-released next year, but she and Pat Wrede are halfway through a sequel, about the grand tour that Cecy and Kate take on their honeymoons with their husbands. It's been sold already, to Harcourt. It's going to be a little different. Since Cecy and Kate are together in this book, they are not writing letters to each other. Caroline is writing Kate's journal, and Pat, Caroline mysteriously said, is "writing Kate's deposition, after all the events are over." See here for more.

Talked with S.N. (Shari) Arly, Kelly McCullough, Harry LeBlanc, Lois McMaster Bujold, Lillian Stewart Clark, pameladean, Laurel Winter, Naomi Kritzer, Katya Reiman and . . . um, lots of other people. Went to Ellen Kushner's presentation of the Sound & Spirit episode about the Lord of the Rings which will be airing the week of November 9. Hurray! Admired elisem's work in the dealer's room. Spoke briefly with or waved at serendipoz, daedala, drewan, laurel and, um, other people. Heard the Lady Poetesses from Hell reading, always a delight (Terri Garey, John "Rez" Rezmerski, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Laurel Winter, and maybe one or two others I've forgotten).

There were glitches. Rob was not able to get off of work when he said he would, so part of the evening I had young children in tow who were agonizing because they wanted to go trick-or-treating. Meanwhile, I was agonizing because I wanted to go the Shakespeare and fantasy panel. Neither of us were happy, although Rob did show up eventually, and took the girls home. I probably did not get a proper dinner. I have to be careful not to get hypoglycemic this weekend, always a danger for me at cons.

But altogether, the con seems to be turning out to be a lot of fun and professionally stimulating.

And a family that Fiona and Delia often play-date with has agreed to take the girls overnight Saturday night. Hurray!

Not sure when the next update will be; will probably be immersed in the con the next several days.

Cheers,
Peg

Comments

[aome.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a fun event. Am in awe at the thought of all you fantasy-writer-types in one place. Did the girls get to go trick-or-treating after your husband took them home?

[daedala.livejournal.com]

Don't drown!

Did you need my notes on Shakespeare? I can write them up if you like. It was an interesting panel, and pretty good; I think the last-minute moderator addition didn't work out as well, but I don't think that's anyone in particular's fault (especially not said moderator's).

[pameladean]

I was on the Shakespeare panel. David, my husband, who was in the audience, accurately remarked afterwards that nobody picked up much on what anybody else said, we were perpetually starting over. NOW, of course, I think of how I wish I'd asked Mike Ford to say more precisely what he meant by "dreamlike elements," and whether he meant only the ones in THE TEMPEST or the DREAM, or also meant to include the more nightmarish scenes in HAMLET and MACBETH. And I wish somebody had taken me up on my observation, which I meant quite seriously, that a lot of the fantastical scenes in Shakespeare suddenly read to me on re-examination much more like science fiction.

I think the moderator did as good a job as she could on short notice, with four strong-willed panelists flying off in all directions.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

Harry LeBlanc is a buddy of mine from way back when. If you see him again (and see this before that, etc.) tell him Luke says hi.

Thanks for the update. Yeah!