World Fantasy Convention update

[mckitterick]

Hard to describe how tightly knit the professional SF community is if you're not part of it. Everyone knows everyone, and we're all friendly and helpful rather than competitive (well, I'm sure some are, but who spends time with those guys?).

Fun details:
. Breakfast at the con suite on the top deck of the building consisted of cheese, sausage, bratwurst, broccoli, dates, pretzels (I'm not making this up, folks), and such. We ate outside in the blaringly bright sun beneath a sort of latticework canopy with Michael A. Arnzen, Suzanne Church, Paul Genesse, Brad Beaulieu, Ted Chiang, and Pat Murphy.

. Looming over our hotel is a rocky mountain up which masochists worm their way. Exercise? Self-flagellation? I do not know.

. Went to a panel about combat in SF with David Drake, Joe Haldeman, Michael Stackpole, and Thomas Harlan.

. Meant to go to others, but got wrapped up in visiting with people and a rewrite of the novel.

. While I was rewriting in the lobby, the table where I worked held two or three other friends and cohorts, variously working on fiction, blogs, or email. Included at the table or visiting us: Eileen Gunn, Suzanne Church, Rob Furey, Michael A. Arnzen, Anne Groell (Kij's editor at Bantam) and her new hubby, Claire Eddy (Kij's editor at Tor), Ellen Datlow, and miscellaneous others whose names, I apologize, I can't recall at the moment.

. Went upstairs to get Kij (was trying to nap off her vicious cold) to go out to dinner with Gordon Van Gelder (the editor of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine) and some other folks. He took us all out to eat at the most wonderful Ethiopian restaurant ever... well, I dunno, I've never eaten Ethiopian before: Cafe Lalibela. Two enormous platters of the most savory and fascinatingly spiced foods I've ever encountered, eaten with this thin, spongy fermented-grain bread-like stuff. yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum.

. Back to the con for the mass-autographing session. Kij sat between two coolio women: Ellen Klages and Louise Marley. Spent a bunch of time with Alan M. Clark, helping him work out a story idea for something he's working on. What a strange and wonderful man! Chatted with tons of folks, including Ellen, Louise, Marty and Bridget McKenna (long-time friends of ours who just started up Aeon Magazine), and others.

. Gotta go, Kij is getting really sicky now. Perfect irony, eh? We're here for her to celebrate the honor of being nominated for the World Fantasy Award, yet she's the one suffering and not able to enjoy things much of the time. Poor girl.

More tomorrow -
(hopefully with better news re: Kij)
Chris

Comments

[professormass.livejournal.com]

You get to hang out with Joe Haldeman? My envy knows no bounds.

Hope Kij feels better!

[orin2.livejournal.com]

I feel two things: One is sadness that Kij is sick at an event that is trying to honor her and the other is sadness that there is a group out there I want to belong to but don't. *sigh*

[bellanorth.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you're having a blast. I wish Kij were more able to enjoy it, but at least she can live vicariously through you when she must nap through events.

Oh, and if you really like the Ethiopian we'll have to go up to Westport- there's a great cafe up there that serves authentic food which is quite yummy.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh, do pass along my hellos to Louise Marley and Paul Genesse and anyone else in that group who you think might know me. Wish I was there.

I already sent Kij good wishes to spike that cold.

[worldforger.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
Glad you're having fun, and give Kij my sympathy and hugs, please. I've got some story stuff I'd like to hash out with the two of you when you get back and recover, if you don't mind, too!
:-)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah - but just some general chitchat. At Norwescon last Spring, we spent an afternoon with him and his wife, Gay. 'Twas great.

Chris

[0verdrive.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that Kij isn't doing well... :( (I assume that she's trying to get rest, and is taking plenty of get-well drugs?)

chernobylred introduced me to Ethiopian -- and while I've only had it twice now, I really like it! If you're interested in a group outting for Ethiopian in the KC area, I'd like to join you...