This has been one crazy week. Every time I turn around, there is some life or work task that is keeping me from doing about anything. I’ve been asked to submit a story to an anthology (nothing definite, just an invite), the deadline is the 15th, and I really need to find some time to sit down and write it, so I can get some critiques before I send it out. I’m full of ideas and beans. I just need to see which idea works itself out on paper.
***
Last Friday, my good friends Dan and Lisa and I went to Wiscon. Even though I am now a writer seeking fame and fortune, that certainly hasn’t always been the case. I used to be a frustrated wanna-be writer, and/or an SF/F fan and academic, and the three of us have made this annual pilgrimage for a long time. Friendship is one of the most important reasons to undertake this experience. Now I have the added bonus of meeting up with other writers as well.
We three got in around 12 pm. We ran into Lisa Cohen for lunch. Lisa was crazy, deciding that she was going to be at Wiscon Friday, drive home Saturday for a couple of Shape Note concerts, and drive back Sunday night. She did follow through with her crazy plan. I met Lisa through Dan and my Lisa last year, and have gotten to know her better on LiveJournal, and was very happy to enjoy her special (and occasionally spicy) sense of humor. Because we were destined to see each other about 22,000 more times that day, we said goodbye after goodbye after goodbye.
I spent a good chunk of my afternoon lunch time visiting A Room of One’s Own, a Madison book store. It’s a great indy place full of wonderful titles. They were kind enough to sell my book in the dealer’s room. Sonya Shannon, Cats Curious Editor, was kind enough to set that up.
Then, I hung posters for our Saturday reading, and socialized around the gathering. Dan and Lisa introduced me to their friend Sumana. I ran into one of my favorite people, Caroline Stevermer, who impresses me more every time I talk to her. Oh yeah, she’s also one of the finest writers I know. Kater Cheek and I caught up through a brief hello and confirmed our reading stuff, and I met Keyan Bowes, our fourth reader, and her friend Julie Andrews, one of their Clarion classmates. No, I did *not* make any of the obvious jokes.
Other features of interest at the Gathering: Margaret Ronald and Suzy Charnas reading tarot. I indulged last year, but it felt good seeing them in action.
Caroline introduced me to David Levine. We talked a little writing. Lisa Cohen was talking to Pamela Dean, and as a result, I had a nice conversation with her as well. I ran into local writer fledgling Shannon Ryan. It was his first Wiscon, so we kept checking in to make sure he was doing okay. Saw Evelyn with whom I went to grad school, another linguist turned writer. Had a nice conversation with Mary Ann Mohanraj about teaching community college. That’s the highlights from the Gathering.
I’ll cut here because we’re getting unwieldy. More Friday hijinx and name dropping below.
Before the opening ceremonies, I had time to run away for a quick workout. I saw lots of people in the halls and flashed smiles and hellos. I tell you, I wish I could have found the time and means to talk to more folks. It always feels drive-by at these sorts of things.
Opening ceremonies featured a spectrum of respectability. Ellen Klages dressed as a Republican (self-proclaimed) librarian. She was joined on stage by Pat Murphy. The seasonal sweater she had on was modeled by all the elementary teachers I knew in the 90’s. The goal of the spectrum of respectability was to place different works on the scale according to their respectability in the literary world. This continued all throughout the convention in the hall way. I find it reassuring that Wiscon believes that Ursula K. LeGuin’s Left Hand of Darkness is more respectable than William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Parties were upon us next. Chris Barzak and crew were back with their karaoke. I signed up for These Boots Are Made for Walking. Honestly, Nancy Sinatra and I sing in the same key. Really. You should hear me on You Only Live Twice. I met Chris as he introduced me on stage, and that was a fun moment of recognition, because I’d fanprof’ed all over The Love We Share Without Knowing, and I didn’t know he was part of the karaoke crew. Anyway, I sang and figured that was it, but I was told by folks at the party that I advanced to the second round of American Idol and should sign up for another song.
My love of karaoke is deep and abiding. I fell in love in Japan, where you sing karaoke with 30 of your closest friends in a tight little room, and it doesn’t matter how well you sing. Wiscon comes closest to my US karaoke experiences in recreating that atmosphere.
Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler recruited me to sing California Girls with them. It was their first karaoke, and they were nervous, but they did great. After that, I soloed on You’re So Vain to more good reception. I really did want to stay, but I had promised some people I would try to track them down, so, hoping to get back, I left. Regrettably, I didn’t get back.
Upstairs on the party floor, I said hello across a crowded room to more folks. I spent some time with Pat Murphy again. We had a great talk on starting out in writing, and having a career in writing. I tracked down Rachel Swirsky and her husband Mike. Again, another writer, whose name I recognized, but can’t remember now, was in on that conversation. I would have felt really weird writing those names down, so I’m hoping some folks can help me fill in the blanks, and I can go back and edit. She and her husband were, I think, from Denver, and were awesome.
And that was it. By that point in the evening, it was midnight. I knew that I had to get up early and stay up late on Saturday, so I called it a night.
Here’s hoping I can write about Saturday soon. It’ll be mostly about readings.
Catherine
I’m so glad you enjoyed the karaoke! I was the one behind the table at the laptop karaoke set-up. I believe it was Karen Joy Fowler that sang with you on California Girls. (I hope you don’t mind me posting. I found your post by googling Wiscon and karaoke!)
Kristin, THANK YOU so much for making karaoke such a great experience. I really enjoy the great work you guys do every year.