The previous occupant of our room left the alarm set for 5:30 am. As the alarm went off, I reassured Lisa it wasn’t me as I scrambled for the alarm in a sleepy stupor, and after a few comments we went back to sleep until, for me, about 6:30. Off to the exercise room for a conversation with some other college teachers about our glamorous job. Andrea Hairston was one of them, so I reminded her that a friend and I were really looking forward to Redwood and Wildfire, and she let me know that it would be available through Aqueduct next year. That was a good thing.
After a quick shower, I threw what we needed for our reading into a bag, and I headed out to the farmer’s market. I had breakfast, and then bought cookies and honey sticks for our reading over at the Inn at the Park.
Keyan story snippet featured a valley girl selkie, Carolyn read a piece from her new book Magic Below Stairs, and I read a snippet from Hulk Hercules. Kater Cheek, however, had the best piece of the day. She read this wonderful piece of a young adult novella that was spot on perfect voice with parents and kids, and even mind-controlling hamsters. If there is a god of publishing, we’ll be seeing that one out there soon.
The reading went well. Carolyn and I went off to lunch with Dakiwiboid (whose actual name I’m not using, because I’m noticing she doesn’t use it on her site, so we try to be sensitive to things like that) and her friend. After that, full of vegetables, I headed back to the hotel.
I checked out a reading. One scholar presented on Octavia Butler, and another did a very nice presentation on onmyoji and kitsune. I think in her I bought some books. I had to buy some books at some points, because frankly I had too many of them when I got home, so I’ll keep inserting that action occasionally.
The Split Tongues reading, which I discussed in my entry Serious Wiscon was next, and I went away with lots to think about.
The next thing was very exciting. I took a nap because I had to stay up to hear a reading at midnight. I rested for as long as I could, and then I caught pizza with Shannon. We talked about writing pretty much. That’s what you do at Wiscon with a lot of folks.
At the Tor party, I ran into Pamela Dean again, and we both agreed the party was really loud, so before drowning in sound, we exited. I went to a couple of quieter parties–ran into some Minneapolis folks at the make-up party, chilled out in the hall, tracked down Rachel Swirsky for a book signing, and somehow found myself back at the Tor party.
This time it was…still noisy. I ended up chatting with a couple of earlier VP alumns: Margaret Ronald and Jennifer Pelland. We drank cider and kibbitzed with one of Jennifer’s friends until it was time for the midnight reading.
I was going to the reading primarily to hear Chris Barzak. Just before the reading, I discovered Vylar Kaftan and I have the same taste in pseudo Indian purple clothing. Of course, Chris’ reading was superb, and the other folks he was reading with were also very good. It was worth staying up for.
And that’s all I could take. I went back up to the room, figuring I would have to sneak in quietly, but my party animal roommates were out until 3.
In case you aren’t tired of them, there will be more readings in the Sunday report.
