Category: Conventions

Thank you, Lydia!

I’m back from Fourth Street.  Near as I can tell, the division of labor is: Lydia and others did the work, I got the glory.  I’m good with that.

I hesitate to try to single out anyone’s contributions, because there are so many I’m going to miss.  But the discussion was consistently at a high level, and I got epiphanized more than once. My housemates, Reesa and Kit, were clearly in their element all weekend, and it did my heart good.  Mrissa needs to be especially singled out for saying Lots Of Smart Things.

It was wonderful seeing my family, and my “family,” and feeling my brain engaged again.

I plan to post more as the results seep into my brain.

Fourth Street Programming

Early this morning Reesa, Kit, and I finished up the first cut of programming for Fourth Street Fantasy Convention.  As usual, we’ve already found one panelist who can’t be there at the times her panels are scheduled, but that’s part of the gig.

The current plan is to leave for Minnesota on Tuesday, arriving sometime on Wednesday.   A local zombie has agreed to watch the house for us while we’re gone, and we’ll be boarding the pets.  See you soon at Fourth Street!

Marcon

I’m back from Marcon, and I’m not sure what to say about it.  As most of you probably know, guest of honor Robert Asprin passed away the day before the convention started.   At opening ceremonies, I said that the odd thing was, if I had spent much of opening ceremonies ribbing him, as I’d originally planned, it would have been something he’d have liked, but I just didn’t have the heart to do it.  The convention organized a wake for him with music and Tulamore Dew, and it was well done.  I knew Bob for something like 30 years; I’m sorry he’s gone.

It’s hard to talk about general convention stuff under the circumstances, but it wouldn’t be fair to the Marcon committee not to mention that they’re one of the long-standing fannish conventions where they know what they’re doing, and that they treated me very well (including all sorts of extra effort they had to go through because I somehow managed to mess up my foot the first day).

I met and re-met a lot of great people, and it was by any standards a good convention; I wish Bob could have been there.