ellen_kushner ([info]ellen_kushner) wrote,
@ 2005-07-10 22:37:00
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Readercon 16
I had an absolutely stellar time at this year's Readercon! I met or reconnected with scads of wonderful people (if you are one of them, please Comment and say Hello, so I can connect the person with the LJ-er). Apologies to [info]beth_bernobich for forgetting Delia's necklace again, to [info]sovay for missing her reading again, and to [info]mroctober for giving him a hard time but you know you love it. Thanks to [info]melodican for making the journey, and to [info]suzych for being herself. Finally, to everyone in those late-night games of Mafia: Maybe next time you'll listen to my hunches before I get taken out! (Sybil's Garage explains it all much more eloquently than I can, plus you get to see pictures.)

I loved both my panels, which had smart, interesting people on them. I did manage to bring the wrong section of the new novel for my reading, but after a certain amount of snarling because I hate disappointments, I read it anyway, and it went well (though not as well as the one I meant to bring, grrr). Thanks to Jennifer Pelland, m.c. of the Broad Universe rapid-fire reading, I got to read 8 minutes' worth of my new short story, "Honored Guest," which will appear in Datlow/Windling's Coyote Road anthology (Viking, 2006) of trickster stories (the trickster is Jessica Campion from The Fall of the Kings, of course!).

We had a terrific panel on Interstitial Arts, at which I read from Readercon co-founder Robert Colby's manifesto from Readercon 2 (1988, Samuel R. Delany GoH), which sounds eerily like the IAF manifesto, including its title, Transcending Genre: What We're All About.

And I got paid for cleaning my room: I'm deaccessioning many of my old hardcovers from my days in publishing, and I brought 2 boxes' worth to the Book Room and offered them to dealers. While my old edition of Islandia (bought on the sidewalks of NYC for 50 cents) turned out not to be a valuable first edition after all, I did get $10 for it, and for several others. Which was an unexpected bonus, or, Virtue Rewarded.

I'm forgetting a lot, but I'm so tired only the back of my chair is holding me upright, and why I am typing instead of lying down beats hell outta me.

My Labyrinth talk is tomorrow (Monday 7/11) evening at Fruitlands. Then I'll lie down.


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[info]resourceress
2005-07-10 08:41 pm UTC (link)
Hello, I'm the massage therapist-in-training and dancer/percussionist who spoke with you after the Interstitial Arts panel. It was good to see you and chat with you a bit at the con. Every Interstitial Arts panel I've been to has been differently exciting. It's a compelling concept, and I think it has great potential to change how people approach both genre and interstitial material (if interstitiality is a continuum rather than a category, genre must also be a continuum, IMO). I generally don't have much time to spend on message boards, but I intend to check out the IAF forum soon. Thanks!

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[info]ellen_kushner
2005-07-11 07:52 pm UTC (link)
Were you the person who was trying to figure out with me what art was and was not Interstitial?

If so (or even if not) - about 2 hours later, I figured out what the Answer was: If you need the word Interstitial to describe it, it's interstitial. That's all. "Interstitial" is meant to fill a need, not set up rules & regs. If you need it, it's there for you. If not, never mind.

Anyhow, I'm thrilled that you like the concept, and look forward to seeing you on the
IAF Discussion Board when you've got the chance - I know how that can be!

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[info]resourceress
2005-07-18 09:50 pm UTC (link)
Were you the person who was trying to figure out with me what art was and was not Interstitial?

Sort of. My question was about the distinction between fusion and interstitial. And I believe we came to the conclusion that because fusion has its own name and "space", it isn't really interstitial, or at least that it doesn't need to identify as interstitial, although one could argue that there is a fair amount of conceptual and practical overlap between the two.

I'm looking forward to checking out the board as I have the time. Thanks!

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[info]heavenscalyx
2005-07-11 06:17 am UTC (link)
Hi, I attended your Interstitial Arts panel. I ended up attending several other panels throughout the con where the concepts of the interstices between genres came up repeatedly (the Magic Realism panel and the Out-of-Genre Horror panel to name two that leap to mind). Also, Melanie Tem, in the Magic Realism panel, mentioned being on a panel where the term "slipstream" came up for cross-genre works -- not sure which panel this was, or what the exact definition was. Hot topic!

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[info]ellen_kushner
2005-07-11 07:47 pm UTC (link)
Thanks!

"Slipstream" has been in use for awhile, now - but it seems to refer only to sf/f cross-genre writing, whereas Interstial is meant to cover the waterfront. Anyway, it's definitely an idea that's achieving critical mass, and I am so glad.

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[info]malkingrey
2005-07-11 06:23 am UTC (link)
Well, I was there, along with my husband/co-author, both twins, and the Elder Son (the Elder Daughter now being all grown up and college-graduated and living in Pennsylvania, god help us.)

Readercon is a good con for doing readings (unlike some, where an unlucky author at the wrong hour can end up talking to a room full of empty chairs); Himself and I read from the work in progress that we're livejournaling about at http://www.livejournal.com/users/mist_and_snow/.

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[info]adelynne
2005-07-11 07:45 am UTC (link)
Hello again!

I was at your signing and Kaffeeklatch, found out about Readercon from this LJ, and loved that Basil line from The Fall of Kings.

Sadly, I have nothing witty to add at this time. :)

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(Anonymous)
2005-07-11 09:08 am UTC (link)
Warmth and friendship trump "witty" any time - thanks for coming to the con, the 'klatch, and the blog! See you 'round Davis . . . .

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"Anonymous" was me -
[info]ellen_kushner
2005-07-11 12:58 pm UTC (link)
- I just forgot to log in!

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[info]beth_bernobich
2005-07-11 10:25 am UTC (link)
It was a delight to see you at the con, and to hear that delicious snippet from your new book. (I posted my own Readercon report, and reading through it, I see it's more an Ellen report.)

-- Beth (aka Villager #11)



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[info]ellen_kushner
2005-07-11 08:02 pm UTC (link)
Aw, shucks, no it's not! Lots of good stuff there about all our pals & idols (ah, Mr. Delany...!). But thanks for the nice mention(s), and the IAF link!

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Readercon
(Anonymous)
2005-07-11 11:30 am UTC (link)
It was so nice to see you at Readercon. I'm glad you've kept in touch with Ned (at least more than I have!). I look forward to reading your novel whens it's done--and promise to send you a copy of my non-fiction tome from Thunder's Mouth Press when it's finally here.

Best,
John F
http://www.farrellmedia.com/books.html

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Re: Readercon
[info]ellen_kushner
2005-07-11 07:42 pm UTC (link)
You, too, John! I'll try to track down Ned for you, slippery bastrd.... And do let me know about the book.

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[info]demonhaunted
2005-07-11 02:47 pm UTC (link)
Ellen, it was great meeting you and Delia! I had a blast with the both of you. By the way, what was the name of the show that competes with All Things Considered?

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[info]ellen_kushner
2005-07-11 07:41 pm UTC (link)
PRI's The World.

Don't miss their Global Hits: a regular 5-minute feature on some hot "world music" artist - but in the context of their own world, not just ours.

It was great to meet you - nice to know you're in LJ!

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