Wiscon Sunday
Jun. 1st, 2010 12:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jinianWoke up around 8:30 despite party hours, which gave me a fine chance to take the shower I'd skipped Saturday night. Read my mail and discovered, thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
boxofdelights, that I really needed to go the Aqueduct Press reading at 9! Threw on velociraptor t-shirt and metallic wrap pants, since I couldn't find the clothes I actually wanted.
All the readings were very good, and I especially love Eleanor Arnason's stuff. Claire Light's story was very cool, too. But really I was there for Nisi Shawl's reading and performance as Michael Jackson, which she'd tried to find a jacket for at the clothing swap. We'd sent her up to Goodwill and Ragstock, and she'd found a dress-and-jacket set, then come back to donate the dress to the swap, so I knew she was going to do it sometime! I'd thought I'd missed it, but the power of gossip came through for me. :) The story was compelling and great, but the performance was something else. We clapped in counterpoint, she sang "Billie Jean" and danced, and the fedora was exactly as awesome as she'd said it was.
I am not sure what I did after that. Hid in a hole, went to the art show and dealer's room, etc. I did remember to eat lunch, though I wasn't feeling real enthusiastic about food due to general off-kilterness and hot weather. Somewhat headachey. A lot of time passed somehow. I ironed my favorite dress. Eventually I changed into my dress and rejoined the world.
17th Century Wild Women panel was a lot of fun. The only one I knew much about going in was Catalina de Erauso, but it turns out that Margaret Cavendish, gate-crasher of the Royal Society, is far more awesome than I knew (despite claiming that it was against the nature of women to spell correctly). Sadly not enough time to get very far into the Chinese women scholars' stories.
The Desert Dames was actually even better than the Aqueduct one: Karen Joy Fowler, a strong biology story from Pat Murphy, Eileen Gunn as hilarious as ever, Terry Bisson who reminds me of my dad and is so funny too, and Carol Emshwiller. Yow. (Bisson refused to explain why he is a dame. Tradition.)
I went out for a walk alone, and found the lake at the campus end of State Street. It was fucking hot, but I read a little of Edison Thomas and got lucky with duckling pictures. Something cold to eat seemed in order quite soon. Tiny sushi place Fugu was full, so I went to Wasabi, where I've been in years past, and drank large amounts of ice water. Sushi was et, and I returned to the hotel. Took a photo of my favorite State Street view on the way. (Photos to follow, maybe tomorrow.)
Roommate Jenny was feeling sick and wanted to unload her dessert salon ticket, so I decided to try that out. Before I've just showed up for the guest of honor speeches and snagged leftover dessert. Verdict: It was nice to dress up with everyone and talk to known and new people for a bit, but standing in line was boring. The view wasn't much better than from the cheap seats, either. Maybe if I went down there early instead of being privileged to help lacekalmn into her show-stopping outfit? Probably will choose to revert to the option that doesn't cost money next time. :)
The guest of honor speeches were great, of course. Mary Anne Mohanraj and Nnedi Okorafor are both so stunningly talented that there's not much I can say. Are these speeches on Youtube yet? The Tiptree Awards were given out, too. Unfortunately, the introduction screwed up Greer Gilman's book title both times, but she got an amazing trophy: a music box that plays ballads using pierced disks that can be changed out, with an engraving of her book's cover on the lid. And we all sang the obligatory parodic song, this time a silly round to "Frere Jacques" for her and Fumi Yoshinaga (who couldn't come, and sent Mari Kotani with a speech saying she guessed she'd have to finish the series, then). Other administrative stuff, concom appreciation and Carl Brandon Society promotion, etc. -- less exciting to me.
I went to parties briefly, and got the new Arnason shorts-and-interview book but not the novel, as the Aqueduct guy unwisely could not take cards at the party. I messed around with sock puppet making at the Galactic Marmalade party (a craft! sadly the party was still too much after a bit, and I abandoned my sock) and found myself in the room for a repeat performance of "Billie Jean" -- beatboxed instead of clapped, with sing-along, wonder which one Nisi preferred? I got my photo taken at the photo booth, to be emailed later, and ran for cover around midnight. Lots of positive comments on the dress over the course of the afternoon, including from one girl whose outfits I'd been enjoying since Friday, so yay.
Shower and sleep.
boxofdelights, that I really needed to go the Aqueduct Press reading at 9! Threw on velociraptor t-shirt and metallic wrap pants, since I couldn't find the clothes I actually wanted.All the readings were very good, and I especially love Eleanor Arnason's stuff. Claire Light's story was very cool, too. But really I was there for Nisi Shawl's reading and performance as Michael Jackson, which she'd tried to find a jacket for at the clothing swap. We'd sent her up to Goodwill and Ragstock, and she'd found a dress-and-jacket set, then come back to donate the dress to the swap, so I knew she was going to do it sometime! I'd thought I'd missed it, but the power of gossip came through for me. :) The story was compelling and great, but the performance was something else. We clapped in counterpoint, she sang "Billie Jean" and danced, and the fedora was exactly as awesome as she'd said it was.
I am not sure what I did after that. Hid in a hole, went to the art show and dealer's room, etc. I did remember to eat lunch, though I wasn't feeling real enthusiastic about food due to general off-kilterness and hot weather. Somewhat headachey. A lot of time passed somehow. I ironed my favorite dress. Eventually I changed into my dress and rejoined the world.
17th Century Wild Women panel was a lot of fun. The only one I knew much about going in was Catalina de Erauso, but it turns out that Margaret Cavendish, gate-crasher of the Royal Society, is far more awesome than I knew (despite claiming that it was against the nature of women to spell correctly). Sadly not enough time to get very far into the Chinese women scholars' stories.
The Desert Dames was actually even better than the Aqueduct one: Karen Joy Fowler, a strong biology story from Pat Murphy, Eileen Gunn as hilarious as ever, Terry Bisson who reminds me of my dad and is so funny too, and Carol Emshwiller. Yow. (Bisson refused to explain why he is a dame. Tradition.)
I went out for a walk alone, and found the lake at the campus end of State Street. It was fucking hot, but I read a little of Edison Thomas and got lucky with duckling pictures. Something cold to eat seemed in order quite soon. Tiny sushi place Fugu was full, so I went to Wasabi, where I've been in years past, and drank large amounts of ice water. Sushi was et, and I returned to the hotel. Took a photo of my favorite State Street view on the way. (Photos to follow, maybe tomorrow.)
Roommate Jenny was feeling sick and wanted to unload her dessert salon ticket, so I decided to try that out. Before I've just showed up for the guest of honor speeches and snagged leftover dessert. Verdict: It was nice to dress up with everyone and talk to known and new people for a bit, but standing in line was boring. The view wasn't much better than from the cheap seats, either. Maybe if I went down there early instead of being privileged to help lace
kalmn into her show-stopping outfit? Probably will choose to revert to the option that doesn't cost money next time. :)The guest of honor speeches were great, of course. Mary Anne Mohanraj and Nnedi Okorafor are both so stunningly talented that there's not much I can say. Are these speeches on Youtube yet? The Tiptree Awards were given out, too. Unfortunately, the introduction screwed up Greer Gilman's book title both times, but she got an amazing trophy: a music box that plays ballads using pierced disks that can be changed out, with an engraving of her book's cover on the lid. And we all sang the obligatory parodic song, this time a silly round to "Frere Jacques" for her and Fumi Yoshinaga (who couldn't come, and sent Mari Kotani with a speech saying she guessed she'd have to finish the series, then). Other administrative stuff, concom appreciation and Carl Brandon Society promotion, etc. -- less exciting to me.
I went to parties briefly, and got the new Arnason shorts-and-interview book but not the novel, as the Aqueduct guy unwisely could not take cards at the party. I messed around with sock puppet making at the Galactic Marmalade party (a craft! sadly the party was still too much after a bit, and I abandoned my sock) and found myself in the room for a repeat performance of "Billie Jean" -- beatboxed instead of clapped, with sing-along, wonder which one Nisi preferred? I got my photo taken at the photo booth, to be emailed later, and ran for cover around midnight. Lots of positive comments on the dress over the course of the afternoon, including from one girl whose outfits I'd been enjoying since Friday, so yay.
Shower and sleep.
