I make sure to take it with me when I go

[sovay]

On the last day of Readercon, I drank tea asakiyume had brewed for me at the Ancillary Justice panel (of the ingredients, I remember only jasmine, marigold, and hyssop from her garden) and got a book signed in Greek from Michael Cisco. In the last programming slot of the day, I read my short story "The Trinitite Golem," sang one torch song and one murder ballad, and ranted about the hotel renovations. I came home to my husband and my cats. They have grown in my absence: they are not kittens any longer, but suddenly catlings. Autolycus purred back and forth around my arm, making sure it was me. This is not a con report. I am very tired, in some startling amount of pain, and I have deadlines to reach before I can sleep, but I am very happy.

Comments

[yhlee]

I managed to miss the Ancillary Justice panel, ai! Do you know if anyone's posted a panel report?

[sovay]

Do you know if anyone's posted a panel report?

I don't know! I hope so.

[movingfinger]

Hey, I wanted to be sure you didn't miss this amazing photograph.

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-DR516_071414_J_20140714152755.jpg

It's on AP wire and showing up in a few photo-of-the-day sets; if that link does not work, please tell me, I'll find another link.

It is mindblowingly mythic, is it not? What is exploding from the water? Are those horses emerging, or humans, or deities? Has the woman or goddess or nereid just been ejected from the waves, naked, to be received and embraced by the man? Poussin could not have pained anything more provocatively enigmatic.

ETA: I shall save it for myself as "The first-born of the water people emerge onto the shore." Those are explosive exhalations of first breaths erupting through the waves.

[sovay]

It is mindblowingly mythic, is it not? What is exploding from the water? Are those horses emerging, or humans, or deities? Has the woman or goddess or nereid just been ejected from the waves, naked, to be received and embraced by the man? Poussin could not have pained anything more provocatively enigmatic.

It is an incredibly classical pose. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of the Sea.

I find myself also hoping it's a photo of a rain of fish.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

That was a spectacular reading. And a pretty damned crunchy panel on WWI, as well. I am sorry that Readercon contrived to schedule me against nearly everything you were on, but very happy with what I heard of you.

Nine

[sovay]

That was a spectacular reading.

Thank you.

And a pretty damned crunchy panel on WWI, as well.

I'm glad! That was fun and should have been an entire programming track, or possibly convention.

I am sorry that Readercon contrived to schedule me against nearly everything you were on, but very happy with what I heard of you.

I'm sorry I didn't see you win the Jackson Award! Congratulations again on that.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I didn't see you win the Jackson Award!

Me too!

Congratulations again on that.

Couldn't have done it without you. Many thanks.

Nine

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

I am very tired, in some startling amount of pain, and I have deadlines to reach before I can sleep, but I am very happy.

Ouch, ouch, ouch, and yay.

[sovay]

Ouch, ouch, ouch, and yay.

I think in the calculus of doing things with one's life, which is not the same as a strict balance of debits and credits, it was totally worth it.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

I was so sorry I had to run before I could hear you sing, but so happy I got to hear "The Trinitite Golem" in person.;)

[sovay]

I was so sorry I had to run before I could hear you sing, but so happy I got to hear "The Trinitite Golem" in person.

Thank you! I am really hoping someone got a recording of the whole thing.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

That is all but one of the ingredients: the last ingredient was tamarind blossoms.

I am severely disappointed to realize that, having to leave directly after the Ancillary Justice panel, I neither got to hear your reading *nor* found a way to take you up on your generous offer of a song!

I'm beginning to think the universe will explode or something if I do get to hear you sing and yet I'm determined to find out.

It was a fun panel, and great to see you.

[sovay]

That is all but one of the ingredients: the last ingredient was tamarind blossoms.

Thank you! It was delicious and needed no sweetener, although if left to myself I would probably have put honey in anyway; the hotel is always drying.

I'm beginning to think the universe will explode or something if I do get to hear you sing and yet I'm determined to find out.

I hope not. I've never been a harbinger of Ragnarök before.

It was a fun panel, and great to see you.

You, too! Either you will have to come back to the Boston area or we'll have to look you up in western Massachusetts. derspatchel keeps wanting to talk about the Pioneer Valley with you.

[gwynnega]

It was lovely to see you. Your poetry and fiction readings and your singing were wonderful.

[sovay]

Your poetry and fiction readings and your singing were wonderful.

Thank you! I was very glad to hear you read; I like that novel more every time I hear something else from it. I hope it finds a home.

[gwynnega]

Thank you.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Maybe next year we should propose a panel on WWI poetry?

[sovay]

Maybe next year we should propose a panel on WWI poetry?

. . . I'd do it.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Maybe something about differing images of heroism would work. Or the mythologizing of lived experience.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it made you very happy.

I hope all's going well. I'm at Irish Arts Week, which lasts longer and is more spread out but I suspect is somewhat similar to a con.

There are ghosts here for me, and all of them the kind which all the candle-lighting in the world won't rest, but all in all it's very good.