As always, Readercon is PACKED with people that I adore. I started out the day by hanging out with Paolo Bacigalupi and Ben Rosenbaum as I added the “dance cards” to the promo fans. We had a serious and fun conversation about shareable economies based on the fact that Paolo, Ben, and I all have stories at Shareable.net.
From there it was off to hear David Anthony Durham read a section from his new novel in the Acacia trilogy. So good! I can’t wait till book three comes out.
I was on the “Alternatives to the Pay per Copy system” panel which was actually a really interesting panel. Charlie Stross has this proposed system for how to revamp copyright law and shift the way authors are paid for digital content that was astounding to hear because it would work. And of course will never, ever be adopted.
There was a reading of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” and I was scheduled to be Lysander but got moved to Titania to John Crowley’s Oberon and Mike Allen’s Bottom. Both gentlemen turned in fine performances. It was a fun, fun reading. I elected to read Titania as a sort of Blanche DuBois.
I went straight from there to the Influence as Contagion panel. As soon as I walked in, I thought that it was an intimidating line-up of all-stars. Jack Haringa, James Morrow, Howard Waldrop, Allen Steele and Resa Nelson. Allen and I were on complete opposite ends of the spectrum during the conversation. I tend to fall into the camp of welcoming influences. My general and greatly simplified feeling is that if I’m reading a writer that is better than me, why wouldn’t I want the good bits to stick?
Then I had an actual break!
I had signed up for autographing, even though I only have short fiction out, and settled in to chat with Alan DeNiro and John Kessell. Much to my surprise, the whole sandalwood fan thing turned out to be quite the draw. I can now heartily recommend having a giveaway when you are sitting a the autograph table with a book pending. Folks stopped by to get the freebie and then we chatted about Shades of Milk and Honey. Handy.
After that I went on to be the moderator for a panel called “Drop Out, Write On” in which all the panelists were college dropouts. Nalo Hopkinson, Samuel R. Delany, Barry Longyear, and Elaine Issak, with me moderating. To varying degrees we all left because college wasn’t working for us but the way it wasn’t worried varied wildly.
Now is the point where I should try to remember everyone that I hung out with yesterday, partly so I can remember that I hung out with them and or met them. This is also where my brain will let me down, so if we met yesterday feel free to remind me in comments.
The list would include: Nevenah Smith, David Lubkin, Blake Charlton, Gemma Files, Stephen J. Barringer, Liz Gorinsky, Konrad Walewski, Ken Schneyer, Liz Argall, Yves Meynard, er… I know there are more of you than that.
I enjoyed the panel on Influence, and I agree wholeheartedly with your stance. One of the main reasons I read great writers is to learn from and be influenced by them.
Thank you. Every author’s brain works differently and so frequently we all sound crazy to one another. I’m sure Allen thinks I sound absolutely mad.