Westercon, in part
Jul. 3rd, 2011 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calimacWestercon concludes tomorrow, but I won't be there tomorrow, so I might as well summarize it now. I wasn't there all that much of the previous three days either, and when I was there I was mostly acting as a meta-staffer, in that my job on the con was to help staff the staff lounge. This was a hideaway in a hotel room, well equipped with food and drink, for people working on the con to use as a break room. Occasionally some would hang around and chat, but for the most part, people would occasionally come in one at a time and utilize the fixings to make themselves a cold meat sandwich, which they'd then leave with. Which was fine: an opportunity for a quick lunch for workers too busy to go out to eat was part of our function.
I wasn't there all the time, though. The dealers' room was well supplied with books, not always a safe assumption at a regular SF con, and I bought six, which is probably more new books than I'd bought all year up to this point.
And I attended one and a half program items, the better of which was a shamefully under-attended interview with our author GoH, the rare and valuable Patricia McKillip. Best question, from our chair, Glenn Glazer: "Have you ever worked in an industrial kitchen?" (Anyone knowing McKillip's later work won't have to wonder at this question.) Answer: no, but she did learn a lot about cooking from a friend with a large kitchen and many children, and she admired the depiction of the kitchens of Gormenghast.
The epic-length business meeting hung over this Westercon as the intestinal flu hung over the Wiscon a couple years ago. In both cases I missed a direct encounter, but heard all about it. The main lessons of this story seem to be: Portland bid, whining to the voters about the unfairness of losing a vote won't win you more friends later on. And: Williams bid, be careful what you ask for, even jokingly. You might get it.
I wasn't there all the time, though. The dealers' room was well supplied with books, not always a safe assumption at a regular SF con, and I bought six, which is probably more new books than I'd bought all year up to this point.
And I attended one and a half program items, the better of which was a shamefully under-attended interview with our author GoH, the rare and valuable Patricia McKillip. Best question, from our chair, Glenn Glazer: "Have you ever worked in an industrial kitchen?" (Anyone knowing McKillip's later work won't have to wonder at this question.) Answer: no, but she did learn a lot about cooking from a friend with a large kitchen and many children, and she admired the depiction of the kitchens of Gormenghast.
The epic-length business meeting hung over this Westercon as the intestinal flu hung over the Wiscon a couple years ago. In both cases I missed a direct encounter, but heard all about it. The main lessons of this story seem to be: Portland bid, whining to the voters about the unfairness of losing a vote won't win you more friends later on. And: Williams bid, be careful what you ask for, even jokingly. You might get it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-07-04 04:09 pm (UTC)