I Survived New York
Hello everyone! Not only did I survive WFC, but I also made it through my first visit to New York unscathed. (Relatively.) It was fun to go but it’s ever so nice to be home, in my papasan, clicking on the laptop.
World Fantasy was a blast. I met so many people I’d only talked to on the phone or through email before–Tim, George, and Alex from Orbit (a lovely trio), my editor Devi, my agent Miriam, the incomparable Jeff Somers (and his lovely wife), Jennifer Rardin, Jenna Black, and Rachel Vincent, who were all absolutely darling. I unfortunately missed Bear, but I did get a couple hardbacks signed by Sarah Monette. Who ROCKS.
THINGS I LEARNED AT WFC
* There is a cocktail called “the Painkiller” that makes it all right again after spending about twelve hours on a plane.
* Guy Gavriel Kay is a very sweet and wonderful guy.
* Ninety percent of “working” convention business is conducted in a bar.
* Monkslash is the wave of the future.
* Being nervous and shaky before a reading translates into a great desire to find a loo afterward.
Saratoga Springs is a beautiful town. I highly recommend the silver-shop.
Let’s see. The train ride to New York was a lot of fun, mostly because of the cross between Mr. Miyagi and Tom Cruise in Cocktail hanging out in the snack bar. And New York itself was just…wow.
Wow.
Thanks to Josh Carter and his lovely wife Jennie, we didn’t have to stay in a hotel. But we had our first subway rides (we being me and the Sullen One) and got to stay in Brooklyn. We packed forty days’ worth of experience into just two days. We visited the Strand (biggest used bookstore in the world) and the Met, particularly the Arms & Armor and the sculpture garden. A whole day at the Met certainly whets one’s appetite; we had dinner deeper in Brooklyn–pizza and calzone.
The worst part of the trip was air travel, which is certainly the way it is everywhere. (More about that later.) But still, it was completely awesome, and I’m completely exhausted even after a night’s worth of sleep. (There are so many stairs in New York!) I figure it will take me a couple days to get back into the swing.
So. I’m back. I survived New York and saw the Met.
Life is good.
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