09.30.09
Thin Air, Fine Time
As you might expect, I had an incredible time at Thin Air. This week long literary festival was a big fat deal in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and rightly so. One of the main events for SF fans was Thursday night, Sept. 24, when the premier of FlashForward aired on ABC TV, based on Rob Sawyer’s fabulous novel. McNally Robinson at Polo Park cleared out a corner of its store, rented a monster-size movie screen, and threw a huge viewing party. 120 or so peeps showed up to help Rob celebrate opening night. Here are some pics from the event.
Rob introducing the show just before air time…
Rob and his wife Carolyn Clink…
Author Karen Dudley and her dad chillin’ out before the show…
A happy crowd! Author Bev Geddes up front next to SF icon Robert Charles Wilson…
Author Robert Charles Wilson with his wife Sharry…
Rob signing books after the show…
The festival lasted all week, and I made it to a number of events and had a fine time. In addition to Rob’s premier party, on Friday morning I went to Glenlawn Collegiate high school and ran through some creative writing exercises with the kids. Yes, even ninth graders can concentrate! Here’s the proof as they scribble away during a free-write…
Friday afternoon, Rob and Bob and I sat on a panel about “the future” at the University of Winnipeg. That night was the SF event on the Mainstage dowtown at “the Forks.” All three of us read excerpts from our novels and answered questions afterwards. My darn camera battery ran out of juice, so I didn’t get any pictures, but if anyone passes some of theirs along to me I’ll post them later. All in all, the week’s events reminded me of how great it can feel to be an author. Canada sure knows how to treat its writers! I was thrilled to be included. Thanks to Rob, Robert J. Sawyer Books, and Fitzhenry and Whiteside for helping me make it happen.
Of further interest…
09.18.09
Reclaiming A Writer’s Life
Reading time for me and Brody!
I dedicated 2009 to getting my creative writing career back on track. I gave up teaching and quit taking freelance writing jobs, and I made a concentrated effort to make time for reading and writing. Although I couldn’t get rid of my fulltime day job (who can these days?) I’m happy to say that as I move into the fourth quarter of 2009, it seems to have paid off, at least a little. I finally finished putting the finishing touches on my third novel (been working all year on this!). I’ve written a couple of short stories and have just begun tinkering with another. Philosophy Now has been kind enough to accept a few of my book/film reviews. I’ve actually found some time on the weekends to do more than just run around like a maniac trying to get things done. What amazes me is that I had to force myself to do this. Life is a constant learning process, take my word for it, if you haven’t figured it out already.
Another thing I’ve been trying to do this year is go to more conferences and take writing-career-type-gigs whenever I can get them. I made it to Readercon for the first time, a convention I’ve always wanted attend. And I found my way to Worldcon in Montreal, which was an incredible experience. Next week I’m going to the Thin Air Literary Festival in Winnipeg, which promises to be a hugely exciting event. I’ll be visiting the Glenlawn Collegiate school, making an appearance at the University of Winnipeg with Robert J. Sawyer and Robert Charles Wilson, and participating in a reading and panel discussion on the Mainstage at the CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre (also with the two Robs). A FlashForward party is planned at the McNally Robinson bookstore at Polo Park on Thursday night for the premier of the ABC TV show based on Rob’s novel. WOOOHOOO! I’ll try to remember to bring my camera and take pics to post here.
More to come!
Of further interest….
This article just appeared in the Winnipeg Sun about the fest.
08.13.09
Worldcon 09
The 2009 World Science Fiction Convention (Anticipation) in Montreal this past weekend was terrific. I saw lots of friends and took some time to walk around old Montreal, eat some great food, and enjoy a few cocktails.
The highlight of the con for me was re-meeting Robert Silverberg, who bought my first story in 1992 for Universe 2. The guy is amazing: he actually remembered me! We had a great long chat together, and then we participated in a panel that I moderated where I basically kept him talking for an hour. It was worth every minute!
I didn’t take very many pictures over the weekend (and didn’t get much sleep), but here are a few shots that will give you a taste of my visit.
Just about all of the bars and restaurants looked as inviting as the Mondavi jazz club, where I enjoyed a fine dinner with 
great friends.
Liz, Robert J. Sawyer, 
and Bev (left to right) at the Mondavi.
Me, Carolyn, and Hayden.
The architecture in Montreal is amazing; here’s the Notre-Dame basilica, just down the street from our hotel.
The party suites at the Delta (the official con hotel) were terrific: all very nice upstairs/downstairs affairs with tall windows and great views of Montreal. But of course, there was never enough room! Here are a few shots of some of the parties and the people.
The convention was fantastic with lots of late nights and over-indulging, but it’s good to be home. Man, I’m exhausted!
Of further interest…
The 2010 World Science Fiction Con will be in Melbourne, Australia. Aussiecon Four, the 68th Worldcon, Thursday 2 September – Monday 6 September 2010.
07.13.09
Nurturing the Creative Soul
Every so often it’s good to feed your creative soul. There’s no better way to do it than spending quality time with a community of readers and writers with whom you share a common history. I’m grateful to my pal Rick Wilber for convincing me to crash with him at Readercon in Boston this past weekend. I was lucky enough to remember my camera, so here’s a quick review in pics:
My pal Ricky with Locus photo-maven and good friend Amelia Beamer.
I had a terrific time with my editor Robert J. Sawyer. Here we are, two happy eggheads, followed by a shot of Rob with his editor from Tor, David Hartwell, snapped on David’s 62nd birthday. They’re holding a copy of Distant Early Warnings, the brand-spankin’ new anthology of Canadian science fiction from Robert J. Sawyer Books.
Long-time con pal, fine editor, and one of the great ladies of science fiction Ellen Datlow, captured and held hostage outside the hotel restaurant. (I released her eventually.)
That crazy Coyote Allen Steele. After several beers, we figured out that the last time we’d seen each other was the Final Rivercon (XXV) nine years ago! Which led to another beer. Sigh.
Yes, to confirm your suspicions, I’m taking all these closeups myself, with my trusty Kodak digi…left-handed!
Everybody loves James Patrick Kelly! Including me!
The guys from Tachyon Publications, Bernie (left) and Jacob. We had a terrific dinner together Thursday night, and then they couldn’t get rid of me. That’ll teach ‘em!
Samuel R. Delaney signing autographs in the Readercon Bookshop.
Scott Edelman published a couple of my stories years ago when he was editing the late-great SF Age. He’s still tall!
Definitely one of the highlights of the weekend for me was finally meeting my all-time short-story-writer-hero Howard Waldrop. After I made a complete fool of myself telling him how much I adore him, he kindly consented to this pic. Howard is one of the most weirdly original science fiction writers of our time, and he’s been a great inspiration to me. I love you, man!
Why does Daryl Gregory have that glazed look in his eyes? It’s not just because he’s standing next to Rob Sawyer. Daryl was also a nominee for the 2009 Shirley Jackson Award.
06.06.09
A Little R&R
Me (left) and Rob Sawyer relaxing in Winnipeg at the home of fellow author Bev Geddes during the “totally unofficial” KeyCon barbecue, Saturday night May 16. Rob had just wrapped up a reading and book launch at McNally Robinson, Winnipeg’s finest bookstore, for his novel Wake, which I’ll be reviewing here shortly. Hint: Great book!
