What I Did Today
Sep. 21st, 2006 12:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brigdhI went to a reading and signing by Ellen Kushner tonight (Delia Sherman too, but I can only have so many obsessions at one time). It was at the KGB Bar, a tiny place- or maybe normal size for New York City; the club I was at this weekend was also much smaller than I'm used to. I'm still adjusting to the demand on space- all decorated in red with communist themes and posters in Russian, or some other language I don't speak and can only guess at.
There were a lot of people packed into the room. Delia read first, from her new book, and then Ellen read from Thomas the Rhymer. I was disappointed at first, because I'd really wanted to hear her do Alec's voice, but it meant she got to sing, which she is very good at. I can't sing at all, so I always admire people who can. I even knew one of the songs- the old one that starts "I gave my love a cherry that had no stone / I gave my love a chicken that had no bone".
Afterwards, I went up to have her sign my copy of Swordspoint and told her how much I liked it. She invited me to go have dinner with them.
"No," I said, "I don't know anyone; I don't want to impose."
"No, come!" she said. "A bunch of people are coming. We always go out."
So I did! About 20 or 25 people came all together, but they all or nearly all knew each other- friends or regulars or work acquaintances or whatever- but everyone was terribly nice to me. We went to a Chinese restaurant nearby, and they had to split us to two or three tables to fit everyone in. I ended up sitting right next to Ellen. Everyone hung around for about two hours, eating and talking, and it was really amazing; everyone was so nice and funny and interesting.
But wait, seriously, the story gets even better.
Ellen said something about livejournal, and I said something about it, and she asked if I had one.
"I'm wordsofastory," I said, "But I'm sure you haven't-"
"Oh, I know you!" she said.
BEST THING EVAR OF ALL TIME AND MY LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE SQUEE
I... I... that's really all I have to say.
F'locked only because I gave out my username to several people tonight, and I always feel strange writing about people when I know they can read it. Also because I'm restraining the desire to lock everything; why oh why do I write so much gay porn and not more respectable things?
There were a lot of people packed into the room. Delia read first, from her new book, and then Ellen read from Thomas the Rhymer. I was disappointed at first, because I'd really wanted to hear her do Alec's voice, but it meant she got to sing, which she is very good at. I can't sing at all, so I always admire people who can. I even knew one of the songs- the old one that starts "I gave my love a cherry that had no stone / I gave my love a chicken that had no bone".
Afterwards, I went up to have her sign my copy of Swordspoint and told her how much I liked it. She invited me to go have dinner with them.
"No," I said, "I don't know anyone; I don't want to impose."
"No, come!" she said. "A bunch of people are coming. We always go out."
So I did! About 20 or 25 people came all together, but they all or nearly all knew each other- friends or regulars or work acquaintances or whatever- but everyone was terribly nice to me. We went to a Chinese restaurant nearby, and they had to split us to two or three tables to fit everyone in. I ended up sitting right next to Ellen. Everyone hung around for about two hours, eating and talking, and it was really amazing; everyone was so nice and funny and interesting.
But wait, seriously, the story gets even better.
Ellen said something about livejournal, and I said something about it, and she asked if I had one.
"I'm wordsofastory," I said, "But I'm sure you haven't-"
"Oh, I know you!" she said.
BEST THING EVAR OF ALL TIME AND MY LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE SQUEE
I... I... that's really all I have to say.
F'locked only because I gave out my username to several people tonight, and I always feel strange writing about people when I know they can read it. Also because I'm restraining the desire to lock everything; why oh why do I write so much gay porn and not more respectable things?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 05:05 am (UTC)I am still in Work Jail, and I envy you the evening.
Are you familiar with the Klezmer Nutcracker Ellen did for radio a few years ago? If so, check out the peacock's voice. It's not Alec, not exactly, but it's damned close.
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Date: 2006-09-21 05:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 05:23 am (UTC)It's good to see you alive! As fascinating as the few details about slip dresses and such are, I wouldn't want to lose you entirely to them.
I haven't listened to that. I think it's available on her website, though, so thank you: I very much do want to hear it.
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Date: 2006-09-21 05:37 am (UTC)Sounds like a fabulous evening ^^
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Date: 2006-09-21 05:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 05:46 am (UTC)It was terribly fun! Though hee, I think it was more a strange overlap of flists than my rising star.
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Date: 2006-09-21 06:39 am (UTC)I've had Swordspoint on my Amazon wishlist for a while now. I must point people at it come Christmas. ^_^
Also, so it's HER who stole my book! :o When I was about twelve I was writing an Epic Fantasy Novel (tm) entitled none other than Thomas the Rhymer. It has become a long-standing family joke and has a fond place in my heart (the kind that involves burning all extant copies, obviously). Recently I noticed that someone had actually written a book of that title (not exactly surprisingly being as he's a pretty standard mythological character) and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Or, yknow, "Oh, cool, someone wrote 'Thomas the Rhymer'!" Whatever. ^_^
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Date: 2006-09-21 06:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 07:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 10:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 02:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 03:03 pm (UTC)Thanks, and not a chance. I have unwritten posts piling up in my head like flights stacked up in the pattern at an overstressed airport: I only hope I can get to them before they all give up and take off for places that have landing slots available.
Okay, strange metaphor when extended too far. Lack of sleep will do that.
I've got the disk for Klezmer Nutcracker around here somewhere. If I can remember for longer than three seconds, I'll see whether I can pull the peacock segment and upload it for you -- it's a complete hoot.
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Date: 2006-09-21 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 03:20 pm (UTC)That's so awesome!
and another reason i hate living in this unremarkable Florida town...
What an amazing night for you! So glad/squeeful/slightly-envious!^_^ And yes - you do have fans... *points to self* ♥
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Date: 2006-09-21 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 05:56 pm (UTC)She's going to be here again on Oct 5 and December 7, if you'll be here either of those times.
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Date: 2006-09-21 05:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 05:57 pm (UTC)And hee, thank you. #^^#
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Date: 2006-09-21 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 06:12 pm (UTC)Hee. But I second
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Date: 2006-09-21 06:13 pm (UTC)And oh man, yes. Or at least Swordspoint. They're all good, but that one is my very favorite, and it's just amazing.
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Date: 2006-09-21 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-09-21 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 06:59 pm (UTC)That would be awesome! But don't worry too much if you can't manage it; I found a copy of it as a webstream, so at least I've heard it. Thank you so much for pointing it out, by the way. In the books, she keeps describing him as having a 'drawl', which I was certain must mean something other than the American South accent, but I couldn't think of what that might be. Combined with the upper class/elite connotations, he was starting to sound like Scarlett O'Hara in my head, which was just... strange.
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Date: 2006-09-21 11:14 pm (UTC)I must say if I met any authors whose writing I adored, I would be far less coherent and much more embarrassing to myself. :D
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Date: 2006-09-22 12:06 am (UTC)Also, the main characters are a gay couple, and Alec is seriously the coolest person ever.
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Date: 2006-09-22 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-09-25 05:20 am (UTC)