Baycon report
May. 29th, 2006 01:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deborahjrossAn interesting con this year. As usual, I commuted (45 min each way of twisty mountain roads). The drive was made more challenging by visual problems. Just as I was preparing to leave, I bent over to adjust my shoe and Oka, thinking/hoping we might be going walkies, jumped for joy, thereby inserting his nose into my eye socket with considerable force (and my eye was open at the time). Pain, corneal swelling and consequent blurred vision, tearing all ensued. I located the popped-out contact lens, disinfected it, applied antibiotic eye drops (every 2 hours); located my spectacles, and went on my way. I probably would have been more comfortable if I had worn an eye patch, but none was handy.
I could see well enough to drive, and since I am familiar with above-mentioned roads and there was little traffic, the commute was okay, but I did feel a little disoriented.
My first event was the writers workshop, 2 interesting and promising fantasy stories. As usual, I had prepared written critiques. Now comes the interesting part. We had an hour and a half for 2 stories (4 pros, 2 students) -- and the moderator insisted on limiting our critiques to 3 minutes. I protested. She gave us 5 minutes. Even so, people rushed through their critiques, and there was no pause to digest, to really =hear= what had just been said. Adrenaline boiled over. (Not that the critiques were harsh. On the contrary, they were universally thoughtful and encouraging, only delivered in a rushed, tense manner. Likewise, people were speaking so fast during the discussion, they were not really responding to one another, only waiting for an opening to make their next point.)
Perhaps I have been hanging out with Quakers for too long, but I am slowing down in my own process. Speaking more slowly, listening more deeply (or trying to), pausing to give thought to what has just been said, listening inside for my own response. I find that as I relax into interactions in this way, I experience myself as more genuinely me, am less apt to misunderstand or react negatively. I find, too, that discussions often take less time because there is less need for repetition or struggling to be heard.
Lunch with various people, a Themed Reading ("The Best Death" -- I read sections from "Transfusion," REALMS OF FANTASY 1995), autographing (one fan brought all 3 volumes of Darkover "Clingfire" -- in hardback!), dealers room, dinner with other people. A BoF (Birds of a Feather -- gatherings of people with common interests) that turned out to be a sanity saver.
Sunday, the eye was improved enough for me to be able to wear my contact lenses, so was visually much more comfortable. SFWA meeting, panels, time for real conversations with friends and a brief chat with the media GoH, Stephen Furst.
Commuting may save the price of a hotel room (and I do prefer sleeping in my own bed), but it is tiring, not so much because of the driving involved as the absence of a private space to retreat to. I feel "on" all the time. Part of me want to be back there today, enjoying sitting in on other people's readings and panels, but mostly I'm glad to be home, digging out everything that accumulated in the last 2 days.
I could see well enough to drive, and since I am familiar with above-mentioned roads and there was little traffic, the commute was okay, but I did feel a little disoriented.
My first event was the writers workshop, 2 interesting and promising fantasy stories. As usual, I had prepared written critiques. Now comes the interesting part. We had an hour and a half for 2 stories (4 pros, 2 students) -- and the moderator insisted on limiting our critiques to 3 minutes. I protested. She gave us 5 minutes. Even so, people rushed through their critiques, and there was no pause to digest, to really =hear= what had just been said. Adrenaline boiled over. (Not that the critiques were harsh. On the contrary, they were universally thoughtful and encouraging, only delivered in a rushed, tense manner. Likewise, people were speaking so fast during the discussion, they were not really responding to one another, only waiting for an opening to make their next point.)
Perhaps I have been hanging out with Quakers for too long, but I am slowing down in my own process. Speaking more slowly, listening more deeply (or trying to), pausing to give thought to what has just been said, listening inside for my own response. I find that as I relax into interactions in this way, I experience myself as more genuinely me, am less apt to misunderstand or react negatively. I find, too, that discussions often take less time because there is less need for repetition or struggling to be heard.
Lunch with various people, a Themed Reading ("The Best Death" -- I read sections from "Transfusion," REALMS OF FANTASY 1995), autographing (one fan brought all 3 volumes of Darkover "Clingfire" -- in hardback!), dealers room, dinner with other people. A BoF (Birds of a Feather -- gatherings of people with common interests) that turned out to be a sanity saver.
Sunday, the eye was improved enough for me to be able to wear my contact lenses, so was visually much more comfortable. SFWA meeting, panels, time for real conversations with friends and a brief chat with the media GoH, Stephen Furst.
Commuting may save the price of a hotel room (and I do prefer sleeping in my own bed), but it is tiring, not so much because of the driving involved as the absence of a private space to retreat to. I feel "on" all the time. Part of me want to be back there today, enjoying sitting in on other people's readings and panels, but mostly I'm glad to be home, digging out everything that accumulated in the last 2 days.
