Fairy tale girls take on the town.: seanan

Fairy tale girls take on the town.

Last night was all about me and Cat Valente and the SoHo Gallery for Digital Art, home of the New York Science Fiction Review series of readings. Because, you know, when you import yourself a couple of fairy tale girls, the only thing to do is stick them in front of a large crowd and wait for the fun to begin.

But the fun has to begin at the beginning...

My flight got in right on time, which was a small blessing, since I wasn't really sleeping very well. Mind you, the fact that I was able to sleep at all made me a lucky girl. I had actually upgraded my ticket to Main Cabin Select, as that was the only way to get out of being crammed into a middle seat for five hours in the air. I turned out to be the only person in my row, and was able to pull the "belt yourself into the middle seat, curl up like a pillbug, and sleep" trick. Blessed empty seats, how I adore thee. But there were screaming babies on the plane, and there was turbulence, and it was not a restful night.

Jon and Merav collected me from the airport, and—after dropping Merav at work—Jon drove me home...where Kate was already waiting on the front stoop. Whoops. We went inside. I plugged in my laptop to make sure nothing was on fire, and the phone calls began, making it quite clear that a nap was not in my future. Well, fine, be that way, universe. After showering and changing my clothes, we were off, to meet The Agent in lovely downtown Manhattan, and eat lunch. Because without sleep and without food, I was going to murder someone.

(Incidentally, this was the first time The Agent got to meet Kate. They got along. So when they destroy your puny planet, don't worry. I'm sure they'll make you a nicer new one before long.)

Lunch was challah French toast and mussels, at least for me. Om nom. From there, we went to a lovely tea house The Agent knew about, where she and Kate drank lovely tea, and I passed out on a love seat. Eventually, The Agent went off to do something else, and Kate stole my headphones, while I...passed out on the love seat again. But then! A Cat Valente came and joined our party! Hooray! Kate and Cat sat and chatted while I achieved that nebulous state known as "wakefulness," and we set out for the venue. With one of those "only in New York" stops along the way, to buy hand-crafted artisan popsicles. No, seriously. I mean it.

We ate our popsicles, giggled a lot, and walked onward, to the SoHo Gallery of Digital Art...and into our very own fairy tale. The walls were covered in our books, our faces, our everything, and it was incredible. It was like a dream. I squeaked. We stared in awe. And then, because we needed our fairy tale faces in this fairy tale place, we ran off to change our clothes, Cat into a mad awesome tailored suit, me into a bright orange skirt and green top. And then the flood began.

We were both a little worried, in that abstract author way, that no one would show up. It turns out that what we should have been worried about was violating fire code, as the room wound up so packed that we ran out of chairs, then ran out of wall, and finally, ran out of places to stand. Wow. Everyone from DAW came—I got to meet Saladin!—and so did most of my New York friends, along with people like K. Tempest Bradford and Ellen Kushner and Teri Windling OH MY GOD I MET TERI WINDLING.

Ahem.

Cat read an absolutely gorgeous piece from The Habitation of the Blessed. I read "Laughter at the Academy: Field Studies in the Development of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder." Everyone sighed and swooned at Cat's reading; everyone laughed in the appropriate places at mine. I got to shout "IGNITE THE BIOSPHERE!" in a room full of people who'd actually come to hear me do just that. It was magical.

In the Q&A afterward, someone asked us if we'd ever considered doing a photo shoot as Snow White and Rose Red.

And Cat and I laughed.

priscellie

October 6 2010, 14:33:32 UTC 6 years ago

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Oh my god, how was I not there? True, I had a trillion errands, but responsibilities, shmesponsibilities! I'm kicking myself. Glad you had such a fabulous time!

seanan_mcguire

October 11 2010, 18:39:07 UTC 6 years ago

It was amazing.

tikiera

October 6 2010, 15:46:10 UTC 6 years ago

Is that short story printed anywhere?

October 11 2010, 18:39:27 UTC 6 years ago

It will be appearing in an upcoming anthology to be announced.

vixyish

October 6 2010, 15:57:36 UTC 6 years ago

Yay fairy tale! I'm so glad it went awesomely!

<3 <3 <3

ladymondegreen

October 6 2010, 17:37:42 UTC 6 years ago

It went very well.

Plus they had the cover for Deadline up on the wall and people were oohing and ahhing and making the sad "why don't you have pages?" face at it.

6 years ago

jacylrin

October 6 2010, 19:59:24 UTC 6 years ago

Squee!!

October 11 2010, 18:39:48 UTC 6 years ago

Hee. :)

taylweaver

October 6 2010, 20:29:21 UTC 6 years ago

As one of the folks who didn't get a chair, I just want to say that your story was well worth standing up for. So glad I was able to be there. Now, I need to get myself to a bookstore so I can buy a couple of your books and enjoy your writing some more.

October 11 2010, 18:39:59 UTC 6 years ago

Hooray!

I'm so glad you could come.

yond_cassius

October 6 2010, 20:30:45 UTC 6 years ago

Where is "Laughter at the Academy: Field Studies in the Development of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder" published? Because I must read it.

October 11 2010, 18:40:12 UTC 6 years ago

It will be published in an anthology to be announced.

ironed_orchid

October 6 2010, 21:54:02 UTC 6 years ago

The reading sounds pretty much perfect.

October 11 2010, 18:40:21 UTC 6 years ago

It really sort of was.

Deleted comment

October 11 2010, 18:40:29 UTC 6 years ago

Me, too!

taraljc

October 6 2010, 22:28:58 UTC 6 years ago Edited: October 6 2010, 22:29:37 UTC

OMG YOU MET TERI WINDLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*flappy hands*

ETA: TELL ME YOU GEEKED ABOUT BORDERTOWN....

October 11 2010, 18:40:40 UTC 6 years ago

WE SO DID.

ladyqkat

October 6 2010, 23:26:00 UTC 6 years ago

funny pictures-1, 2, 3, BREATH! I is losing him! Call 911!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

October 11 2010, 18:41:00 UTC 6 years ago

Heeeeeeeeeeee OMG heeeeeeeeee.

October 11 2010, 18:41:16 UTC 6 years ago

I was there, but things were crazy hectic. I'm sorry!

mythos_amante

October 7 2010, 00:19:56 UTC 6 years ago

OH WHAT MAGIC!!!

I think that in an alternate universe, so much magic and creativity and wickedness and loveliness concentrated in one room EXPLODED THE WORLD.

October 11 2010, 18:43:14 UTC 6 years ago

Lucky world.

rosered32

October 7 2010, 02:12:14 UTC 6 years ago

You two would be awesome as Snow White & Rose Red! You should plan a photo shoot!

Glad to hear Fairy Tale Girls are love on both Coasts!

October 11 2010, 18:43:23 UTC 6 years ago

We so are.

anirien

October 7 2010, 05:20:19 UTC 6 years ago

We may have exceeded fire code, but at least we had cider. I was one of those oohing at the Deadline cover.

BTW while you are here you should visit the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.

October 11 2010, 18:43:39 UTC 6 years ago

Isn't it a fabulous cover? I love it so.

saffronrose

October 7 2010, 08:31:17 UTC 6 years ago

You might wish to read this, if linguistics is at all your thing:

Studies Out in Left Field: Defamatory Essays Presented to James D. McCawley on the Occasion of His 33rd or 34th Birthday by Peter H. Salus, Arnold M. Zwicky, James D. McCawley, and Robert I. Binnick

It's quite funny to linguists--I was a linguistics major in college

October 11 2010, 18:43:55 UTC 6 years ago

Okay, that sounds brilliant. Thanks for the tip.

October 7 2010, 08:34:11 UTC 6 years ago

I must also know what book that is in, or wherever I might find it!

October 11 2010, 18:44:14 UTC 6 years ago

It is not yet published, and will be announced when it becomes available.

irrel

October 7 2010, 16:25:04 UTC 6 years ago

Hi! I wish I had been there; it sounds like everybody had a blast. Alas, I live in Nevada...

I made fanart for you. Here, take it :)

October 11 2010, 18:44:35 UTC 6 years ago

ZOMG.

You are a golden god, and shall be renowned in SONG AND STORY.

Re: SoHo Gallery Reading

mackatlaw

October 8 2010, 20:15:07 UTC 6 years ago

Coolness! It sounds like a great deal of fun. I wish I'd been there, and that I could just fold the map over and skip from Alabama to New York! I was watching television last night before bed and saw "Return to Halloweentown." It made me think of you, especially since I'd been deep into "Feed" earlier in the day. :)

I'd seen the first movie but not the second. I was pleasantly delighted that the sequel was even better than the first. :)

Mack

October 11 2010, 18:44:55 UTC 6 years ago

The second is better; the third is terrible.

marziek

October 9 2010, 14:23:02 UTC 6 years ago

It sounds like it was smashing fun! Ali loved it!

October 11 2010, 18:45:07 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

theironchocho

October 11 2010, 18:35:35 UTC 6 years ago

I met Ellen Kushner and Terri Windling at Sirens this weekend. They were so cool, and Terri gave two beautiful, tear-inducing speeches.

October 11 2010, 18:45:24 UTC 6 years ago

Oh, wow. That's awesome.

rrie_selavy

October 13 2010, 19:31:35 UTC 6 years ago

I was the short girl who asked the awkward question about American folklore at the reading! You two were magical.

And as the only other fan of Miribilia by Janet Kagan that I know of, I think you will appreciate this photo:
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la74x6DAuK1qzgyxho1_500.jpg

October 14 2010, 00:58:53 UTC 6 years ago

BATS!!!!!!!!

Glee.

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