October 25th, 2009

a-links

[links] Link salad is on the road to nowhere

1933 Walker: Fact or Fraud — Art writing guru James Gurney with a cool little squib on something downright steampunk.

The latest fashion for 1786 — Very early balloonpunk, apparently by Dr. Freud. Ah, airbags.

Intelligence Explained — Tracking and understanding the complex connections within the brain may finally reveal the neural secret of cognitive ability.

Russian historian arrested in clampdown on Stalin era — I find this sad and bizarre, but the political reinterpretations and wilful blindness in Russia really aren't that different from how our partisanship has devolved in this country. And in truth, it's no more ridiculous and counterfactual than believing we had to invade Iraq because they had anything whatsoever to do with the 9-11 attacks. (Via The Edge of the American West.)

?otD: Is there a city in your mind? Do you see it all the time?


10/25/2009
Body movement: 55 minute suburban walk
Hours slept: 7.0
This morning's weigh-in: n/a (traveling)
Currently reading: Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox

writing-Nippon_badge

[conventions] SteamCon, day 2

SteamCon day 2 was great good fun. calendula_witch dressed up in corset and jodhpurs. We hit the dealer's room, then staked the good table in the bar all day and all night. bravado111 showed up pretty early and anchored the table as the rest of us floated in and out. shelly_rae and Mark Ferrari showed up right after lunch, and we saw loads of other people, including corwynofamber, markbourne (who was ambulatory and verbal as hell!!!), e_bourne, nayad, Jak Koke, and Tammy Vining. Today we're taking it easy, having a brunch with scarlettina, then hitting the road for Portland, with a quick stop to visit with ginastonge.

Yesterday I shared a reading with catrambo, at which we each read parts of longer works. In her case, "Narrative of the Life of a Beast", and in my case, "The Baby Killers". Hers is available in the current issue of Realms of Fantasy, mine will be out next year from PS Publishing as a single-title novella. I can best describe the style as "high bugfuck steampunk." I think I went a little over the top in the reading.

Also a panel on "Steampunk Literature 101" with blackaire, 2muchexposition and johnnyeponymous. The room was packed, perhaps 70 people in a space with seating for about 40. The panel was a lot of fun, and I think the audience enjoyed it.

Still, as calendula_witch said, "How could anything be more interesting than sitting and watching all of the costumes. Nothing could be more fantastic."

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