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What I did at Worldcon
Glancing through my journal I realize I wasn't necessarily obvious about this in the weeks leading up to it. So: Last weekend was me helping Neil Gaiman at the World Science Fiction convention as his Guest of Honor liaison/ At-con assistant. I'm enjoying my two minutes of fame. If you go here you can scroll down for a picture of us by Kyle and some nice things Neil said about moi.
I knew word was going around when I walked into Neil's sushiklatsch with a group of teens Friday night and one of them said "You must be Anne." and I said, "Yes," only actually she said "you must be the ____ Anne," and I can't remember if the adjective was mysterious or famous or whatever, but anyway it made it clear that I, the Anne-person, was known. That was after Neil posted my name and picture, so I guess maybe they'd seen it.
Neil was standing without staggering when I dropped him at the airport, so I figure I did my job. :) It was a pleasure as always, and tons of people were a huge help both before and after, so I'm going to drop a very incomplete list here while noting everyone else who helped out was wonderful too.
Special thanks to: Laurie Mann for huge support in schedule planning and sanity checking both before and during; Elyse Marshall (Neil's Harpercollins publicist) for handling the CBS and New Yorker press that was embedded with Neil Friday through Sunday and also for being just generally great, useful and not-underfoot company and help; Tamu Townsend for being our local liaison -- running and getting things for us and taking Neil places when I needed a break, making sure the sushiklatsch happened and we had sushi Sunday before the Hugos and lunch and a ride to the airport Monday, and especially for bringing me a drink of water on Saturday night after Neil was Sent Off with Elyse and friends, and the tea and mugs and other unexpected caring touches; Jon Singer and Jo Walton for bonus restaurant guidance; Doselle Young (for foot rubbing and general support); John and Krissy Scalzi (for rocking my world); and to Sean on the Hugo staff and Alexi in ops for being awesome and to the other ops staff who made the fridge happen.
Running into steady solid smofs like John Allen, Jeff Beeler, Steven Silver, Seth Breidbart and Geri Sullivan from time to time was an anchor in the madness of running around making things happen and getting Neil places, and I was especially delighted that Kristina Gray sought me out, who'd been a fellow GoH Liaison at Balticon, who knew what my job was, and made it lighter with her company and understanding.
There were lots of other awesome people I enjoyed meeting and seeing during the six days of the con, but I won't even try to list them. These were the ones that helped keep me sane while I was trying to do the same for Neil.
Highlights of the con not related to Neil-handling included a visit with my friend Peer Dudda Wednesday evening, an awesome dinner with John and Krissy, Cory Doctorow and Steven Boyett Saturday, and getting repeatedly teared up watching my wonderful dear friend Cheryl Morgan onstage with her well-deserved Hugo Award for Best Fanwriter. There are pictures of us somewhere with that gorgeous and heavy Hugo, and I will post links when I find them out.
If you know anyone who took audio or video recordings of Neil's panels and especially of Neil and Cheryl's on-stage conversation about The Many Passions of Neil Gaiman, please let me and the Science Fiction Oral History Association know. Thanks!
I knew word was going around when I walked into Neil's sushiklatsch with a group of teens Friday night and one of them said "You must be Anne." and I said, "Yes," only actually she said "you must be the ____ Anne," and I can't remember if the adjective was mysterious or famous or whatever, but anyway it made it clear that I, the Anne-person, was known. That was after Neil posted my name and picture, so I guess maybe they'd seen it.
Neil was standing without staggering when I dropped him at the airport, so I figure I did my job. :) It was a pleasure as always, and tons of people were a huge help both before and after, so I'm going to drop a very incomplete list here while noting everyone else who helped out was wonderful too.
Special thanks to: Laurie Mann for huge support in schedule planning and sanity checking both before and during; Elyse Marshall (Neil's Harpercollins publicist) for handling the CBS and New Yorker press that was embedded with Neil Friday through Sunday and also for being just generally great, useful and not-underfoot company and help; Tamu Townsend for being our local liaison -- running and getting things for us and taking Neil places when I needed a break, making sure the sushiklatsch happened and we had sushi Sunday before the Hugos and lunch and a ride to the airport Monday, and especially for bringing me a drink of water on Saturday night after Neil was Sent Off with Elyse and friends, and the tea and mugs and other unexpected caring touches; Jon Singer and Jo Walton for bonus restaurant guidance; Doselle Young (for foot rubbing and general support); John and Krissy Scalzi (for rocking my world); and to Sean on the Hugo staff and Alexi in ops for being awesome and to the other ops staff who made the fridge happen.
Running into steady solid smofs like John Allen, Jeff Beeler, Steven Silver, Seth Breidbart and Geri Sullivan from time to time was an anchor in the madness of running around making things happen and getting Neil places, and I was especially delighted that Kristina Gray sought me out, who'd been a fellow GoH Liaison at Balticon, who knew what my job was, and made it lighter with her company and understanding.
There were lots of other awesome people I enjoyed meeting and seeing during the six days of the con, but I won't even try to list them. These were the ones that helped keep me sane while I was trying to do the same for Neil.
Highlights of the con not related to Neil-handling included a visit with my friend Peer Dudda Wednesday evening, an awesome dinner with John and Krissy, Cory Doctorow and Steven Boyett Saturday, and getting repeatedly teared up watching my wonderful dear friend Cheryl Morgan onstage with her well-deserved Hugo Award for Best Fanwriter. There are pictures of us somewhere with that gorgeous and heavy Hugo, and I will post links when I find them out.
If you know anyone who took audio or video recordings of Neil's panels and especially of Neil and Cheryl's on-stage conversation about The Many Passions of Neil Gaiman, please let me and the Science Fiction Oral History Association know. Thanks!
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I'm glad you had a good con (I did too) and I hope we'll have time for a chat/meal/whatever at another con when you're not quite so busy a bee.
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What are the odds of two of us being at the same worldcon, I wonder if we are related. He must be one of the Tenn. Beelers there are lots of them.
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YouTube of Neil reading Cory:
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=50894
Q&A audio:
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=50469
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At leisure, I want to complement whoever was responsible for Neil's kids & teens programming. I was deeply impressed by the descriptions, and at least one person tole me that the kids were impressed that he really did come back to see what they had constructed after hearing the story.
(With even my occasional chances to be in much smaller crowds with him, it seemed proper for me not to take up crowding space. I _am_ still sending people to the video from the Philippines, though.)
Wishing you a comfortable and speedy convalescence. And that you wear lightly your ever-growing renown.
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thanks for your support, though.
(Rene Walling and Farah Mendelsohn made the kids programming happen, I believe)
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If you're keeping in touch with Neil, please tell him that I was amused (and mildly embarrassed) by the way in which he poked fun at me (without naming me, admittedly) during Opening Ceremonies for having requested his remarks six weeks ago for translation. I'm hoping to get a copy of Opening Ceremonies for my video library. (I'm really happy with how they turned out. So far all but one of the reviews I've seen thought they were really good - one person thought that having an acrobat perform was "weird".)
Oh, and I'm sorry I couldn't get the ice cream for Opening. My plan had been to ask
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I was just really disappointed they didn't go on and read the french translation of what Neil said. That would have clinched it, I thought - and after we went to such trouble to prepare it!
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Thanks also for all the help on Hugo night. I believe you will find that a photo of us looking very happy will be in the next Locus, but I'll forward a copy by email just in case.
I suspect that the mystery adjective was "Awesome," and that you have earned your entry into the Worldcon version of the Marvel Bullpen.
Dinner was a highlight for me too!
(Anonymous) 2009-08-16 04:39 am (UTC)(link)--steve boyett
Quick Question
Long time, no pester. -g- First, this is Alyxe, the Gaiman-kind-of-stalker from Anticipations. Thank you again for that note on the final day, it made my acquaintance's day (possibly week) when I passed the information along.
But... about the fridge... -laugh- At the last moment, I am getting a chance to go to the House on the Rock celebration and Liz thought it might be amusing (or perhaps just recursive) to try to get a picture of the signed fridge... well... signed. I do not suppose you kept an image of it that you might be able to send to me to print out, did you?
-r
Re: Quick Question
Re: Quick Question
Thanks for replying so fast but I was actually heading to the airport when you sent this. Everything worked out, however.
I just got back from Wisconsin an hour or so ago but... I broke the chain. -pout- Mr. Gaiman DID sign a picture of him signing but I failed to find someone to take a picture of him signing a picture of him signing for next time. -giggle-
And plus, the celebration? GREAT excuse to dress up as Death for Halloween. -g-
-r