Newsletter: Week of 21 Feb 2020
"The Reference Library" book review column in Analog March/April 2020. Read online for free.
If you're at Farpoint this weekend, be sure to come by one of my events, Here's my schedule:
- Legacy Of LeGuin (Panel) - Friday 4:00 PM - Salon C
- Movie Party (Storytelling) - Friday 8:00 PM - Belmont
- Book Fair - Friday 10:00 PM - Midnight - Hunt Valley Foyer
- DC’s TV Crisis (Panel) - Saturday 1:00 PM - Salon A
- Indie Publishing 101 Panel) - Sunday NOON - Salon C
- Author Readings (Sakers/Hutsell) - Sunday 1:00 PM - Salon E
- Did We Win? The Mainstreaming Of Geek Culture (Panel) - Sunday 2:00 PM - Chase
This week is about getting ready for the con. In addition to packing clothes and such, there are also the writing-specific things to remember. Handouts and flyers for books (I have a new brochure, be sure you get one). Books to show off at the Book Fair (and, possibly, to sell). I'll be doing a reading, so I have to decide what to read—and make sure I have copies. Because appearing at cons is time-intensive, I make sure I have snacks and hydration available. I also need to prepare for my panels, doing whatever research I need and noting things like the names of newer authors in the LeGuin tradition (Karen Lord and Karin Tidbeck, for example).
- For many years now, I've been scanning most of thre books I own (excepting those books that I treasure as physical objects, a few hundred all togther). This week I passed a minor milestone, scanning my 9,700th book. I would guess I'm about two-thirds of the way through the project.
- I run a website devoted to the Legion of Super-Heroes, and this week I made various additions and essential edits. If you're a comics reader. you might want to take a look.
Thomas G. Atkinson and Betsy Anthony Childs at Farpoint 2019