I have returned from Tulsa Oklahoma and the Nimrod Writer’s Conference, my penultimate event of 2012.
I had a marvelous time. Fortunately for me, the lovely Talia warned me via twitter that the weather had turned quite cold. I snatched up my much loved and rarely used Pink Blanket Coat of Doom (yes, you read that right) and was warm as a, um, warm thing? the entire stay.
Tulsa is a great deal more ~ How to put this delicately? ~ up-and-coming, than I had anticipated in my snooty California way. This, for example, was the amazing view from my hotel room.
There are also food trucks, on of which served up Kmichi Fries. Did I order them? Of course I did.
I was also informed that Tulsa boasts an anglophile West End, hipsters with ironic facial hair, and stills resist the idea of Southern Sweet Tea (yes!!!). The hotel bed was puffy and deliciously comfortable. I scored a salad with seared ahi tuna at the grill downstairs that wasn’t overcooked or overdressed. (It’s my firm belief that only salads can be overdressed, in all other cases it’s best to make the effort extraordinaire.) As a result of all this, I pronounce the city Most Civilized indeed.
Although, I could not get tea at teatime on a Sunday. Le sigh.
Nimrod is a literary conference. I was the only genre writer. Thus I presumed that I was there to represent the “genre meets commercial Read It Because You Enjoy It” cause. I hope I fought well and academically in defense of the frivolous. Yahveh! I hurled 200 years of critical bashing of genre fiction squarely at the foot of Anne Radcliffe and then drilled a sleepy Saturday afternoon crew on the subject of Gothic Literature as the Root of Everythign good (including steampunk) in a hopefully awe inspiring (but mostly just comical) manor. Conference attendees left my classroom looking slightly shell shocked, which, in my book, is all you can ask for from students.
I met the Poet Laureate of the United States 2011-2012, Phillip Levine, a charming and decidedly amusing gentleman, as well as whole host of other amazing writers of every ilk.
GAIL’S DAILY DOSE
Your Infusion of Cute . . .
Beautifully wrapped gift from Samantha of Bohemian Romance
What’s inside? See my Retro Rack post on the convention
Your Tisane of Smart . . .
Gift from Talia, fab book on Cherokee Nation full of wonderful period photos.
Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Novel Editing
Book News:
Available now!
The Parasol Protectorate Boxed Set: Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and Timeless (Alexia Tarabotti)
Quote of the Day:
“Sir Francis Walsingham, born in Kent, 1536; died, 1590. He was a celebrated statesman, and secretary to Queen Elizabeth: his integrity was so great, that he died extremely poor. Britons own much to Walsingham, as the zealous supporter of the Protestant religion, the encourager of navigation, arts, and sciences; and one of his favourite maxims should be deeply impressed upon the minds of youth, “knowledge is never too dear.””
~ Mangnall’s Questions, 1830
STORY DE JOUR!
Meat Cute: Parasol Protectorate Prequel
The Hedgehog Incident
PICK YOUR VENDOR!
Direct from Gail
From the comedic mind of New York Times bestseller Gail Carriger comes the much requested prequel short story to Soulless.
Alexia Tarabotti attends what appears to be a very dull London party, until the new werewolf Alpha turns up, is unconscionably rude to her, and sits on a hedgehog.
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I've been waiting for a boxed set to come out! I have them as ebooks and it's not the same. Perhaps you could sign them if you add a Sacramento stop to your tour? You've a built-in fanbase in the Sacramento Steampunk Society . . .
Oh, Sac would be fun. I had no idea. Is there an Indy Bookstore there that might host me? Usually I need at least that to have a chance of showing up.
The best one in Sac is Beers Books ( http://www.beersbooks.com/ ) and Davis is near enough for a crossover audience. Their best bet is The Avid Reader ( http://www.avidreaderbooks.com/ ). Nearer to my home is Face in a Book ( http://www.getyourfaceinabook.com/index.php ) but it's a smallish space. Jan Brett did a signing there and they had to move it to another space to fit the hundreds who came.
And Friends of the Library in Rio Linda recently opened a bookstore and said you'd be welcome. https://www.facebook.com/TheFriendsOfTheLibraryBookStore
The Sacramento central library is plenty big enough for an event too.
Thanks for all this info, I will pass it along to my publicists!
You're welcome, and my fingers are now officially crossed! In a manner that does not interfere with tea drinking, of course.