What Aqueductians Listen Like

. . . cause looking isn't all we do. Here is scientist and novella-writer Vandana Singh engrossed in conversation with Andrea. I managed to buy and read Vandana's Love and Other Monsters and Younguncle Comes to Town while in Madison (Timmi got a little tongue-tied when introducing Vandana's reading and, being a Midwesterner, accidentally rendered the latter title "Uncle Comes to Youngstown." Which would have been a much grittier tale, I'm sure); both are delightful, with the former striking me as positively Sturgeonesque.

You can read a great description of Timmi Duchamp's GoH speech over here. I sat in the "overflow" area and took a picture to illustrate the hugeimmensity of the audience.

I first heard the
fearless, impassioned, and astute Eleanor Arnason on the Working Class panel and last heard her on the Old Writers' panel. She is capable of talking and listening at great length: here she does the latter in a conversation with me, Timmi Duchamp, and Karen Joy Fowler. Soon Timmi was diverted by other interlocutors and Nisi joined our talk, finding herself a comfortable position.

The positive side of the long reservation line for next year was its capacity to facilitate long conversations: I got to talk with Karen Joy Fowler and Cliff Winnig, among others. Below is the inimitable Eileen Gunn, listening to Candra Gill talk about the U.S. presidential election. I only encountered Gill briefly, but she seems smart and radical with a great feel for cultural politics.