![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shanmuirbrodenBefore I begin, for those who haven't heard and would benefit from knowing, Denver won the 2008 bid by the closest margin in some time, as I understand it.
Today was a very diverse day. Got up, worked on the table of contents some, had an early breakfast (again an entree, no buffet) then came back up to nap for an hour before my morning began.
The first panel at 10am celebrated 99 years of Heinlein. Panelists here were short story writer (also TV writer and showrunner) and Heinlein fan Michael Cassett, Connie Willis, Pat Cadigan, Bill Patterson (the man who has spent the last 5 years working on Heinlein's oficial biography scheduled to be unveiled on his 100th birthday if all goes well), and another fellow unfortunately not listed who seemed as if he was associated with The Heinlein Report but I'm not sure. The panelists mainly dominated this conversation, first by discussing how they came to be introduced to Heinlein's work, then addressing various topics about Heinlein's impact (the lasting impacat of the genres, how Heinlein influenced Pat Cadigan as a personal friend as well as a writer, Connie Willis explored Heinlein's take on comedy, and also discussed was whether or not Heinlein continues to make an impact today directly or indirectly). After the small handful of audience questions squeezed in, they ended by sharing what their favorite Heinlein stories were (for several this was in fact "Podkayne of Mars" with the tragic ending, FYI). At one point Connie Willis challenged the audience with a show of hands as to what our first Heinlein's were. I'm not 100 percent sure but I *think* mine was "Rocket Ship Galileo". And that's because he recommended it to me. He owned -- in fact, still owns -- I think all of Heinlein's books and a fair number of short stories, of which I've read a bunch. My favorite though of all I've read so far is "Moon is a Harsh Mistress", though it's been so many years I can't recall why precisely. It's only one of two I've since bought for myself, the other being STARSHIP TROOPERS (and that was mainly because I knew people working on the animated ROUGHNECKS and wanted to refamiliarize myself with the premise; I really disliked it when I first read it as a teen).
Next came an early lunch because Housekeeping had just gotten to my room (sandwich and green tea Starbucks (tm) latte from the deli) and more time with the book to work on the Table of Contents. In the process I discovered I had made excessive use of the word "you" addressing the reader directly when most of the book isn't that way. So I then spent the next hour replacing every instance of "you" not spoken by an interviewee.
Then I rushed back at 1pm for the panel "What is a YA Novel?" Panelists Sherwood Smith, Mary A. Turzillo, Mel Gilden, James Frenkel, Buzz Dixon, and moderator Lauri Bell went in depth about why sex, drugs, blood and death can sometimes be considered OK in YA fiction - and also when it isn't appropriate. Very heated discussion at points. Time for a few audience questions, and it was interesting to me when one of the questions cited YA author Chris Crutcher's work in the 90s as someone who handled these topics and was very popular and not afraid to tackle them. For those who don't know, Chris Crutcher wrote from the Spokane area and I spent about 12 years in the Spokane area, and through the writers conferences at our local college crossed paths with him several times. It also turned out that I had connections to both him and the writer of "Vision Quest" because those two gentlemen, along with my high school shot put and discus coach (and I was a horrible athlete!) had been college buddies. Disneyland is right next door so I'm tempted to launch into a song but won't ;) Anyway an interesting reference to hear in this setting.
After that, it took some time to find the room for the next panel, which was on running TV shows. My background being animation, I knew I'd want to hear tales from the trenches from folks on the live action side of the fence. Both JMS and Marti Noxon were scheduled to appear but didn't; however, let me say showrunners Michael Cassett, Rockne S. O'Bannon, Tim Minear, and moderator Gillian Horvath did not disappoint. Their best known showrunner credits are "Outer Limits," "Dante's Cove", "Angel", and "Farscape" respectively.
Now I'm back here catching you all up and trying to work more on the table of contents after having an early lunch of a chef salad on what appears to be a very rare patio on my building. The other tower has them all over, but as I looked up walking across the street, I realized only the corner suites have balcony patios on this tower (the Oasis). And I have one. Cool.
More on my last panel and the Hugos later tonight!
Today was a very diverse day. Got up, worked on the table of contents some, had an early breakfast (again an entree, no buffet) then came back up to nap for an hour before my morning began.
The first panel at 10am celebrated 99 years of Heinlein. Panelists here were short story writer (also TV writer and showrunner) and Heinlein fan Michael Cassett, Connie Willis, Pat Cadigan, Bill Patterson (the man who has spent the last 5 years working on Heinlein's oficial biography scheduled to be unveiled on his 100th birthday if all goes well), and another fellow unfortunately not listed who seemed as if he was associated with The Heinlein Report but I'm not sure. The panelists mainly dominated this conversation, first by discussing how they came to be introduced to Heinlein's work, then addressing various topics about Heinlein's impact (the lasting impacat of the genres, how Heinlein influenced Pat Cadigan as a personal friend as well as a writer, Connie Willis explored Heinlein's take on comedy, and also discussed was whether or not Heinlein continues to make an impact today directly or indirectly). After the small handful of audience questions squeezed in, they ended by sharing what their favorite Heinlein stories were (for several this was in fact "Podkayne of Mars" with the tragic ending, FYI). At one point Connie Willis challenged the audience with a show of hands as to what our first Heinlein's were. I'm not 100 percent sure but I *think* mine was "Rocket Ship Galileo". And that's because he recommended it to me. He owned -- in fact, still owns -- I think all of Heinlein's books and a fair number of short stories, of which I've read a bunch. My favorite though of all I've read so far is "Moon is a Harsh Mistress", though it's been so many years I can't recall why precisely. It's only one of two I've since bought for myself, the other being STARSHIP TROOPERS (and that was mainly because I knew people working on the animated ROUGHNECKS and wanted to refamiliarize myself with the premise; I really disliked it when I first read it as a teen).
Next came an early lunch because Housekeeping had just gotten to my room (sandwich and green tea Starbucks (tm) latte from the deli) and more time with the book to work on the Table of Contents. In the process I discovered I had made excessive use of the word "you" addressing the reader directly when most of the book isn't that way. So I then spent the next hour replacing every instance of "you" not spoken by an interviewee.
Then I rushed back at 1pm for the panel "What is a YA Novel?" Panelists Sherwood Smith, Mary A. Turzillo, Mel Gilden, James Frenkel, Buzz Dixon, and moderator Lauri Bell went in depth about why sex, drugs, blood and death can sometimes be considered OK in YA fiction - and also when it isn't appropriate. Very heated discussion at points. Time for a few audience questions, and it was interesting to me when one of the questions cited YA author Chris Crutcher's work in the 90s as someone who handled these topics and was very popular and not afraid to tackle them. For those who don't know, Chris Crutcher wrote from the Spokane area and I spent about 12 years in the Spokane area, and through the writers conferences at our local college crossed paths with him several times. It also turned out that I had connections to both him and the writer of "Vision Quest" because those two gentlemen, along with my high school shot put and discus coach (and I was a horrible athlete!) had been college buddies. Disneyland is right next door so I'm tempted to launch into a song but won't ;) Anyway an interesting reference to hear in this setting.
After that, it took some time to find the room for the next panel, which was on running TV shows. My background being animation, I knew I'd want to hear tales from the trenches from folks on the live action side of the fence. Both JMS and Marti Noxon were scheduled to appear but didn't; however, let me say showrunners Michael Cassett, Rockne S. O'Bannon, Tim Minear, and moderator Gillian Horvath did not disappoint. Their best known showrunner credits are "Outer Limits," "Dante's Cove", "Angel", and "Farscape" respectively.
Now I'm back here catching you all up and trying to work more on the table of contents after having an early lunch of a chef salad on what appears to be a very rare patio on my building. The other tower has them all over, but as I looked up walking across the street, I realized only the corner suites have balcony patios on this tower (the Oasis). And I have one. Cool.
More on my last panel and the Hugos later tonight!
