awakeIt was really delightful to sit and listen to Octavia Butler, Vonda McIntyre, & Ursula LeGuin reminisce about the roots of Clarion West. I felt a bit sorry for Syne Mitchell, the fourth panel member, because Wunderkind or no I'm afraid she was a trifle out of her league. She is good, but she's still got the hallmarks of a young writer in her work; the other three are Masters if not Grand Masters of the field. Mitchell may well mature into a Grand Master in time, but for now you can still see the stitches in her prose. Greg Bear, the moderator (and also a past Clarion instructor) and the others - not so much, in some cases not at all.
I waved hello to a number of folks and failed to catch the eye of a few others; if I missed you it wasn't a deliberate snub so much as the crowd size being enough to be mildly uncomfortable for me. Too many people and I can't focus unless my back is to a wall, and I'd parked myself closer to the center of the room to be able to see. It's a personal space thing...
