(urth) Seattle report

[Roy C. Lackey]

Rostrum wrote:
>I'll post more later about meeting Wolfe and hearing about the books
>he's currently working on.

I'm looking forward to it. And I know for a fact you took a camera and used
it! Surely someone here has web space to put the pictures up for all to see.

Meanwhile, here are some more tidbits you and Crush might find amusing.
Mantis gave me leave to pass this excerpt along.

-Roy
-------------------------------------------------

>Are you going to write up a second account, detailing your conversations
>with Gene and/or others? I would like to read it, and I imagine a lot of
>other people on the list would like it too. I, at least, like the informal
>tone of your accounts.

I think things will come through with Rostrum's report.  Of course
I'll also mention things to you and you can pass along whatever you
want.

At the moment I'm still trying to figure out the scene at the
signing.  When I got there I saw the guy with the suitcase putting
his books in.  Then David Hartwell said Hey, this guy's looking for
you.

Which is a riot, because even though nobody can say my name
(dree-YOU-see), still, they communicate to each other.

So then I basically turned around and within a few steps met Rostrum.
Look, the place was small, but it was divided in two by this
fireplace so there was a bar side and the lobby side where Hartwell
sat and I stood.  The line of signing seekers went on the bar side
and ended at Gene's little desk, which was in sight.

So I'm talking to Rostrum and he's saying Have you seen James Wynn?

And I say I saw him at the panel but I blah blah blah.  So I try to
describe him.

Meanwhile, at dinner we learned that James was next in line behind
the guy with the suitcase!  So he was only ten feet away as we're
wondering where he might be.  And while Rostrum is facing toward the
signing area, he has never seen James before, whereas I, who have
seen James, am looking the wrong way!

Honestly, at that point there were only six or eight people in the
area, including the two guys from the University Book Store behind
their table, Gene Wolfe, and David Hartwell.  People who miss each
other because of a big pillar type of obstruction--creatures running
around a tree, nearly colliding.

Or that's the way it seems to me in reconstructing things.  Maybe the
suitcase guy took a detour before packing up and James was long gone
by then, but I definitely saw the suitcase guy packing up.

It is also possible that there was more than one suitcase guy.

Another bit: Rostrum and I were over at the table, and he asked me
which collection "Trip, Trap" is in.  Someone called out "ORBIT 2,"
and I looked over to see it was Gardner Dozois!  I should've gone
over and shaken his hand as being among the first of all Wolfe fans,
but it was too boggling at the time.  (I'd just been thanking Dwayne
of University Book Store for being one of the best at selling the
Lexicon--I'd never met him in person, either.)  At the Big Event,
Hartwell in his presentation told how he first looked at Wolfe's work
because of the recommendation of Dozois!  Kingmaker!  Now I feel I
should buy him a drink or three!  Next time I will!

At dinner I also reminded everyone about the enigmatic movie version
of "The Death of Doctor Island."  Rostrum and Crush were blank on it,
as if they never heard of it before.  Pondering the mystery, James
suddenly said, "Why don't you ask Wolfe?"  Indeed!  I should do that.

=Michael=