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Posts from the ‘Fandom’ Category

Sep 16

28 Comments

“…Little Is That I’ve Not Been.”

Fredrick Barbarossa awakens! Photo by author, mural in the Kaisarpfalz in Goslar, Germany.

 

I was listening to a very modern setting of part of the “Battle of the Trees,” the Cad Goddeu. The poem, or at least the parts we have of it, is long and strange, and includes a declaration by Taliesin of all the various shapes he has worn over the aeons.  The list includes:

I have been a sword, narrow, variegated,
I will believe when it is apparent.
I have been a tear in the air,
I have been the dullest of stars.
I have been a word among letters,
I have been a book in the origin.
I have been the light of lanterns,
A year and a half.
I have been a continuing bridge,
Over three score Abers.2
I have been a course, I have been an eagle.
I have been a coracle in the seas:
I have been compliant in the banquet.

From: Mary Jones Celtic Literature Collection “The Battle of the Trees.”

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Jul 24

29 Comments

And So It’s Come to This

It’s Tuesday once again, and that means you’re all subjected to my rambling words of wisdom. But first! Clan Dave is doing fine (it’s fine, it’s all fine, no problems at all AT ALL). Mom Dave and Pop Dave are visiting, and have been occupying Wee Dave and Wee-er Dave. Also cleaning Castle Dave, which is doing wonders for Dave’s peace (and piece) of mind. I’ve even gotten to bugger off and loaf about write at the local caffeination establishments. I finished a short story, and about four chapters of a space opera project.

I really don’t know what to do with myself. It’s like almost all of my fondest dreams are coming true. I’m really clinging to the hope that both of the littles will be able to rock the morning pre-school gig come September. I’d get to write every day. I could set up a publishing schedule without laughing bitter tears. The world might end, or at least mine.
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Jul 6

Libertycon 28
19 Comments

LibertyCon AAR and More

Real Life has intruded on the scheduled poster here in a most delightful way. He’s greeting his third child into the world properly. So since the blog goes on, even when family is coming first, I offered to step in with a few words.

Community is grand. It’s a beautiful thing. I came home from LibertyCon earlier this week exhilarated, exhausted, and enthusiastic about my writing again. It had been three years since we last managed to get to Liberty, and as I said to Rich Groller at the Kaffeeklatsch, I didn’t know how much I needed that until we were there and in the thick of it. Read more

Jul 3

9 Comments

Post LC, and Thoughts on Mutual Admiration Societies

Since my last missive, I’ve traveled a few thousand miles, consumed many excellent drinks (gin Old Fashioned! Mind blown! Who knew? Thank you, Nate.) Received invitations to a couple anthologies, and moved a step closer toward a collaboration. I’m currently typing at you from many thousands of foots in the air (feel my thought beams from high up in the sky!) I’ve also stayed up far too late, not eaten nearly enough (probably) and slept not nearly enough. (Can you tell?) I spent a prolonged weekend making, renewing, and strengthening friendships.

I’ve been humbled and honored by my friends throughout, and I really kinda want to go back and do it all again. I’m not sure I could, though, even had I the opportunity. I may need about a month to recover. It’s bad enough my fingers are mixing up letters as I type. Thank Ghu for editing. Many thanks to Brandy, the rest of the LC concom, Johnny Minion and the rest of the con staff, to Vonn, Crystal, and Ginger, and everybody else who made what could have been a slapdash affair into every bit the LibertyCon we’ve come to know and love. You are all amazing, and I’ll miss you until we get to party again.
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Jun 26

3 Comments

By My Fingernails

I have a confession to make: I don’t know what’s going on in the world. Not just the world of publishing (not many actually do, to be honest), but the wider world. Mrs. Dave returned to us this past weekend, so life has been jumbled. She’ll be home for a (measly) couple weeks, and then depart again. Uncle Sam says go, and she does.

What that means, however, is routines are borked. Habits are skittering around. Sleep is … elusive. Not because I’m sharing a bed, again – pervs – but because Mrs. Dave has to be awake well before I’ve been getting up while she was on the other side of the globe. And she’s still adjusting to the many-time-zones of difference between There and Here. So I’m a little foggy. And it’s been affecting my lifting, which also makes me grouchy.
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Jun 5

41 Comments

Getting’ Political

Ish.

Okay, guys (and gals, and others, etc.) I don’t usually go this route, but I’ve been watching things unfold from the front row, and my harping on professionalism is coming ‘round again. In short: always be yourself, always be above board, and always be a professional.

For those who aren’t aware (just decanted from a cloning tube, released from cold-storage, or been rocking the mountain-top guru gig (nice work, if you can get it)), a couple of months ago, ConCarolinas announced that Friend of the MGC and all-around good guy John Ringo had been selected as an special guest for the 2018 convention, which just wrapped up this past weekend. The internet almost immediately kersplodeyed, and the crybullies mobbed in force. All the usual suspects came swinging all the usual epithets, and everybody else got tired.

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May 26

47 Comments

Guest Post: Origins Disgrace

This is a guest post by George Phillies, an author, gamer, and, well, you’ll see… You can find more about George’s work here, and he is the president of N3F, where you can subscribe for free fanzines that are delightfully focused only on the fantasy, fun, and frolics of fandom, leaving out the politics. You can also sign up there for a paid membership, which will support “The N3F began in April 1941, when all types of imaginative literature – including science fiction – were called fantasy. We’re one of the oldest science fiction and fantasy fan clubs still operating. In all the time since then, the N3F has undergone almost every combination of success and failure imaginable. At different times our membership has been in the hundreds, and other times under 10. It has produced some of Fandom’s most memorable fanzines and some of the worst crudzines. Its ranks hold professional writers as well as neofans (if you have to ask what a neofan is, you are one).” George didn’t ask me to include this bit, but I am, because given what we’re seeing with Origins and other cons recently, having somewhere you can hang out without first having to show how ‘woke’ you are is refreshing, and I for one am happy knowing that not every fan group out there is like the one that is in charge of Origins.  Read more

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