Boskone Trip Report (part 5 of 6)

Episode 5, Saturday afternoon: Sarah and the Superstars

At 1pm on Saturday of Boskone, I had my superstar panel: "The Many Genres of Young Adult Fiction," originally scheduled to include Bruce Coville, Tamora Pierce, Jane Yolen, Kate Laity, and me. To my disappointment, Tamora Pierce was unable to attend the convention due to health and deadline reasons (though she promises to be at Lunacon!). But as much as I wished she were there, how could I be sad sitting between Bruce Coville and Jane Yolen?

Look here, I'm between Jane and Bruce:

Jane Yolen, Me, Bruce Coville! Eeeeeeee!

And here, where not only am I between Jane and Bruce, but I am actually speaking and they are both looking at me:

Think un-poultry thoughts, think un-poultry thoughts...

I am rather amazed that I didn't keel over and start twitching. Bruce and Jane are both extremely intelligent, extremely funny, and extremely... well, not as prone to brain freezes as I am. (During the panel, we each named our favorite book from each subgenre of YA fantasy, and my brain froze a couple of times. In my defense, though, can you think of an example of "machine fantasy"? I haven't the foggiest idea what "machine fantasy" is.) Anyway, the panel was filmed for a local cable channel (me on TV! me on TV!), and overall, I think it went well.

Machine Fantasy?!?!?

When we introduced ourselves to the audience, Bruce said nice things about my book INTO THE WILD (which he blurbed). A more poised person would have nodded polite thanks or blushed in an attractive manner. I, of course, bounced up and down in my seat and said something akin to, "Yay!" or more embarrassingly and thus more likely, "Wheeee!" There is a reason why a very polite person said to me this weekend, "You know, you have a very youthful disposition." I think she meant that I have the emotional maturity of a four-year-old, but I am choosing to take it as a compliment.

At 2pm, after the Superstar Panel, I had my kaffeeklatsch. Kaffeeklatsches, as I've said, are the best feature of Boskone (not counting the luscious pink Ribbons of Bliss, of course). In a kaffeeklatsch or "literary beer" (same thing, just the latter is in the hotel bar), up to ten people can sign up to hang out with a particular author. On Saturday at 2pm, I was that particular author.

I had one person show up.

I was really expecting zero, so one was a major coup!

For some unfathomable reason, people just don't seem to attend these kaffeeklatsches, even when the author is a much bigger fish than me. But I had my one (the Harry-should-die guy from episode 4), so I'm counting the event as a win.

As an added bonus, I also got to have a lovely chat with authors Greg Feeley and Mark del Franco.

After my kaffeeklatsch, I had a late lunch with the super-sweet Tim Liebe, co-author of the White Tiger comics. I also said hi to Tyler Stewart from Pandemonium Books (buy a T-shirt!), and I bought an audio book from Bruce Coville's Full Cast Audio. At 5pm, I attended two panels: one on Urban Fantasy and one on Audio Books. And then I had my least professional (but one of my most exciting) moments of the con: I said hello to Christopher Stasheff.

Christopher Stasheff is the author of HER MAJESTY's WIZARD and THE WARLOCK IN SPITE OF HIMSELF (and their six million sequels). If you're looking for an out-and-out fun fantasy adventure, look no further. My brother and I devoured his books when we were growing up. I still have a little dragon statue that I named Stegoman after a character in his books. I had zero excuse to meet him, but I had no intention of missing the opportunity -- I'd never seen him attend a convention before. So summoning my courage, I called his name, walked across the room, shook his hand, and proceeded to gush like a fangirl at him about how cool his books are. And then I gave him an INTO THE WILD bookmark. I have no shame.

Episode 5 1/2, Saturday night: Rapid-Fire Name-Dropping Without Any Particular Anecdote

I don't have any particular anecdote to tell you about Saturday night, but I did spend time with a slew of really awesome people and I don't want them to feel unloved so I'm going to mention them here. I waited for dinner with Bruce Coville, Tim Liebe, Kathy, Cara, Dorie, Joe, Henry, and Jack. Dinner was minus Bruce, Kathy, and Henry (casualties of the long wait for a table -- no, we didn't eat them, they just had someplace to be). After dinner, I chatted with authors Esther Friesner, Sarah Smith, Greer Gilman, and a woman whose name tag was hidden but who drew a lovely sketch of a sheep painting. (Not a painting of a sheep; a sheep with an easel and ink palette.) And then I hung out with Josh Shaine (organizer of the Beyond IQ Conference) and some very awesome people that I hadn't met before: Elena, Rachel, and Gennie (three friends who'd met each other on Sheroes, the Tamora Pierce-created discussion board). All in all, a very fun night.

Coming next, episode 6, the grand finale, the anecdote you've all been waiting for... MY READING!!!