WisCon

I’m glad I went to WisCon. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea at first. It would be the first time I’d flown anywhere in more than 10 years. (Lisa and I had 3 or 4 really bad flights in a row, culminating in being struck by lightning on the way out - no, it didn’t do any harm, but it sure was scary! - and heavy, heavy turbulence on the way back, made worse by the fact that Lisa and a friend had had dinner the night before, and were both convinced that they had a premonition that the plane was going to crash. So we stopped flying. Lisa could be a bit of a thoroughbred about such things.) It would be the first convention I’d attended by myself since an Arisia 12 or 15 years ago. I would be seeing all kinds of people who knew and loved Lisa, and who were mourning her, too, and I wasn’t sure how I could cope.

It was truly wonderful. The flights were fine - I may be the only person at Wiscon who could say that, but I got in and out before the weather got thundery both days. The convention was - well, it was WisCon, which meant that I had lots of friends to keep me company, including students from my master class whom I’d never met in person. I’m delighted to say that they were all even nicer in person than they were on line. The writers’ workshop was good. (If there’s any justice, you’ll see some good novels in a couple of years from these folks.) The panels were exciting - I was on a good one on food, and a better one on gender, and I snuck in the back of the best Dr. Who panel I’ve ever attended, and.... You get the idea. And people were just incredibly kind.

Understand, the dealers’ room was full not only of books but of some of the most lovely jewelry I’ve seen in a long time. Elise Matheson was there (www.lioness.net), sharing a table with Katie MacDonald (www.dragonsdenjewelry.com/gallery/), and at that table was a saucer full of tiny - thumbnail-size - medallions. I glanced at them, trying to distract myself from pieces that I couldn’t afford, and saw one particular medallion. It was silver, with a running horse above a tiny star, and on the back was the inscription, “the best hearts are ever the bravest.”

I burst into tears, and had to explain and apologize - and (I think it was Katie) simply gave me the medallion. So it’s doubly a gift: a gift from a talented and senstive artist, and, I believe, a gift from Lisa. One more thing to treasure about WisCon.