Boskone - a brief reflection

[joshwriting]

I went to Boskone, one of the two major Boston area science fiction conventions each year, over this past weekend. (I apologize to my friends who are Readercon adherents, who may feel slighted.)

It was in a new hotel (for it and generally for the city), the Boston Westin Waterfront. The hotel is a bit more hoity-toity than the older Sheraton Boston, the most recent and most common previous site. Unlike the prior venue, the convention suite was in 1/3 of the grand ballroom, adjoining the art show and the huckster (sales) 'rooms.' The walls between the spaces were open, making it one huge open air space with dividing chairs and ribbons, rather than true individual rooms. This led to the con suite's feeling far less cozy than others have felt.

Other than the voluminous space, I liked the facility as a facility. The prices for food were quite steep, given what one got, and there were no good alternatives around the corner, the way the Prudential food court was at the Sheraton. Even without the food court, the food options in Back Bay far exceeded those at the new hotel.

I don't really go to SF Cons for the panels and presentations. I do love the art show and the dealers' room is often a highlight for me, but people, by and large, are my reason for going. This year was generally a fine year for people-seeing.

wenzel, camlina, anonshadow, timeliebe, superfinemind, and Arika Cohen were among those with whom I got to talk more than just in passing, if less with Tim than usual. llennhoff, doriemonster, nonnycat, jslove, persis, cogitationitis, jim_p, otoselkie, and shava23's son Joseph were among the many with whom I chatted briefly, at most, but whom I was pleased to see, even if in passing.

In some ways, the convention was as much marked by those who were absent as those who were present. beanswednesday, ricevermicelli, folzgold, mlledragonet, tammy212 , tasogare_sora, Louise Waught, Eric Van, and shava23 herself were among those whose absence stuck out to me. Now, tammy212's absence was overall a good thing, even if the cause was not - and her fans all agreed that they were glad she was taking care of herself! And I mostly knew why those others were absent, as well. I also missed the various Alphans, including, but not restricted to hobbit_em, leentigress, and rajenath. As they are scattered across the country, it is not as if it was a shock not to see them.

Going to cons also reminds me of those whom I have seen at cons in times past and who I did not see this time around, whether it be beccal and murasaki99 or Skia, Guin, and Michael. Too many absences, even if they were not Boston absences, per se.

Of course, the other thing besides old friends are the new ones. anonshadow, while somebody I have IMed with, is new for my face-to-face experience. The hours spent in a group with her and her roommates were very pleasant. I also connected with Sarah Beth Durst, with whom I have had a nodding acquaintance for many years (5? 6?), but never really gotten to talk with. I got to be part of a long group conversation with her and then, a bit after her Sunday reading from her forthcoming book, Into the Wild, which sounds wonderful (a click brings you to Chapter 1, hint, hint), she and I had lunch along with the aforementioned Arika Cohen.

There are many other names I have skipped past with whom I chatted, nodded, exchanged hugs and hellos, including former students of mine from as far back as I have taught at the MIT High School Studies Program (1978), a colleague in gifted education from 1979 on, and a host of NESFAns.

I had a good time, though I confess to being a tad sleep deprived!

Comments

[otoselkie.livejournal.com]

Um, hi, I wasn't actually at Boskone, so the person you met must have been my evil twin ^_^ (I'm Anna, from Science Fiction and Schools in Society, HSSP spring 2005, yeah?).

[sarahbethdurst.livejournal.com]

Great to talk with you too! And thanks again for coming to my reading. That was very cool of you.

- Sarah