Sirens, Vail, and Joanna Russ

[ellenkushner]

So on my birthday last week Delia & I flew to Denver with Terri Windling, who was to be one of the 3 Guests of Honor at the Sirens Conference in Vail.  They loaded us all onto a bus to Vail, and I watched the land turn to mountains covered with pine trees, dotted with bright yellow-leaved aspens.  It just got more and more magic.  And my cell phone kept ringing as various family members called to wish me a happy, and had to endure me going, "Oh, look! Buffalo!" or "wait - I think there's snow on those peaks!"

The Sirens folk were terrific.  We had many fine meals & conversations with other GoH's Holly Black & Marie Brennan, conference Fairy Godmother Sherwood Smith (yes, I know you're all on LJ - step forward & identify yourselves & your adorable monikers!) and other authors, readers & young reprobates.  To my delight, our Random House editor for Welcome to Bordertown, Mallory Loehr, was there - she's Tamora Pierce's editor, but at the last minute Tammy couldn't make it, and so I had to step in and do my poor best for what was to have been the "Mallory & Tammy Show!" - talking about the relationship between editor & author (joined by Delia, who's both).  I hope we did some good, or were, at least, entertaining.  I also did a brief version of my Thomas the Rhymer live performance, complete with singing the ballads . . . that's when I found out that the altitude was, indeed, having its effect!  --I'd thought that drinking lots of water & living a virtuous life would stave off the Altitude Sickness everyone'd warned me about.  But when I was unable to get through my little mouthmusic showpiece, "...Nobody, Only Cunnla!" without stopping to catch my breath in the middle of a line, I knew I had somehow not lived quite as virtu-- had somehow not managed to drink enough water, after all.

People were, nonetheless, very kind, and their comments served to remind me that I really must put up a list of Recommended Ballad Recordings on my website's Thomas page.  (Someone remind me!)

So on the bus early Sunday morning back to the airport, I saw snow!  Dustings on the pine trees as we passed them by!  And then we came down through the Pass, and there was no snow, and we checked our bags & had some lunch & got on the litttle plane & got off in Tucson, where it is 88 degrees & sunny & dry & I am altogether happy to be here with nothing to do for 24 hours but sit and rest (and update my LJ). Tomorrow we're going to visit Joanna Russ, who just moved into a nice Assisted Living home, and wants to show it off & feed us.  And, yes, it is still the thrill of my young lifetime to get the occasional postcard from her.  She is one of our great mothers.  (And if you've never heard of her or haven't read her work, go celebrate Coming Out Day by doing something truly great & good, and tracking it down & reading it!  Sure you can send one more Tweet about being supportive, or come out to the checkout guy at Wal-Mart - but honor our mothers by noticing that they lived & worked so that we can do it, ourselves, today.)

Comments

[gwynnega]

How wonderful that you're going to visit Joanna Russ!!

Sounds like Sirens was fantastic.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Marie Brennan reporting as ordered, ma'am!

It was wonderful to see you and Delia there. I'm very sorry I missed the "Thomas" presentation -- I had to go hermit for a while -- so yes, please do post the recommended recordings; I keep stumbling across new ones by chance, and would love to have a one-stop shop where I could find a list .

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

No worries - I hermited a bit myself at times. You just have to at a con, that's all.

If you've got recordings I should recommend for TTR, please pass them along! Of course I've got my own favorites--but I can't be everywhere at once (the duke said peevishly). My list will grow and grow.

And I've got a great photo of you from the back sitting down in your Lune dress, looking utterly splendid. Glad to have such a keepsake.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

If the photo is digital, I'd love a copy.

[elswhere1.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I ever told you that it was in an anthology you gave me (b/c you were in it, maybe?) that I first read a Joanna Russ story, "The Little Dirty Girl," which led me to track down more by her, which led me to On Strike Against God, which was one of the first coming-out novels I read, and which gave me one more boost of courage to come out myself. And I still remember you taking me along to meet her when she lived in Seattle--I was beyond exhausted that night, but it was still a thrill. She is definitely one of the greats.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I'd forgotten that we dragged you along! And how Right I was ("as always, my darling!"), eh? Yes, "The Little Dirty Girl" had been published by Terri in one of the ELSEWHERE antho's - I think the one my "Unicorn Masque" story was in. How cool that it took you along that path! It is a wonderful story.

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

You got me. I had never heard of Joanna Russ, but I went and looked her up and I think her non-fiction writing may be of interest for my thesis and it's certainly relevant to my general interests in feminism and sci-fi/fantasy, so I've ordered three of her books. (The Female Man, How to Suppress Women's Writing, and To Write Like a Woman). Thank you for bringing her up!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm glad! You are in for a considerable treat. Friends & I were just discussing at dinner whether FEMALE MAN was so much an artifact of its time & culture that it might not even resonate for a reader today - you'll let me know, won't you?

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

Of course! I wrote a paper last term about a female sci-fi character and the balance between "masculine" and "feminine" characteristics, so I'm really looking forward to Female Man

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Give Joanna an extra hug for me, please. I haven't seen her since she left Seattle for warmer, dryer climes. I miss her telling me that I was out of touch with popular culture since I didn't watch television (she was quite right, of course).

And have a lovely time on the rest of your trip as well.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Kate, I will.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

It was wonderful seeing you and Delia at the con! I loved your Thomas the Rhymer presentation, altitude-voice and all.

PS. I forgot to ask, and couldn't figure it out: who were you dressed as at the Faerie Ball?

address

[joel nichols (from livejournal.com)]

i'm a huge fan of hers, and would love to write her a letter. would you ask her if she'd be interested in a fan letter & how i could get it to her?

-joel

Re: address

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

A lovely thought; I'll ask!

[margdean56.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't worry about "Cunnla". I've been living in Santa Fe for almost two years now and must be thoroughly acclimated, but still notice the difference when singing. My choir director agrees that seven thousand feet is seven thousand feet, and you're just not getting as much oxygen per breath.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Good to know - I'd been wondering whether that ever happened! I wonder what professional singers do when they have to perform there? Do they know Special Tricks?

[margdean56.livejournal.com]

Since Santa Fe has an opera company, I'm sure their singers must have some way to deal with it.

[ninstorage.livejournal.com]

Happy Belated Birthday!

And that's so awesome about Joanna Russ.

[silme.livejournal.com]

I suddenly feel old realising that Joanna Russ is in an assisted living home. :) "When It Changed" still is one of my favourite stories, and I've taught it succesfully over the years.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

honor our mothers by noticing that they lived & worked so that we can do it, ourselves, today

Yes, this. And who could not honour Joanna Russ? She doesn't need to hear it from me, but she has overstood SF for, what, thirty years? Thirty-five? Still a star in the firmament. I hope she knows this.

Happy Belated!

[kellyaharmon.livejournal.com]

Hi Ellen

Happy belated birthday. Thanks for con report...I've been waiting to hear from folks. Would have loved to attend this year but timing was off. Maybe next. Your segment sounds wonderful. Sorry to have missed it!

Re: Happy Belated!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

You would have loved it - I hope you make it to Sirens someday. It would have been fun to have you there with us!

[ron-drummond.livejournal.com]

I'm so delighted that you and Delia are visiting Joanna and dearly hope you both write long reports about your visit. She is a national treasure.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

We're here about thirty miles from Tucson, staying with the Lippizans. Joanna Russ! Very glad she has landed in a place with good friends nearby.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

So near and yet so far . . . ! Hugs to the Lipp's & their owner. Visit Report on Joanna to come - but we had a lovely time with her, and she'd be very happy to hear from people - let me know if you'd like her address.

address

[joel nichols (from livejournal.com)]

ellen--yes, i'd love to have it. joelanichols [at] gmail .com

thanks!

[shveta-thakrar.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad I got to see Delia and you!

[cindy-pon.livejournal.com]

it was lovely to finally meet you
ellen. you are a delight in person,
i really love your energy. now i can
connect it with your writing when i
read you online. =D so so happy to hear
of Future Novel(s) being nurtured. =D

[ethelmay.livejournal.com]

Well, now I feel silly. Somehow I had it in my head that Joanna Russ died a few years back, and now I can't think whom on earth I could possibly have been confusing her with. It's not that I thought she was all that old, and she isn't. And nor is there anyone else much like her.