Sense of Wonder

[sartorias]

This isn't quite a Bittercon since I swiped the topic from ConDor's program list (this weekend in San Diego, and I hope to go down for Saturday and Sunday) but.  When I see "Is Sense of Wonder Dead?" I don't want to see potshots taken at current genre books under the header of "Oh, it's all just the same old same old."  I guess that could be an

Comments

[asakiyume]

What a wonderful video. They were dancing together! I liked that you could see the dog's tail wagging--that proved how happy the dog was.

(Also the dog looks like it's a border collie, and I love border collies--our dog's part border collie. They just love to play.)

I loved what you said about steering young readers to other, better books in the field, because it's a way of acknowledging their enthusiasm for the lesser book that they're excited about without being insincere and without raining on their parade, either.

Also, it's so heartening to hear you say that you think wonderful, good books are coming out from new authors all the time--fills me with excitement, like it's a big fair or celebration out there, and all of us are invited :-)

[sartorias]

I love that image--it really is like a big celebration to which we all have an invitation. Nifty!

[arantzain]

"Mom! Mom! I'm paying attention, look, I'm paying attention!"

Very occasionally I see something that makes me grin from sheer joy. That video was definitely among my top favorites --look at the tail go!

[rysmiel]

I suspect I may well be taking notes of things you come up with here to suggest them as Farthing party panels, fwiw.

Sense of wonder is definitely in the eye of the beholder; I do not think it is dead for me, but it now takes something of the density of Blindsight or Bad Magic to really set that particular mode of appreciating something off for me.

[sartorias]

Ok, just got back from the high school schlep. Several things occurred to me. One, sure thing (and I hope that panel tidbits will get reported on afterwards!) but really, with the list of people you draw to the Farthingparties, a lot of your panel topics are right at hand. I mean, you've got people like Jon Singer and Teresa Nielsen Hayden--not just polymaths, but they have the ability to be interesting on all subjects. I'd be tempted to play a game with them: put them up there at a table, and have the attendees shout out any subject, and the two have to link the new subject with an old--info, anecdote, quote, anything. Bet they don't get stumped, and it could be a riot

[rysmiel]

One, sure thing (and I hope that panel tidbits will get reported on afterwards!) but really, with the list of people you draw to the Farthingparties, a lot of your panel topics are right at hand. I mean, you've got people like Jon Singer and Teresa Nielsen Hayden--not just polymaths, but they have the ability to be interesting on all subjects. I'd be tempted to play a game with them: put them up there at a table, and have the attendees shout out any subject, and the two have to link the new subject with an old--info, anecdote, quote, anything. Bet they don't get stumped, and it could be a riot.The asterisk panel, which tradition we took from Minicon, works kind of like that; put the really interesting people on a panel late in the convention, set them going in conversation with interesting bits from earlier panels or earlier in-con conversations if need be, give everyone in the audience a large asterisk to hold up whenever they want a footnote, and soon you're deep in interesting digressions about really cool things these people know

[mayakda]

Thanks for sharing that video. They were having fun and it was fun watching.

[sartorias]

Nifty, eh? Tho the camera was fuzzy, you could see definite dog grin.

[batwrangler]

especially if their eyes are rolling in terror and constraint, their muscles trembling with fear. But this dog is so joyful, so proud of itself and full of love for that human, and the human for the dog, and the music so quietly lovely, I found myself tearing up.

I absolutely agree with you about animals who are coerced or threatened into do tricks, but in my experience, dogs especially love to learn tricks.

My Maltese thinks agility is the best thing ever and is delighted to run through his non-agility trick routine whenever I ask him: it gives him something to do that he knows will make me happy and he usually gets a treat out of it. Also, is more confident and relaxed now than when we got him (he was poorly socialized and very fearful at first). Positive reinforcement is the key. :)

As an interesting side-effect of teaching him agility and tricks: I've noticed that he's a better problem-solver when he wants to get something that has been put out of his reach.

[sartorias]

Yes, yes! And yes on positive reinforcement. We recently adopted a young stray who had obviously been abused as a pup. He's learning so fast, but the learned cringing is still present.