SIRENS, anyone? discount til Nov. 1

[ellen_kushner]

A quick and insufficient note letting you know that I'll be one of the Guests of Honor at next year's Sirens Conference!  Oct. 2013, in Stevenson, Washington (Columbia River Gorge, at Skamania Lodge!).  We went to one 2 years ago, and loved it.  More on this later, but here's the Golden Key:

past Sirens registrants and their friends are welcome to

Comments

[swan_tower]

Others who've attended past Sirens Conf's can maybe explain here why we all should be there?

Because it's awesome?

Oh, wait -- you probably wanted something more specific than that. :-) Um, it is a very friendly con, far better than most at integrating new people rather than leaving them wandering around feeling like they don't fit in. It's feminist in orientation, and has a heavily female attendance, which might be comforting for some. (Which is not to say guys aren't welcome, of course!) I also find the panel topics to be more engaging than those at most cons -- a lot less of the "generic panel you have seen before" kind of thing, and a lot more of the "let's dig into this facet of a topic" kind, which is very much what I prefer.

[ellen_kushner]

No, no . . . "awesome" is fine! ;)

We did have a great time there last time, didn't we? And you dressed up mighty fine for the ball!

[p_zeitgeist]

This has nothing to do with Sirens, but I'm relieved to see you posting. I know you're high above the Hudson and way north of the scary images, but the scary images are scary, to this ex-Wall Street girl.

Here, we're so unaffected that I probably have to go sit in an all-day zoning law revision meeting tomorrow. Which, I will admit, I was sort of hoping would be called due to weather.

[ellen_kushner]

Yeahhhhh!! Snow Day!!!!! (Our Emergency Houseguest, Lizza Aiken, said, "That's what we call it in UK" - yes, we speak the language here, too....)

Sorry yours is not.

I've been posting lots on FaceBook: "We are in the Boring part of the city...." The whole UWS is cosy & fairly dry, with only the occasional power flicker. It just reinforces its position as a Place of Privilege, where no one has to deal with natural disaster or inconvenience. Sheeeeesh!!!!! When I think of the old UWS.... Ouch, is all.

Apparently Hell's Kitchen is similarly OK - guy just called in to WNYC (where Brian Lehrer's been live off-and-on since 9 am!) to say the bars are open & occupied there.

And did I really see a guy just walk by my window with a bag from West Side Market?!

[taraljc]

I'm just glad you're safe & sound, sister-auntie! I spent the week-end out of commission due to an ear infection, and am only just now catching up online with East Coasters...

[ellen_kushner]

Glad you're feeling better!

[erikagillian]

Skamania Lodge! Wow! That place is just gorgeous, the lodge itself, the view of the river.. the gorge itself! The trees would be turning, and you sit in front of fires and watch all that lovely cold water not touching you :) I know the conference rooms probably don't have fireplaces but I love the idea of talking about and telling stories in front of wood fires, while the cold winds blow :) It's designed like one of the WPA built National Park Lodges, which are amazing.

And if there's a way, across the river are the waterfalls. There's a narrow 1914 highway they built to show off the waterfalls and you drive most of it, it's such a gorgeous place, any time of the year.

My dad used to take me up to the waterfalls every time I went up to see him, he lived in Beaverton on the other side of Portland. He died six years ago, so it's kinda of sacred to me now too :)

I want to come, and bring my sister (it's her birthday on the 10th), we shall try :) Skamania! Yay!

[ellen_kushner]

I am just counting the days!! I've been to a similar place up near Seattle. . . It really is some of my favorite landscape. Can't wait!

[erikagillian]

If we go, we'll probably drive, maybe we can arrange a trip to look at the waterfalls :) I adore waterfalls, especially when you can get near them, does interesting things (good ones) to my migraines.

[la_marquise_de_]

Congratulations!
That's a con I'd love to get to, one of these years.