Why I'm a fan...

[gerisullivan]

...and especially why I enjoy helping run conventions....

I've lost count, but this post probably covers somewhere in the neighborhood of Reasons #328,117 through #328,173.

Today, it's body parts. No, not the parts I might f/r/e/q/u/e/n/t/l/y occasionally fantasize about ripping from my fellow fen. I'm talking about pre-packaged, brains, hearts, and feet fresh from the rubbery meat counter. (I passed on the hands.) An eye in a pool of blood? I'll take two, thank you. Severed finger food, oh, yes, several pieces of that, please. Then there was the ear, and the bleeding brain headpiece, and....

Yep, I ordered it all. For Boskone. Yes, you read that right. Boskone.

Boskone 47 Chair Jim Mann asked me to add some ambiance to our Friday Night Zombie Casino. I haven't done zombies before, so my party closet only turned up a blood-splattered painting from The Mended Drum at Noreascon 4.

That's okay. Jim's request came with a budget. I've been having fun.

I'm also helping Dave Grubbs, Deb Geisler, and others working on the world premiere of Roger Zelazny's "Godson," a three-act play that will follow Mary Crowell's Featured Filk concert and Boskone's annual award ceremony on Saturday night. (Also featured on the Events page along with the Zombie Casino.)

Fortunately, there will be lots of Renovation folks and friends on hand to help with the party we're hosting Friday night and the fan table we'll have open all weekend.

In between all that, I look forward to hanging out with friends and getting to at least some programming with all of the fabulous folks who are going to be there, including:

Boskone GoHs:
Guest of Honor: Alastair Reynolds
Official Artist: John Picacio
Special Guest: Tom Shippey

Boskone's Featured Filker: Mary Crowell

NESFA Guests:
NESFA Press Guests: Lois McMaster Bujold and Michael Whelan
Hal Clement Science Speaker: Vernor Vinge

The Art Show is going to feature a retrospective of Michael Whelan's work, with more than 20 of his cover paintings on display.

GoshWow, and All That Jazz.... Seriously. The events and guest list are yanking my sensawonda chain big time. And that's before we add on all the other usual good people and bits that make the weekend zip by. Catching up with Laurie Edison and seeing her work. Glimpses and perhaps a conversation or two with pnh, tnh, and my neighbor across the Pioneer Valley, Jane Yolen. How long has it been since I've seen Peter Weston? And so many more....

Are you coming? I hope so!

Comments

[ckd]

I am definitely going to be there.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Yay! You're solidly among those I haven't seen in far too long.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

It'll be my first Boskone.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

You've chosen a great one to start with! Many thanks and congratulations for your work with NESFA Press.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

The mere fact that a book I edited is being released at this Boskone is enough to make it a great one. It was a fun project and, I hope, proves lucrative for NESFA.

Zombie Jamboree

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

Have you considered picking up a human brain jello mold?

Re: Zombie Jamboree

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

A fellow NESFAn has one of those, and the heart, too, if I remember correctly. I was the first person who dared cut into the brain at our Halloween open house this past year. The color and texture was suitably gross and downright creepy. It looked like pink meat. Tasty, though, full of fruity goodness. I think the zombies are on to something with this whole Braaaaainsss thing.

I hope, but am not yet certain, that we'll have jello brains at Boskone.

[lauriemann.livejournal.com]

Don't forget, you have 30 black helium balloons to play play around with as part of the balloon buy. If you have any great ideas on table weights, great, if not, we can do the book weights again.

There will also be a variety of colored balloons, stars and moons.

I also bought 2 8' black plastic tablecloths at the Dollar Store the other day. I can use them in the Office Friday night, but if you want them, you can have them.

Wait a minute - are you running two parties simultaneously at Boskone??!!

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

I'll pack some silver markers for decorating balloons.

The black plastic tablecloths will come in handy; thanks!

I'm the Zombie Decorator. Other folks are running that party, though I do hope to be around for at least the start of it. I'm more likely to be good on the late shift on the Renovation party anyway -- with luck, others on the team can run lead at the beginning.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

Actually, I was going to say something else entirely, but . . . “Zombie Decorator”
My brain froze up at decorating zombies. You can have some congratulations for that, if you want.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

This makes me think of the night before some Minicon or another (one of the years that Sue Grandys & I were the Party heads), and we went out SHOPPIN' at a Cub somewhere in the 'burbs. All I can remember is finding a whole mess'a purple Snowballs because I seem to have blacked out after I found the 10 pound bag of ketchup...

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

So was that before or after elisem invented the Twinkie Toss? Memory fades...only that there was an entire bathtub filled with Hostess products.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

The bathtub full of Hostess products was the year that Sue, Peter Larson, and I were Parties Head(s). Sue discovered that we were about $300 under our budget, and decided to blow it the most creatively way possible.

My favourite story from that year comes from my overhearing a guy from one of the coasts, who was apparently getting hassled by a friend for being at a midwestern convention (or something like that). "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but do YOU have a bathtub full of Twinkies at YOUR con?

The next year was the bathtub full of chocolate, which wasn't our smartest idea. Kathy Marshall (sp?) ended up having to chip chocolate* from the bathroom tiling.

That might be the same year that Elise did the toss. I have a vague memory of her doing something along those lines.

*Honest to everything, that's not a joke. I just couldn't think of another wording.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I'll be there. Maybe not at the Zombie thing, but I'll be at Boskone.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

Sorry. Can't stand zombies. SO ready for the current craze to be over. But I'm glad you will enjoy.

Easter candy

[tagwn.livejournal.com]

One year at Minicon I was given $500 and told to buy Easter candy. Remember? We put it in the bathtub and gave the kids first dibs Sunday morning. My favorite part was the solid chocolate 10 bunny. I heated a knife and stuck it in its chest.
But zombie parts, now that beats out easter candy....

Re: Easter candy

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

I treasure the creativity that went into shopping for Minicon. It's where I learned to do this. The bathtub in the consuite was legendary.