Too much has been going on. I enjoyed my first WFC. The highlight for me was hearing Hal Duncan read Sonnets for Orpheus, one of the best readings I’ve heard anywhere, and the poem rocks.

I enjoyed the easy informality of the convention, making it easy to meet people. I’ll definitely return. I’ve got to say, however, that the suburban venue, especially if you were in the “overflow hotel,” pretty much sucked. This was a pedestrian hostile zone a fifteen mile cab ride from anything I’d call Austin. Who comes to Austin to go to TGIF? The facilities at both hotels were fine, the award banquet expertly catered, and both staffs were wonderful, especially the former tattoo artist shuttle driver for the Fairfield. But nothing could make up for the fact that it was a real geography of nowhere nightmare. I’m weird; I walk. A route that includes crossing two major freeways past two Home Depots (one living—one dead) with sidewalks that come and go between the main hotel and the overflow strains the definition of overflow.

I was holding my breath yesterday until Allen conceded. I am delighted with the results of the election except for the so-called Marriage Amendment’s passage. But I’ve ranted about that elsewhere. I don’t want to hear any whining that the Democrats don’t have a plan in Iraq. You call what’s been going on a plan? The Three Stooges could do better. I did hate to see Rummy go though. Whenever they let him out of the box to talk, you knew things were going badly for the Bushies. He’s a real known known, that guy. But I’m not sure if he knows it.