IAFA in Orlando 2009

Great Blue Heron

This year in Orlando, FL, the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts celebrated its 30th conference in our second year at the Orlando Airport Marriott, from Wednesday, March 25 to Saturday, March 28.

Information for the 31st conference already appears on the conference web page--this conference will feature wonderful authors Nalo Hopkinson, who read a few years ago at Peru State College, and Lawrence Yep.

Serving as treasurer puts me in contact with all the guests, which I enjoy a lot more than taking responsibility for the financial records; and I love seeing old friends such as Donald Morse pictured with me on the right.

I also have a chance to make new friends as well. Among others, for example, I enjoyed a long conversation with Maria Nikolajeva, a most-charming person and an expert on Children's Literature whose books I look forward to reading.

You might find her blog of interest. Of herself, she writes, "I was born in Russia, lived thirty years in Sweden, two years in the US, one year in Finland, and now I live in the UK."

I hope someday to bird watch around Cambridge where Maria teaches.

I loaded a series of photographs from the conference which attracts many authors, from Joe Haldeman (whom I had the pleasure of introducing) to Suzy Charnas (a long-time friend), from Peter Straub to John Kessel--and excellent scholars from the United States, Canada, and numerous other countries.

Oh, if you want to watch a film version of the photographs, I loaded one on You Tube.





I love the IAFA conference for a number of reasons, including the local birds featured at the opening and conclusion of this entry, a Great Blue Heron and a Mocking Bird.

And as noted with respect to Maria, I enjoy making new friends and seeing familiar faces. The photograph on the right features old friend Suzy Charnas previously mentioned and new friend, the Hugo and Nebula winning author Terry Bisson.

At the conference, Terry read his "shop story" Catch 'Em in the Act featured on Tor Com. You can also read one of the dialogue stories for which he is well regarded, "They're Made Out of Meat."

Oh, a short film version of the story appears on You Tube.

Terry and his wife Judy joined me at the Rowe Sanctuary this past Thursday, March 25, to view the Sandhill Cranes, the subject of my next blog entry.

Mocking Bird