Jay Lake: Writer

[conventions] Buzzing through the Locus Awards

I rode up to Seattle yesterday with the inestimable Simone Cooper, who went rather out of her way to deliver me unto chez scarlettina. scarlettina in turn fed me and delivered me unto the Locus Awards venue, whereat I greeted and meeted with a number of old friends and new, including about half of this year’s Clarion West class.

It was funny being there. A lot of people literally didn’t recognize me without my hair and beard.

Plus I was being ultra low energy, an 8 pm party being decidedly on the wrong end of my chemotherapy energy curve. Still, it was good.

Breakfast later this morning with bravado111, a/k/a noted urban fantasy author J.A. Pitts, then I shall spend the day at the Locus Awards. Likely I’ll be in the lobby or the bar if you’re looking for me prior to the banquet.

But for now, time to work on Kalimpura.

Write more, be well, see you around the joint.

Photo © 2011, Joseph E. Lake, Jr.

This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Tags: Books, Conventions, friends, Kalimpura, Photos, Seattle, Writing

Posted: 6:05 am Sat June 25 2011 | Comments(0) |

[help|travel] Portland to Seattle and back

Anyone reading this in PDX planning to drive to the Locus Awards next weekend? What with my chemo schedule slip and all, I can probably make it.

I have a tentative ride up Friday afternoon, but no ride back on Sunday. If possible, I’d rather ride up first thing Saturday morning, and I need to come back Sunday morning/midday.

If you’re coming or going with an extra seat in the car, please let me know.

Tags: Conventions, Help, Seattle, Travel

Posted: 4:49 am Sat June 18 2011 | Comments(2) |

[personal|cancer] Updatery

First of all, I feel pretty good, physically. (This is a relative statement, of course.) Skipping chemo for an extra week will do that to you. However, the consequences of that skip are already starting to cascade. If I pass my blood test today, I’ll have chemo tomorrow and through the weekend, and the bulk of the scheduling problems will be recoverable. If I flunk my blood test today, then all hell breaks loose in my schedule. This is a source of irritation to me, though I have absolutely no control over the issues governing the problem, therefore the irritation is decidedly a dead end. On the plus side, if I do make chemo this weekend, there’s a decent chance I’ll make the Locus Awards next weekend, assuming I can find a ride to/from Portland.

Mother of the Child, the_child and I spent several hours yesterday afternoon doing some Important Stuff regarding her education etc. That was time very well spent, but given my spoon management issues, I got no writing done. Which in turn is another mild irritant, regardless of the rightness of my cause in skipping writing time.

Workie bits are proceeding nicely at the Day Jobbe, my house is clean(ish), the grandfather clock chimes the hours and the lava lamp in my bedroom provides a pleasant glow. Really, life is okay.

Tags: Cancer, Child, Conventions, health, Personal, Seattle, work

Posted: 4:56 am Thu June 16 2011 | Comments(2) |

[conventions|photos] The Steampunk Bible reading

On Monday, June 6th, I was part of a reading and panel discussing The Steampunk Bible, along with Cherie Priest and Libby Bulloff. I’d guess 50-60 people in attendance. Prior to that, there was an open dinner at Big Time Brew Pub, with 20-25 folks. Plus cake after the reading. It was loads of fun. I took photos at dinner, and Linda Deneroff was kind enough to shoot photos for me during the reading.

One of our party’s three tables at dinner

Another of our tables

Me at the reading

Cherie Priest, in elder Goth drag

Libby Bulloff, whose hair was even more colorful than in this picture

The audience

CAAAAKE

Duane Wilkins, our host at University Books

As usual, more at the Flicker set.

Photos © 2011, Joseph E. Lake, Jr. and Linda Deneroff

This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. and Linda Deneroff is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Tags: Conventions, Food, Personal, Photos, Seattle, steampunk

Posted: 5:48 am Wed June 08 2011 | Comments(2) |

[conventions|personal] Public reading in Seattle this evening, open dinner prior

In a rare (for this year of cancer) out of town appearance, I will be joining Libby Bulloff and Cherie Priest this evening for a reading from and discussion of The Steampunk Bible at University Bookstore in their U District location.

This event will take place today, Monday, June 6 at 7pm. (Which happens to be the date of my actual birthday — JayCon is a moveable feast.) We’ll be having an open dinner at 5 pm, prior to the event, at the Big Time Brewery and Alehouse in the U District.

If you’re in or near Seattle, I hope you can make the dinner or the reading, or both.

Tags: Books, Conventions, Personal, Seattle, steampunk

Posted: 5:35 am Mon June 06 2011 | Comments(0) |

[conventions] Public reading in Seattle on June 6 at U Books

In a rare (for this year of cancer) out of town appearance, I will be joining Libby Bulloff and Cherie Priest for a reading from and discussion of The Steampunk Bible at University Bookstore in their U District location.

This event will take place on Monday, June 6 at 7pm. (Which happens to be the date of my actual birthday — JayCon is a moveable feast.)

If you’re in or near Seattle, I hope you can make it there.

Tags: Books, Conventions, Personal, Seattle, steampunk

Posted: 5:28 am Wed June 01 2011 | Comments(0) |

[conventions|personal] Congoing, homegoing

Had a more or less normal-for-me day at Norwescon yesterday. Less hiding in my room. Still pretty overwhelmed on the whole return of the cancer thing, but it was good to be out among a bunch of people who like me and care about me.

Reading today at 1 pm, if you’re around. Then I’m skiving off for home. I’ll see my liver surgeon on Wednesday to confirm the treatment plan and get a firmer sense of the timing of things this summer.

Inside my head is complicated and difficult.

Tags: Cancer, Conventions, health, Personal, Seattle

Posted: 7:35 am Sun April 24 2011 | Comments(3) |

[travel] Off to Norwescon

I’m off to Seattle this morning, to hit Norwescon. We’ll see if my brain unlocks enough to write, in this week of renewed cancer madness, but I’m okay if it does not. I’m looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues. And my cold seems to be fading already.

Expect light blogging through Monday. If anything new crops up on the cancer front or otherwise, I’ll pass it on. For now, I’m just going to enjoy myself. I’ve got months ahead to go into the nitty gritty of this next awful journey.

This weekend is for me.

Tags: Cancer, Conventions, health, Personal, Seattle, Travel

Posted: 4:56 am Thu April 21 2011 | Comments(1) |

[personal|cancer] Readings, colds and conventions, with a side of heavy PETting

I have woken up with what appears to be the leading edge of a cold. Upper respiratory crud, at a minimum. Which could be allergies, but those do not generally plague me so much.

This is of course a delight to my body and a balm to my heart, as tomorrow I am going to Norwescon. Thanks to cancer, that will be my last major writing event/convention of the year. Spending the weekend in dripping misery will be a lovely grace note on the part of the universe, just a little extra “screw you” to the utter derailing of my life that is currently going on.

I’m also concerned that having a cold will screw up the PET scan I’m scheduled for today. (This is the giant radioactive spider test, as previously described here.) I’ll be calling the nuclear medicine folks once they turn on the lights up the hill there.

In other news, last night’s inaugural session of the SFWA Pacific Northwest Reading Series went well. I enjoyed myself, as the audience appeared to. My basic advice to any of you is never follow Brent Weeks at a reading. He’s charming as heck, a great writer, and a great reader. I was the sandwich in the middle, with the always delightful Kay Kenyon closing us out.

Today, workie bits, then the PET scan, then packing for Norwescon. I’ll hit the road tomorrow morning. See some, all or none of you there.

Tags: Cancer, Conventions, Personal, Seattle, Travel

Posted: 5:49 am Wed April 20 2011 | Comments(0) |

[conventions] Norwescon programming

My Norwescon schedule, for them what wants it:

Otherwise I will be generally around in the usual places.

Tags: Conventions, Seattle

Posted: 7:15 am Sun April 17 2011 | Comments(0) |