If You're Going Out Tonight, You Could Do It In Worse Places Than Kansas City.

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So Tuesday night I was in a speakeasy in Kansas City. You entered through an alleyway reeking of stale cooking oil and rancid dumpsters, the ambiance was murky, the waitstaff had stern words to say if you used your cell phone to try to read the menu, and the drinks were good. Last night, I went to a steakhouse (the barbecue joints were all booked solid) with dear friends and caught up with years of missing event. And so, I hope, my evenings will go for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, at the Worldcon, I did a bookstore reading, was on an SRO panel on the contemporary influence of science fiction, and was a small part of the opening ceremonies for MidAmeriCon. (Briefly, I reminisced on sitting in the back row 40 years ago, with the bad kids who smoked and used naughty words... and if you want to know what conclusions I drew, you'll just have to have been there.)

Tomorrow, my official schedule is:

1:00 p.m.
What's New in the World of Dinosaurs
My fellow panelists are all knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I may not get a word in edgewise. Oughta be great.

4:00 p.m.
Being Michael Swanwick
My guest of honor interview. By Fran Wilde. With luck, I'll say something interesting.

8:00 p.m.
Literary Beer
People who have signed up for this get to share a beer with me and ask whatever they'd like to know. This is always fun and often surprising.

Stay tuned for more!


Above: There it is, the well-made martini, glowing in the light of its own perfection. Notice that it has but one olive. No more are needed.

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