About Last Night...
Some impressions on the NY blogger gathering, now that I've gotten some sleep.
I don't know what other gatherings have been like, but with this particular group a lot of personality shines through in their blogs, so when you meet them it's absolutely like you've already known them and you've simply "forgotten" what they looked like or something. And it's qualitatively different from meeting folks I know from other Internet venues like Usenet or message boards; even though you can certainly glean a number of things about people from reading comment threads, with blogs you're going out of your way (relatively) to seek out that person's writing because you're eager to read what they have to say, so it's more analogous to visiting their home than meeting them at a party where other folks are milling about.
The food at Brothers Barbecue was wonderful, and I highly recommend the place. But I was a bit surprised to see a Southern-style restaurant with no grits on the menu... And Rocco's on Bleecker, where some of us went afterwards, has the tastiest-looking desserts around, although they didn't have my first two menu choices...
MadKane is just about how I pictured she'd be, very Earth mother-ish (that's a compliment) and so infectiously bubbly! And her mom's better (on the proper meds now) and her parents have relocated comfortably to NC and we were both amazed and amused at how much you can know about people you've never met just from reading their blogs. She also mentioned that she's the one who talked Steve Bates into doing a blog, so thanks again, Mad!!
Did I mention that Dwight Meredith (link not at sidebar because *snif* PLA is no more, but he does do some guest-blogging from time to time) came up all the way from Atlanta? And he's very cute, with the warmest smile! His writing always seemed so far above me, and him being a lawyer and all, that I guess I thought he'd be more staid or something, and he wasn't, he was so incredibly friendly, with that real Southern charm! And he complimented me about my blog, which totally blew me away because I still can't get over when people do that (especially people who write so much better than me, which was, um, just about everyone there last night).
Jim Capozzola is more wiry than I thought he'd be, but other than that his personality definitely seemed to fit his blog. Also a great smile. And give this man a job, now! (For that matter, someone please give me one too...) We had a great conversation about how we both love Philadelphia. I don't visit nearly often enough, it's just an NJ Transit/SEPTA ride away after all...
Julia H is taller than me! I'm about 5'8" which I think is a little taller than average, and I love when I meet women who are taller than me (although I think I'm rounder than her). And she calls her daughter Mary Rose "a force of nature," but she's no less of one herself. I look at her and see the kind of person I wish I could be. She's got tremendous presence. We spent a lot of time talking with her brother George ("because he's the Procrustiest!"), who has a wonderful wry sense of humor and a great deadpan delivery.
Seth Farber reminded me of a quieter Woody Allen without the creepiness. He admits he's running out of Beatles songs to use as blog headers, and I suggested he get Penny Lane out of the way by plugging my blog (as that song is, after all, whence the pun originates). He then informed me that reviewing other people's blogs is what he used to be known for, which I didn't know 'cause he's fairly recent to my blogroll, so he asked me what my favorite dog breed was (I think I said "golden retriever and terrier" because in my punchiness I couldn't remember "American cocker spaniel" or "Irish setter" but I did remember that Teenie, our family's dog when I was growing up, had some retriever in her) and one other question that I don't even recall now (hey, I said I was going on two straight insomniac nights, didn't I?) and then said he'd do a review of this blog. Robin suggested that after he runs out of Beatles titles he can start on the solo stuff...
I think Mary Beth Williams and I were the only ones there to have gone through the 2003 Blogathon, and we agreed that she was allowed to have guest bloggers for parts of that because she has four kids and I don't. :) I didn't talk with MB or with Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden as much as I would have liked, but there's always next time!
And my goodness, there just must be a next time, mustn't there?! Next time I want to see Tom Tomorrow and August Pollak, and meet Jerry Bowles and Maru Soze and Adam Felber and Barbara O'Brien and Lesley and Lisa English and Elaine Frankonis and I'm sure there's other folks I'm leaving off my "wish list" but you get the idea. Thanks again to Jim and Julia for a wonderful time! Scroll down a bit to click on the link to pictures from the event.
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment