I'd like to be able to go to a convention (or other gathering) and not come home with a cold :-\
*coff*
This past Saturday, Gary and I went to the Ohioana Book Festival, which was held at the State Library in downtown Columbus. Overall it was very pleasant. Not as many people attended as I'd expected ... seriously, Harvey Pekar was there! And Mary Doria Russell! The festival featured live music, author readings, discussion panels, and book signings.
Gary and I signed a fair number of books and met new readers, and got to chat with Christopher Barzak and Catherynne M. Valente more than we had in the past. I also saw Jane D., a librarian I knew from my days at OCLC, and it was fun to see her again.
Most of our table visitors were fun to talk with. But of course there were also the usual annoyances. One woman announced disdainfully that Sparks and Shadows "looks like a children's book". Uh ... okay. I don't think it does ... but if it did ... why would that be bad? And another picked the book up, read the back, and dropped it like a hot rock, announcing "I don't like short stories." Good to know!
That evening, we went to a reception at the governor's mansion in Bexley, and it was really cool. And not paid for with taxpayer money! There were close to 50 authors who'd participated in the festival there, plus sundry festival workers and guests. Governor Strickland wasn't there, but we met his first lady Frances and she was very gracious and pleasant. We also went on a tour of the mansion, which is filled with art and crafts from Ohioans and has been nicely restored. The gardens there are pretty and filled with fish ponds, and in short I'm glad we had the chance to attend.
The next book festival is set for May next year; I hope we get invited back, and I hope more people can make it.