Ecce Sigum

Tag: ConFusion 2024

  • January 2024 Books and Reading Notes

    After almost two months, I finally finished Demons, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Wow, was that a slog. A good slog, but a slog nonetheless. Now on to fifteen or twenty shorter, easier reads before attempting something arduous.

    Almost all of the books I acquired in January were purchased at, or in anticipation of, ConFusion 2024.

    Acquisitions

    new Books and Reading Material in the Month of January, 2024

    1. David Estes and Dyrk Ashton, Kraken Rider Z (Wraithmarked Creative) [2024.01.03] – I have been a fan of Dyrk Ashton’s work for several years. We are Convention friends, and he is a Righteous Dude.
    2. Jean Davis, Frayed (self-published) [2024.01.19] – purchased from Davis at ConFusion 2024.
    3. Michael J. DeLuca, Night Roll (Stelliform Press) [2024.01.20] – Purchased from Reckoning Press at ConFusion 2024.
    4. Reckoning: Creativity and Coronavirus (Reckoning Press) [2024.01.20] – Purchased from Reckoning Press at ConFusion 2024.
    5. Reckoning #6 [2024.01.20] – Purchased from Reckoning Press at ConFusion 2024.
    6. Reckoning #7 [2024.01.20] – Purchased from Reckoning Press at ConFusion 2024.
    7. Zack Be (editor), Inner Workings: A Calendar of Fools Anthology (Calendar of Fools, LLC) [2024.01.20] – Purchased from Storm Humbert during a group signing at ConFusion 2024.
    8. Tamsyn Muir, Nona the Ninth [2024.01.21] – Purchased at ConFusion 2024.
    9. Lesley Connor and Jason Sizemore (editors), Robotic Ambitions (Apex Book Company) [2024.01.21] – Reward for a Kickstarter campaign run by Apex.

    Reading List

    Books I read in January 2024

    Books

    1. Fyodor Dostoevsky (Larissa Volokhonsky and Richard Pevear, translators), Demons [2024.01.26]
    2. Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2023.01.29]
    3. Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2023.01.30]

    Short Prose

    1. Jim C. Hines, “The Girls From the Hood” (Patreon post) [2024.01.15]
    2. Rosamund Lannin, “The Lake House”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.26]
    3. Jim C. Hines, “Coyote Cave” (Patreon post) [2024.01.28]
    4. Eliza Langhans, “A Giants’ Heart”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.28]
    5. D. A. Xiaolin Spires, “Fresh and Imminent Taste of Cucumbers”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.28]
    6. Anthony Ha, “Late Train”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.28]
    7. Chloe N. Clark, “Jumpers”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.28]
    8. Nicole Kimberling, “Sugar-Salt Time: A Love Story”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.28]
    9. Felix Kent, “Dynastic Arrangements of the Habsburgs, Washakie Branch”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.28]
    10. Eric Darby, “The Parking Witch”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.29]
    11. Gavin J. Grant, “Possum, Not Playing”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.29]
    12. Jordan Taylor, “Strange Engines”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.29]
    13. Audrey R. Hollis, “How to Be Afraid”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #39 [2024.01.29]
    14. Frances Rowat, “Ink, and Breath, and Spring”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.29]
    15. Fred Nadis, “The Giant Jew”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.29]
    16. Amber Burke, “In Pictures”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.29]
    17. T.S. McAdams, “Duck Circles”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.29]
    18. Margo Lanagan, “More Information to Help You Get to Rookwood”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.30]
    19. Mary Cool, “The Fruit That Bears the Flowers”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.30]
    20. Lisa Martin, “Seat Belt On, Falling”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.30]
    21. Jeff Benz, “The Stone People”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.30]
    22. Nicole Kimberling, “We Should See Less of Each Other”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.30]
    23. Michael Byers, “Sibling Rivalry”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #40 [2024.01.30]

  • Weekly Round-up, January 20, 2024

    As this post goes live I am in the middle of ConFusion 2024, where I am the Head of Operations for the convention weekend. You can assume that my life at this moment is quite interesting, almost certainly fun, and perhaps even exciting.

    Reading

    Still reading Dostoevsky’s Demons. I am past page 500, so the end is in sight.

    Writing

    Nuthin’.

    Interesting Links

  • Weekly Round-up, January 13, 2024

    Constant pain is a great tool for focusing one’s attention. If only that attention could be focused anywhere other than the constant pain.

    I spent most of the past two weeks in thrall to a tooth which first appeared to be tender, then cracked, then infected, and finally diagnosed as both split in half and infected. My dentist removed the tooth three days ago, and my life was thereby much improved.

    The pain was more manageable than the previous impacted molar back in 2008, but there was nothing about the experience which was at all pleasant.

    So 2024 is starting out kind of…unpredictably.

    In order to distract myself from the chronic pain of life, I have several things in the works for 2024:

    First, Master Lee’s School of Tai Chi Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Tai Chi Jeung.

    Second, after several years of volunteering, I am now part of the Convention Committee for the ConFusion Science Fiction Convention. For the 2024 iteration, “Labyrinth of ConFusion”, I will be the Head of Operations, assisted by past Ops people as I settle into the role.

    Third, I am part of the newly-formed Grand River Poetry Collective, which is dedicated to publishing Grand Rapids poets. As we get up and running I will be posting many and frequent updates.

    Reading

    Still working my way through Dostoevsky’s Demons.

    Writing

    I got nuthin’.

    The writing prompt for the next week is:

    Subject: Empire, Economics
    Setting: Labyrinth
    Genre: Procedural

    Interesting Links