Just a Glimpse (or, I Forgot that BEA is Boring)

I spent most of the day watching booksellers step peppily into the convention halls at 9 am and come out hours later, suitcases full of literary loot, dragging and bleary. The highlight of the day was meeting Alison Bechdel and procuring signed copies of the next dykeread. She good-naturedly tolerated the few but feverish fans, including my blushing, fumbling self. Also good: I only had one conversation about the Da Vinci Code, I was only forced into interacting with one becostumed book creature (Gabby the Six-Foot Literacy Dog), and I successfully avoided excessive thoughts of homicide.