My last day at MLA was its usual frantic semi-disaster: a sleep-deprived attempt to pack and check out and grab coffee and hit the book exhibit all before my first panel. And so I found myself running up and down escalators in heels, hauling my heavy, post-14-day-vacation luggage after me; going to the usurious hotel ATM to get money for the maid and then leaving her an entire $20 when I couldn't find somewhere to get change; yelling at the book reps who had gone and sold the copy of the display book I'd already put my name in (and paid CASH MONEY for) the previous day--and then, out of time, still not having gotten food or coffee, spending 75 in-panel minutes starving and yawning voluminously.
But! The panels I attended were good, and my own was very good (no credit to me, except insofar as I'm pleased to take credit for knowing smart people who give great paper), and I wrapped it all up with a nice lunch before resubjecting myself to the horrors of SEPTA, NJ Transit, et al.
It was a good MLA, though I confess that I've rarely had a bad one; I'm one of those people who likes the energy and the whole freaky show. It probably also helps that, as dire as the market is this year, I know only a very small number of people who are on it--and they've mostly had promising preliminary news. Fingers crossed for them, and for the rest of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment