Mythcon pt. 1

Drove across the bridge to Berkeley today for Mythcon, a small, rather academic convention held this year at the Clark Kerr Conference Center at UC Berkeley. Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner were the GOHs; this is the first con I've been to were there were participants given academic papers on divers topics in addition to readings and panels. sartorias was there (she and I are on a panel together tomorrow), as was klages. Considerable good conversation at the two panels I went to (one on "attaining mastery" as a metaphor in fantasy and as a goal for writers; the other on literature for the "interstitial age"--teen years). Tomorrow I have a panel on non-magical fantasy (such as Swordspoint or, for that matter Point of Honour, which should be fun, and a reading, which will be either heaven or hell.

Will report back.

Meanwhile, this evening I had a taste of something pretty damned sublime (although at first I was highly dubious): Macallan Amber liqueur: single-malt Scotch with maple syrup and pecan flavors. It's too sweet and syrupy for me to drink on its own (beyond a sip or two), but mixed half-and-half with straight Macallan 12 it was amazing. Sat there trying to come up with appropriately decadent deserts to use it with: finally settled on a finger of good shortbread, a lavish scoop of really good vanilla ice cream, with the Amber drizzled on it. Bliss.