I was assigned as Amy's handler for the 2006 Gathering of the Fellowship in Toronto, Canada. It would turn out to be a weekend full of crazy twists and turns - the most frustrating part being our cell phones not getting a signal within the hotel. So after much room voicemail retrieval, we finally connected and had a blast. During her first panel she mentioned H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe in the same sentence so I knew I would love her!
A prolific writer and speaker, Amy totally breaks down the intellectual fourth wall of similarities between Tolkien, Harry Potter, Science Fiction in general and all things Lovecraftian. Just take a look at some of these titles of her seminars and articles: Beam Me Up, King Arthur? Star Trek and the Arthurian Tradition, Re imagining Rose: Portrayals of Tolkien's Rosie Cotton in Twenty-First Century Fan Fiction, The New Shoggoth Chic: Why H.P. Lovecraft Now?. These titles alone inspire me to get off my arse and get to more writing!
Her subjects are not solely placed within the Sci Fi world. Her forthcoming book, Tecumseh: A Biography (Greenwood Publishing Group)concentrates on this fascinating historical figure. I can't wait to read it. Two books I highly recommend are Emilie Flygare-Carlen's The Magic Goblet and Baron De la Motte Foque's The Magic Ring (Both Valancourt Classics). These stories have a very Poe-ish style to them and they keep you glued from the first page to the last.
I am really looking forward to working with Amy on a few upcoming Sci Fi/Comic conventions. Our exchange of letters (yes all hand written!) are priceless. I always end up in stitches reading her letters - and she says that I write like I talk which can be very good or very bad depending on it being a full moon that day or the state of stupid LA traffic which always sets me on edge!
Friday, February 22, 2008
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2 comments:
Amy is an awesome person, both as a multi-discipline academic and a plain ole hang-around-and-dish friend. Her sense of humor can kill a person, and her unique insights into the worlds of SF, fandom and literature (and how all those worlds relate to one another) has served as the ingition point for many a project in my coffers as well. She is, as you note, both a true inspiration and an absolute hoot.
You rock for acknowleding her impact on your work/life this way. It's great fun to run across someone else who counts Amy amongst the treasures of the world as I do.
Dodger
Dodger,
Isn't she just the best?! Amy fans unite;) My only regret is that I live on this end of the coast and I am not able to take any of her classes..
Thank you for leaving that comment. I just got back from your blog -insanely good!
Rebecca
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