Tucson Festival of Books and Left Coast Crime
Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the internet… I’m baaaaacccckkkkk! I don’t think I’ve taken a 2-week hiatus since I started this blog, but the last few weeks have been cuh-razy. I’ll save the full recap for my end-of-the-month post next week, but this week we’ll talk about:
- Tucson Festival of Books
- Left Coast Crime
Here we go:
Tucson Festival of Books
Tucson Festival of Books, affectionately known as TFOB to the regulars, is the third-largest book festival in the USA. (Or so I’m told–I don’t have a citation to support this statement. Why yes, I am an academic. Why do you ask?) It’s held on the University of Arizona campus every March, and it is HUGE. I took not a single picture of the festival itself (bad blogger!), but if you’re curious, check out the festival site linked above. Note also that the site links to videos of some sessions.
So. many. books.
So. many. authors.
SQUEEEE!!!!
There were tents set up all along the UA Mall–authors, publishers, writing organizations, but also Science City (a whole area of the festival with hands-on science-y things), food vendors (shout-out to Tucson Tamale Co.’s green chili and cheese tamales… soooo good), and community organizations of all sorts.
Highlights include:
Looking at solar flares through two different telescopes
Hanging out with some seriously cool venomous reptiles, like this Western Diamondback (at least I think it’s a Western Diamondback–I really should take notes at these things)
And this Gila monster:
Can I have a pet Gila monster? Pleeeaaaassssseeeee?????
And that rattlesnake looks like he’s mugging for the camera.
Long-Suffering Husband and I also hung out with some non-reptiles. Here’s me looking like a dork while meeting Karen Odden at the Tucson Sisters in Crime booth:
And Long-Suffering Husband, meeting one of his favorite authors, Jonathan Maberry:
I also moderated my first-ever author panel with David Quammen, who talked about his wonderful book, Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus.
And I got to sign copies of Trouble in Tucson, an anthology containing my short story, “Adam Carmona and the Case of the Saguaro Ripper” (read more about that story here) – the first time I’ve ever signed an autograph in my entire life. I’m trying not to let the experience go to my head, but I kind of feel like one of those guys in the old Grey Poupon commercials:
Left Coast Crime
Two weeks later, my head deflated a bit and the book-related fun resumed with Left Coast Crime, a crime fiction fan conference. It was held here in Tucson this year, so I decided to go. It was a blast! I participated in my first-ever author panel, called Packing it All in a Short Story, with Gay Kinman, Stephen D. Rogers, and Kate Thornton, moderated by Alan Orloff.
Once again, not many pictures–I was too busy meeting other authors, attending panel presentations, and eating–but I have a few.
View from the pool at the El Conquistador resort:
Dinner with members of the Sisters in Crime Guppy Chapter at El Charro (I’m the dork with the bushy hair at the far end of the table):
At Faye Snowden‘s table at the awards banquet:
Why am I incapable of looking normal in pictures?
Anyway.
When I wasn’t fangirling or looking like a dork, I was acquiring a ridiculous amount of books. I bought several at TFOB, but Left Coast Crime was a whole other level of book acquisition. You get a bag of books when you register (donated by authors), and people leave the ones they don’t want/already have on an exchange table. Near the end of the conference, people were leaving lots of books on the table, probably because they woudn’t fit in their luggage (note to self: next year when I have to fly to attend this thing, bring an extra suitcase). I, being the big-hearted soul that I am, was happy to take some extra books so other people wouldn’t break their suitcases. And of course I bought some books too.
Here’s my total haul from both events (plus 3 books not shown because they’re on my nightstand in various stages of being read):
Yep, I came home with almost a full shelf of new books. Have I read my other books? Of course not. However:
I’ve finally figured out that acquiring books and reading books are two separate hobbies.
The memery
It’s a free-for-all this week. No theme, no order, no nut’in. Let’s do this.
Sorry, Freddy, but I did warn you.
I laughed way too hard at f*cktrumpet.
I also laughed way too hard at this:
C’mon, admit it. You just tried to make your hand do that. And if you’re my age or older, you probably gave yourself a cramp.
Angry Alpaca is judging you so hard.
I really want to send this next one to my colleague who serves on my university’s Animal Care and Use Committee:
Yep!
And finally:
Goal achieved! It’s been another successful week here at Camp WTF.
How about you? What’s going on in your life?
This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share linkup hosted by Natalie the Explorer.
20 Comments
Joanne
Both those book events sound so fun!! I love that you acquired so many; though I was just saying the other day that I have stacks of books I need to read at home that people have bought for me (from my own wishlist!) that I keep setting aside because I keep picking up “new” books from the library.
Janet Alcorn
I do the same—I’m incapable of going to a library without checking something out. The to-read stack grows and grows.
Elizabeth Seckman
You look beautiful in your photos! But I hear you. I am never the one with the perfect smile. I’ll screw a photo up some way or another, usually by laughing at the wrong time.
Love the memery. You found some really good ones!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! I always seem to have the weirdest facial expressions in pictures. Oh, well, probably no one cares but me, so I should get over it.
Glad you liked the memes!
trentpmcd
At last, some achievable goals! I just have to persuade my boss…
Sounds like a lot of glorious book nerdom was had. Sounds like a lot of fun. Also, thinking of photos, it is possible your L-S-H is one of the few males in the country with hair longer than mine.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Janet Alcorn
Right?! I haven’t shared those goals with my boss either, though he’s well aware of my weirdness.
It’s a bummer that long hair has gone out of style for men. LSH gets misgendered pretty regularly, which is bizarre considering that he looks entirely male. Like, didn’t we get past the long hair on men arguments around the time All in the Family went off the air?
trentpmcd
It’s funny, about a week ago my wife asked, “Is there a reason you are growing your hair out how I like it?” lol In about three weeks I will get it cut short… for me but long for the average American male. I have been misgendered once or twice, but not often, except when running – sometimes guys slow down as they pass until they realize I’m male.
Gary A Wilson
Yikes – I can’t trust myself in a used book store.
I can’t imagine the result of my going to conference where they GIVE ME books.
Filling a bookshelf is for armatures. I could fill two lawyer boxes before the first lunch break. After that I’d never leave the exchange table thanks to my FOMO triggering my stray-book-grab-and-hide reflex gene.
The TFOB must have been why my daughter did not want me in town then. . .
Janet Alcorn
You don’t want to know how many trips I made to the exchange table. But since I wasn’t willing to give up any books I already had, my guilt prevented me from taking more than 1 or 2 till the very end. It was also really difficult not to buy almost every single book on offer. At Left Coast Crime, authors who attend can sell up to 3 titles on consignment with whichever local bookstore is chosen to manage sales for the event, and there are book signings after every panel (in the same room as the book sales). So you go to a panel, hear about all the wonderful books from all the wonderful panelists, then go straight to the Land of Temptation to buy their books and get them signed. If I weren’t saving up for a vacation, I probably would have emptied my bank account.
Natalie
Those events sound like a lot of fun. I switched to digital books a few years ago and now just enjoy looking at photos of physical books. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
Janet Alcorn
I read physical books and digital books, and I listen to audiobooks. Each has their place. But at an event like this, physical books have a big advantage–you can get the author to sign them.
leannelc
It sounds like you had a blast at both events – and the amount of books you bought blows my mind! I’m such a tightwad when it comes to buying books – the online and local libraries are my best friends. Glad you enjoyed it all so much.
Janet Alcorn
I’m a huge tightwad about buying books, because I’m a librarian and can borrow pretty much anything I want to read. But I bought a few books in order to a) support authors I like and b) get them signed. (OK, there were also a couple of impulse purchases in there.) The rest of the horde was either given out with my registration or acquired from the exchange table at the end of the conference.
Writing Sparkle
The Tucson Festival of Books sounds great. The reptiles are neat too.
Janet Alcorn
Yep–the festival is a blast. It’s a wonderful combination of literary event and community/street fair.
Marsha
Janet, you are so funny. I love that you can’t look normal for a picture. It took me over 60 years, but I finally learned how to smile (for pictures). If someone catches me unawares – anything goes and normal is out the window! 🙂 Congratulations on all your academic doings. It sounds like you had a blast. I’m glad you buy lots of books that don’t get read. I have been weeding out books since we moved. It’s way too hard. I’m left with the ones I will read by my 592nd birthday. 🙂 I started last fall to begin a reading project from my bookcase. I began the smallest book on my shelf that I had already read at least once about eating frogs – which means, of course starting with the hardest book not the tiniest. I never got past that one! 🙂 But they are there for reference if I need them and meanwhile, I read my Kindle.
Janet Alcorn
So there’s hope that I might eventually learn how to smile for pictures–yay! Usually when people catch me unawares, I’m stuffing food in my face.
I still need to read the Eat That Frog book – it’s been on my TBR list for years.
Marsha
It’s a great book, and the frogs are delicious. I can’t wait to get a picture of you eating one! 🙂
Karen Watson
Looks like fun adventures to events you are passionate about. I would enjoy lounging around that pool in the mornings with a coffee. I’d have a sweet tea in the afternoons & evenings. #Weekendcoffeeshare
Janet Alcorn
Yeah, I could get used to that pool. I didn’t stay long, though, because I wanted to read, and it was too bright for that. I need to get tinted reading glasses 😉