Campbell.

January 10, 2013 at 8:08 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

I’m in my second year of eligibility for the Campbell.  I didn’t put my name forward last year because I had only the one publication and felt foolish with such a short bibliography.  I rather regret that decision now, because I have (very suddenly, it seems) acquired more publications, and perhaps if I’d been more self-promotional sooner…

Eh, who am I kidding.  I’m lousy at networking-type stuffs.  Witness me and Writers of the Future:  I was listed as a finalist, met a bunch of terribly kind people on the messageboards over there, friended a bunch of new SF/fantasy authors on the Facebook—and then I (of course) went all Internet-shy and proceeded to respond to zero of the many friendly overtures made. What is wrong with me?!  Granted, this was about the busiest holiday season I’ve ever had, and I’m only now getting my feet back underneath me.  This time last year featured some fifteen-odd posts over Winter Break.  This break?  A measly one.  I blame time-crunch as much as social anxiety.  But oh, that social anxiety, it is a menace.  So: If you were sweet and lovely and reached out to me, I thank you, I really do, and I really do want to get to know you (waves at Alex Kane).  Perhaps at Worldcon?  I am much more extroverted in person, I swear.  I will hug you even if we’ve only just met.

Okay.  The Campbell.  My info is listed here.  And looking at that page, I have to say: it’s enough.  It’s enough just to be listed for such a magical thing, just like it’s enough to be a WotF finalist.  I never dreamed any of this would even be possible, back when I was racking up rejections, back when I applied to Clarion for the fourth (!) time.  And look at the company I get to keep: I see a Bolander up on the list, She Who Is a Serious Contender and only in her first year besides.  And there’s Damien Walter Grintalis, who I’m secretly rooting for because I’ve admired her stories all year, plus she just broke in to Lightspeed.  She clearly puts in the work, and okay, she writes stories I’d like to have written, so of course I love her and think she should win.  So very many people whose work I’ve adored are up on that list…

Some absent names surprise me, though.  Where’s Helena Bell?  Hell, where’s the rest of my Clarion class?  Peta, Andy, Chris, I’m looking at you especially (and I know I’m missing a bunch of you…Dennis?  Tim, are you eligible?).  Surely you are not all outside the window.  Send the email; get your names up there (so you don’t live to regret it next year, like yours truly).

Okay, end well-meaning lecture.

Tonight I go sleep with visions of sugarplums (or Hugo statuettes, if you prefer) dancing in my head, because I’m listed on the Internet for the Campbell.

Also: I am back in Chicago.  Let the wild rumpus commence!

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