Monday, December 3, 2012

Future and Prophecy: A Conference

This weekend I went to Barnard College in the City to attend a conference of medieval and renaissance studies. Though most of the papers were focused on the renaissance or the early modern period, the last panel had a pair of papers that dealt (more or less) with the 12th century, particularly chronicles and romance. Hey! That's stuff I can get behind.

Other highlights include the paper on demons and demonology that focused on aural sources—sights heard, but not seen, by the inquisitors trying 17th and 18th century demonological cases. I couldn't help but think of Warhammer when I heard of witches who couldn't look their accusers in the eye (they were being coached by invisible demons on how to answer questions, it seems) or of evil Sabbat rights performed in the very bedroom of the demonologist without his knowledge, and here I gasp for effect.

So, things have been exceedingly busy for me of late. I have to get together a feast kit for Yule and also help Jocelyn get a T-tunic made so she has something to wear (our loaner garb had to go back home). I started playing Myth II again with some friends, so maybe a long discussion on military fantasy, the Myth series, and the Black Company is in order for tomorrow.

Until then, be content with knowing that I am blisteringly tired from being on call at work always as well as attempting to fit in some of my own things that need to get done in my long day. Oh, I also started reading Lev Grossman's The Magicians at Danny's urging. It is a PRETTY pretty good book so far. I'm definitely liking it.

16,500 words on the post-apocalyptic manuscript. Now if only some people would finish reading Heavenly Devices so I could revise it and send it out... and if only some editors would take a shine to it.

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