My week in Texas

Renaissance Austin Hotel, Austin, TX, location of 2012 ArmadilloCon

Last week I flew out to Austin for this year's ArmadilloCon. On Thursday night, I tagged along for an excellent dinner with authors, Jen Volant and Cat Rambo.

On Friday I attended the Writers' Workshop, which I found really useful. The first part of the morning was spent with all instructors and participants in a large room for a couple of panels and a writing exercise. At lunch we broke off into critique groups. The instructors who led my group were Joe McKinney and Scott A. Johnson. I was very pleased with the experience.

I hesitate to start linking names because I know I'm going to forget someone and I apologize for that in advance. Thanks in particular to incandragon--can't tell by the site if I should use a real name or not--for introducing me to Amy's ice cream. It was also great to have the chance to hear Sanford Allen read. And I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear Kasey Lansdale sing before a showing of "Christmas with the Dead." There was so much more, but that's a good overview, I think.

I almost forgot. A special thanks to Nancy Jane Moore with Broad Universe for allowing me to squeeze into my first Rapid Fire Reading alongside a number of other fantastic spec-fic authors. For my five minutes, I read a poem called "Shag" and a horror short called "Giblet Pan Gravy."


Joe Lansdale reads from Dread Island


On a Greyhound bus between Austin and Fort Worth, stopping at a Burger King

Late Sunday afternoon I rode on my first Greyhound bus from Austin to Fort Worth. The trip took about four hours and only cost $37. The bus was well air-conditioned and the seats clean and comfortable. After reading a bunch of horror stories about the station, I was pleasantly surprised not to have any problems.


Fort Worth Stockyards

For the rest of the week I went sightseeing with my sister in Fort Worth. She's a pretty fantastic gal who lives too darned far away.


Very good steak at Riscky's Steakhouse, Fort Worth


Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth -- the permanent collection features Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso, to name a few.

I was really impressed by the small but significant collection on display at the Kimbell.


My sister at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth

The flight home was also easy. As far as trips go, this was a good one. Although I confirmed that I am too much of a delicate flower to stand > 100 degree heat for long.