Other than that, it was a fairly quiet day. Rob ironed and listened to opera, which was his Saturday routine back when we were courting.  I know. The boy likes ironing, what can I say.

Anything else exciting?  I cut his hair?  Yeah, when I’m between shows life is pretty dull.

To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education. Unfortunately, many school districts are cutting instructional time for art and music education. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the arts should be a central part of effective teaching and learning. The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts recently said “The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.”

You can read all ofObama’s fact sheet on the arts in .pdf format if you’d like.

What’s a specific reason you voted for him?

I just ran across this interview with Colin Powell where he asks people to support Obama.  He talks about how he cried when an anchor said “It’s over. He’s won it.”  And then General Colin Powell cries again.

This is the first time in twenty years that I’ve voted in person for a presidential election.  In Oregon, it’s all vote by mail and before that I was on tour, using absentee ballots.  The lines were shorter than I expected, but I’ve been told that they were out the door this morning.  Lots of people were there waiting when the station opened, apparently.  It’s exciting to see this many people involved.

Have you voted yet?

It’s been interesting. I made forty calls this morning and spoke to about a third of those folks (the rest got messages) of them, only one wasn’t voting for Obama. Tonight is a little more mixed, but still the overwhelming number of people are supporting Obama.

The most memorable call was to a sixty year old woman who said that this was the hardest election she’d ever had to vote in. She said that she was just praying that God would let the right man win. We wound up talking for about twenty minutes because she had just seen that Senator Obama’s grandmother had died. She’d nursed her own mother through cancer and was raising her grandson so she felt a real connection to them. At the end of the call she said something like, “I’ve made up my mind and I’m voting for Obama. I think the hope he brings to the country is what we need.” It was deeply moving because I sort of think she made the final choice while she was talking to me.

Another call was to a young woman who was so excited about Obama that she wanted to know if there were a way that she could volunteer to drive people who didn’t have vehicles tomorrow. I pointed her to the community page on the website.

You know, if I’ve got to be stuck in the airport, this is the way to do it.

John McCain isn’t boasting about a new endorsement, one of the very, very few he has received from overseas. It came a few days ago:

“Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election,” read a commentary on a password-protected Islamist Web site that is closely linked to Al Qaeda and often disseminates the group’s propaganda.

So I went looking for more information and found more of the text at the Daily Telegraph. The gist — heavily paraphrased — is that a prolonged war exhausts the U.S. and provides recruitment incentives to would-be terrorists.

Since World War II the Democrats have been overwhelmingly better at running the economy. Hands down, case closed, beyond any statistical doubt. They’ve borrowed less money, created more wealth and opportunity, and left the next generation in better shape.

Now these are bold claims, and maybe you’re shaking your head. But let’s look at the numbers.

And he then goes on to break down the numbers in ways that even innumerate folks like myself can follow. It’s interesting reading and well worth the gander.

McCain is hilarious. Not only that, but in the second of these two videos, he’s gracious and reminds me of the man that ran in the 2000 elections.  If he brought that to the table now, I wouldn’t have become so apprehensive about seeing him in the White House.  I’m glad I got to see these, because it reminds me that the two men are human and that at their core, they are both good people.

The first half of McCain’s roast. Honest, it’s really funny.

This is the second half of McCain’s roast and, if you’re only going to watch one of these, you should watch this.  He is gracious and about three minutes in, genuinely moving.  I was impressed with him.

Here’s Obama’s.

I’m not seeing the tax increase that McCain said Obama was giving me. Maybe he’s just worried about the one that happens for the people up at the top of that thin, thin line.

President: Russell Davis
VP: Elizabeth Moon
Secretary: Mary Robinette Kowal
Treasurer: Amy Casil
Eastern Regional: Bud Sparhawk
Overseas Regional Directon: Ian Whates

Because the current secretary, Alma Alexander, couldn’t be here, I dived right in by taking minutes of the meeting. Fortunately, I don’t have any official duties until July 1, which will give me time to get the volunteer coordination organized so I can hand it off to someone else.

A reminder: The ballots for the SFWA presidential election must be received by 19 April 2008. Mail early! And weigh the envelope — it’s on the border of needing two stamps.

For those of you just tuning in, here’s a link to my platform. Please feel free to ask me questions here or there.

The code for the banner, should you be willing to pass it around is:
<a href="http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/i-am-running-for-sfwa-secretary/"><img src="http://maryrobinettekowal.com/MRKforSecretary.gif" alt="Mary Robinette Kowal for SFWA secretary" /></a>

1. It lacks continuity.
2. There are no clear lines of communication
3. The public interface is out-dated.
4. Volunteers’ time is not efficiently managed.

Here is how I would like to tackle those items.

1. When I was the Secretary of UNIMA-USA (The American branch of the International puppetry organization, which is the oldest continually operating arts organization in the world), I was responsible for updating and maintaining an Officer’s Handbook. This contained, not only the minutes and the bylaws, but also a detailed description of the goal of each committee and the semi-annual reports of the committees.

I would like to implement a similar system for SFWA.

2. At the moment, when a committee is created, it exists as an entity of its own, without reporting to a specific member of the board. The problem with this is that when a committee becomes inactive, it can languish in this condition for months or years without anyone noticing. Several times during the past months, I’ve contacted a committee chair, only to have them say, “Oh. Am I still on that committee?”

I would like to re-evaluate the committee structure, and rebuild it using more vertical lines of communication. This will create more accountability and a smoother line of communication. For your interest, I have done a diagram of the current committee structure and a proposed restructuring.

3. We all know the website is outdated. Rather than using a committee to redesign this, because we all know how successful design by committee is, I would like to see SFWA hire an actual web-designer to do a complete revamping of the system, including adding a forum.

In particular, I want to see redundancies removed. For instance, we have a team of extremely hardworking volunteers who update the Nebula Recommendations. It is all hard-coded with HTML in several different places. This is something that cries out for automation, so that the volunteers merely need to moderate it and check for errors.

4. SFWA uses the principle “Want something done, ask the busy person” so that the brunt of the effort comes down on a few people. I want to implement online volunteer management software, which will track availability, hours, and skills. Let’s stop burning out the volunteers.

About me: I have spent most of the past seventeen years working in the non-profit sector. Volunteers are the backbone of non-profits and I’ve managed them on projects ranging from running a week-long festival to getting envelopes stuffed to making a cyclops head. In addition to being a writer, I’m a small business owner and freelancer. I’ve got the publishing credits to be an active SFWA member, but more importantly, I know how to run a non-profit efficiently.

Given the stories listed, my choices come down to “Always” and “For Solo Cello, Op. 12″, both of which are in my SF Best of the Year. I think those two stories are outstanding (and I’m delighted to see Kowal’s story on the ballot — I had thought myself pretty brilliant for plucking it from an Australian magazine myself!) The other stories are all OK, but none strike me as really award-worthy.

Excuse me, but I need to go lie down. Smelling salts, anyone?

If you are an active member and have lost/tossed your ballot, you are entitled to a replacement, and I urge you to ask for one and vote, no matter who your choices might be. SFWA needs contested elections.

I also serve on the Membership Committee. We are in theory up to date with applications. If you have applied and not gotten a response, it’s time to make sure your application didn’t vanish in a computer glitch.

I figured it was buried and worth noting.

In John Scalzi’s The Sagan Diary, I ran smack into that difference. Scalzi asked me to read the preface, which he wrote as if it were a memo, in addition to chapters which were written as if Jane Sagan were talking.

The preface, though undeniably well-written, was not meant to be read aloud and at times seemed well-nigh unto impossible. Consider that the final cut of the chapter is five minutes, but the raw tape is nine minutes long. Here’s a sample of what the session sounded like.

[audio:saganfumble.mp3]

Yeah. Staggering, isn’t it. That was the worst of them, and this is something that I had practiced before going into the studio.

Let’s look at what’s going on here.

The only data of ana–[stumble. I was expecting the emphasis to fall on a different syllable because in several of the previous paragraphs I had read "analysis."]

The only datal– [I was focusing on analytical, and moved the L forward.]

The only data of analytical note are Sagan’s notation of The Third Bat–[I thought, Yay! I got past analytical, and then saw "Provence" and didn't prep for it.]

The only data of analytical note are Sagan’s notation of The Third Battle of Provence and the Special Forces retrieval [stumble] of the Bat– [The first stumble was thinking ahead about Baton Rouge, and the second stumble is that even with thinking ahead, I still didn't prep for it.]

The only data of analytical note– [Damn. Analytical again.]

The only data of analytical note are Sagan’s notation of The Third Battle of Provence and the Special Forces retrieval [stumble, but I'm trying to bull my way through it] of the Baton Rouge’s [stumble, still trying to fight through] ill-fated Company D, about which of course we have a wealth of information, thanks to all the BrainPals that encounter sent our way, and a
discussion of her relationship with prisoner of war named Cainen–[On the page, Cainen was at the top of the new page, and I wasn't properly prepped. I could have bulled through because I hadn't actually mispronounced it yet, but I knew how many other mistakes were in that one so I gave up.]

[pause to say the words that keep tripping me up.]

The only data of analytical note are Sagan’s notation of The Third Battle of Provence and the Special Forces retrieval of the Baton Rouge’s ill-fated Company D, about which of course we have a wealth of information, thanks to all the BrainPals that encounter sent our way, and a discussion of her relationship with prisoner of war named Cainen Suen Su, whose stay with and work for the CDF is classified but otherwise well-documented. [hurrah!]

Now some of those stumbles are because of words that are not of English origin. Provence, Baton Rouge, and Cainen Suen Su. It’s not that the words are hard to say in and of themselves, it’s because they require different mouth shapes than one uses with most English words. Plus, “Rouge’s” is just plain hard to say gracefully.

By contrast, Scalzi says that the Sagan chapters were written, “to reflect to some extent how someone might communicate with themselves in their own brain, and specifically what I think Jane’s internal monologue would be. This includes, for me as a writer, a focus on the flow of words, which I tried to make less like dialogue or conventional storytelling and more like a person remembering events and commenting to herself.”

These had a natural flow so even though the sentences were complex, the words led very naturally from one to the next. Chapter 8, which is about eight minutes long, was read in one take. I think there were two internal pickups, both of which were for performance. Swing by Scalzi’s site to listen to all the chapters.

So,the lesson to take from this is that when you are looking for a piece to read aloud, actually read it out loud as part of the selection process. If you stumble a lot, chances are that you should look for a different cutting. The other thing to learn from my mistakes is that when you are in a public reading, keep going and don’t look back. If you think about the mistake you’ve just made, chances are you’ll make another right away.

I had a splattering of writers over for lunch today, (including Jay, David, Kate, Dave, Merilee, Evan, Damian, Rick, Spencer, Chrissy, Christina) which was great fun. I don’t know what it is about a table set with china and crystal that makes me happy, but it does, so there you go.

I’m particularly proud of myself because of the allergy and food avoidance list for this group. I strove to avoid the following items: Eggplant, raisins, gluten, eggs, dairy, mushrooms, melon, fresh tomatoes, fresh fruit, cilantro, barley, bell peppers.

The only one I cheated on was the fresh fruit, because I made a blood orange vinaigrette and then served the blood oranges on the side as an optional garnish. Besides that, everything was allergy safe.

The conversation was a lot of fun; my face still hurts from smiling and laughing the whole time. I’m glad I had a chance to connect with these folks before I go haring off to New York. The nice thing is that I know I’ll see everyone online or at cons.

The selection includes a Kermit Warhol, West Coast Puppetfest, UNIMA-USA, Punch and Judy, Center for Puppetry Arts, UNIMA congress Croatia, and National Puppetry Conference.

Edited to add: They have already been spoken for and I’ll be mailing them out on Monday.

I used to compete in Interpretive Reading back in college. (It was a branch of the debate team.) What with that and the radio theater, I know a couple of tricks about character distinction and such which might be helpful for those folks who have readings scheduled with book signings, or who want to record something or who just want to read aloud to their kids.

The first place to start is with your selection. When you pick a story or an excerpt from a novel, make certain that it is something that is suitable for being read aloud and fits your voice. So, what makes something suitable?

Primarily you’re looking for a small cast of characters. The more characters you have, and the narrator counts as one, the harder it will be to vocally distinguish between them. Unless you’re Mel Blanc, four characters, including narrator, is probably your safe upper end. (This will vary, obviously.) Within that cast, it will be easier if your characters are disparate in terms of type. For instance, a woman and a man are easier to distinguish than two women.

Secondarily you want a self-contained scene, so that the audience gets a beginning, middle, and end, even if it’s part of a larger whole. Now, if you are doing a reading to sell your book there is something to be said for ending on a cliffhanger, but make sure that it’s really a cliffhanger and not just a random stopping place.

Thirdly, language that lends itself to an almost onomatopoeic sense. Rudyard Kipling’s Just So stories were written specifically to be read aloud. He uses rhythm and onomatopoeia to make really dynamic sentences that are just plain fun to read–he’s also writing for children. But an extreme example is sometimes useful, eh?

Really, what you want are words you can linger over and play with. Read this out loud and try to bend the words. “He jogged to the train station, three blocks from his house.” There’s not a lot you can do with it.

On the other hand, “…they ate wild sheep roasted on the hot stones” you can do a lot with. “Hot” for instance isn’t a true onomatopoeic word because hot makes no sound, whereas “sizzle” does. Make sense? But it’s a word that you can twist in a lot of different ways.

Try saying “hot” thinking about the following definitions and make the word mean something different each time.
Sweltering
Very sexy
Spicy
Tense

Try the same thing with “wild,” which is a great word.

So, you’ve found a selection with a small cast of characters, in a self-contained scene, with an almost onomatopoeic sense. Those are stories that will sound good read aloud, but are you the right person to read the story? Does it suit your voice?

If it’s a first-person story, you really, really need to be the same gender as the narrator or your audience will have a hard time getting past the audio cues. Even in third person story, you need to be aware that the narrator voice will often echo the thoughts of the Main Character, so picking a section where the gender matches will be easier on the audience. There are people who can get away with cross-gender roles, but it’s not easy. Know your limits.

Next week, I’ll talk about some ways to create character voices that don’t sound hokey. Feel free to ask questions.

After that, Laura, Rob and I went into Albany to a thrift store that Rob is fond of called Mother Seton’s. Now, I’ll admit that I went into the store and wondered why the heck he liked it. Granted, the clothing was very, very inexpensive but the selection seemed thin and sort of run-of-the-mill. Then, as we were leaving, I spotted a case. A suspicious square case–a typewriter case. Inside rested a beautiful Smith-Corona typewriter in wonderful physical condition. It has one small flaw, the U key doesn’t work, but it looks like an easy fix. She wanted $2. Now, I ask you, how was I supposed to leave it there?

I’ll have a project in Chattanooga, so get the tool bench ready, Dad.

Airport security should be interesting…

Tonight we all went out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. Although the food wasn’t as good as Shawna’s cooking, it was still a nice treat to sit down and have someone wait on us. I say this, even though the poor boy who was our waiter seemed as if we were the first table he had ever served. He kept forgetting things and then jumping like a rabbit when we asked for things he’d forgotten.

It was fun.

Even so, it is well worth watching.

Some of the Americans here are going down to the Embassy because their absentee ballots have not arrived yet. It’s hard to vote overseas, so those of you at home had darn well better take advantage of being able to hop in a car and drive to the nearest polling station.

The Embassy is hosting an election night event tonight, but I’m unclear on how late it will run since it will be five a.m. in Iceland when the last poll will closes.

Have you voted yet?