Going to London (and other futures)

[ellen_datlow]

I usually travel to London annually in the winter when the fares are down, staying with my second family (the Clutes) in Camden Town and visiting with them, La Cadigan, Paul McAuley, Rob Holdstock Kim Newman, and hordes of other Londoners and those in other counties/countries passing through (like Lisa Tuttle from Scotland and/or Caroline Oakley from Wales and/or Maura McHugh from Ireland).

Well, after returning from Japan I was thinking that I just couldn't afford it this January/February...but then I got an email from American Airlines telling me to "use my miles'! And I discovered that I had plenty of miles to get me to London....so London here I come! I'll be going February 4-16th. I'll even make a tiny bit of moolah by talking to some students--an in informal, interview-type situation.

I've come to realize that I could probably make some decent money if I wasn't terrified of public speaking (you didn't know that about me, did you?). Sure, I can participate in panel discussions and writing workshops and I have no problem at all being interviewed. But to stand up in front of an audience/class and give a talk or a speech...um--no way no how. (I still have nightmares about forgetting lines. ) Oh well. I may just rationalizing my fear, but I think it's a good thing to accept what you do well and what you don't.

Nearer future, I'm going to be at Capclave in October (already mentioned), Saratoga Springs for WFC in early November, Florida for a few days mid-November, for my parents' 60 anniversary party, Maine for a week in December visiting Liz Hand. So traveling a lot, which I do enjoy.

Comments

[cinriter.livejournal.com]

Ellen, you'd be a fantastic speaker! Darn...if you were here in California, I'd have my actor beau give you some training and tips.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Lisa,
You don't know!!! I can talk about certain things but I need to be wound up first-ask the right questions and I'm fine...it's the speechifying that terrifies me :-)

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a bit of drinking beforehand to set the stage...

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Until I remembered I was standing in front of 200 people :-(

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

200 friends who want to hear your speech.

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

I wish I could say the terror would go away if you took a class, but people who take my public speaking class agree with what I tell them in the first week: you're still going to be scared, but you're going to be able to hide it and distract us from that a LOT better.

(Mind you, they're speaking in their second or third language, which is nerve-wracking enough one-on-one, but can be paralyzing with an audience in the room.)

However, I can also attest to the fact that it mostly does get better with practice. I used to be terrified of leading classes as a teacher, but years later, I can't even really remember how that felt.

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

By the way, it was good to see you again over in Yokohama.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

It was great to see you, too Gord. Did you travel a bit before going back to Korea?

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

Nah, I did all my traveling beforehand, and the semester started on the 3rd. I went from Yokohama straight to Narita on the Sunday. :)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yikes! You sure had to switch gears quickly.

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, sort of... but the first week is kind of negligible in terms of actual teaching. :)