Round on the End and High in the Middle

[steepholm]

Good. My mission to squish Work and Fun together into a kind of beige doughy lump called Firk (aka Life itself) continues apace, as my proposal for a paper at this year's Children's Literature Association conference on the theme of Animation has been accepted.

My title? “Shoujo versus Seinen? Dual Address and Misdirection in Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011).” Well, it was never going to be anything but Madoka, was it? Now I just have to write the bugger.

The conference takes place in Ohio from 9-11 June, and I'll do my best to get some kind of stopover in Boston en route so that I can see any MA friends who happen to be about. (For some reason 80% of the Americans I know live in Massachusetts. Why that?)

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

As an American who doesn't live in Massachusetts, but would (either there or Vermont) if I were forced to an East Coast location of my choice, I can answer: because it's a civilized state. And it's had that reputation for a long time. I'm old enough to remember the bumper stickers that read "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts." Trivia question for the Brits in the readership (Americans should know this): Don't blame me for what?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Well, without googling (and taking into account your age), my guess will be that Massachusetts voted for the ERA.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

My gosh, that is not correct.

Other states also voted for the ERA. The answer is something unique to Massachusetts.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Okay, that also rules out "being a commonwealth rather than a state", which was the only other thing on my list...

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

You poor kid. (You're younger than I am.) Here's the answer. (https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/10/22/george-mcgovern-indelible-mark-massachusetts-politics/lRRZ5LTa4NP0OQBtxPahGM/story.html)

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

My goodness. I did briefly consider Nixon's election, but found it hard to believe that he took 49 out of 50 states.

But you're right, I was too young to be interested at the time. I do remember "Honk for impeachment" a few years later, though.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Indeed. That was the first time (but not, it emerged, the last) for an all-but-one in the presidential race. Even FDR's 1936 sweep had only been all-but-two.

But what made it even more impressive was the way that, as little as one year later (by which time the Saturday Night Massacre had already occurred, after which it was only a matter of time), 49 states were cringing in embarrassment at their vote, while Massachusetts got to feel smug.

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

Mazel tov on the paper acceptance and very-far-from-selfless hope for a possible Massachustts leg.

My job is working for Kirkus so my daily to-do list always includes the item "wirk." Not the same as yours but surely a sibling?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Definitely a close relative!

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

very-far-from-selfless hope for a possible Massachustts leg

(Oops, for clarity: I meant that I'm having a far from selfless hope to see you, not that you are! Oh dear.)

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Oh, mine's far from selfless too, so that's cool!

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

:D

[negothick.livejournal.com]

So the Conference is hosted by The Ohio State University, which means that when you leave, you get to say "Goodbye, Columbus!" (Philip Roth, not exactly children's lit. . .). I do hope you can work out a stopover in Boston--you'll have to change planes somewhere, after all. I'm sure there are no direct flights. You should be able to change in Boston rather than New York.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

That's the plan!