Things I Have Learned or Relearned at Kalamazoo

• The Tiny Shriner is my id.
• My work has an audience. I was so pleased at the number of people in attendance at the panel where I gave "Chaucer's Fairye" ... and my editor told me that my book sold out immediately afterwards at the Palgrave table. EDIT: Actually, the book sold out its first print run, just after Laurie Finke's very nice review in Speculum. I'm told it is being reprinted right now and will ship for free at the conference price to all who ordered Hybridity, Identity and Monstrosity at Kalamazoo.
  
• The New Middle Ages series at Palgrave is going to be field-shaping for a long time to come. There was a well-attended champagne reception this evening over which Bonnie Wheeler presided with her usual charm ... and spoke glowingly of titles to come. One in particular I find especially exciting, possibly because I was the press reader.
• Nicola Masciandaro, Anna Klosowska, Karl Steel and Eileen Joy can -- when combined in a single panel -- give me an almost religious experience of disembodied pleasure/love/knowing/being. (Why doesn't English have a word for that?)
• Mary Kate Hurley is too damn smart for someone so young. So is Dan Remein.
  
• Asa Mittman is the most impassioned presenter I've ever seen. No sleeping when he is talking about monsters.
• Self-igniting "Fire Hens" caused the Cotton Library fire in 1731, at least according to Asa.
  
• BABEL has a tradition of going to the local Dairy Queen ("the DQ Run"). I went along, and discovered -- as milkshake flew -- that Karl is a messy eater.
• My nun count rose to 17 today. It was pointed out to me, though, that it is very possible that I keep seeing the same nun over and over.
• Exemplaria is the journal to watch. Under Liza Scala, Tison Pugh, Patty Ingham and James Paxson, good things will be coming down the line.
• Betsy McCormick (who graciously provided the photo adorning this post) will always be frightened by my penetrating glance no matter how many reassurances are sent her way.
• Kalamazoo is my favorite conference.