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Connie Willis
Tuesday, July 7, 1998 I went back to the Regional Justice Center in Kent this morning, to get the verdict on whether I would be excused from the civil suit jury or not. While waiting, I read a book that I'd been happy to find at the used bookstore I visited at lunchtime yesterday: The Crimson Crown by Edith Layton. She's a writer that puts a good chunk of history in her historical romances, and this one is set in the reign of Henry VII, which isn't an overused period. After about an hour and a half, the juryroom supervisor got on the loudspeaker and started calling up the members of the jury who had said that being on such a long trial would be a problem. She asked us to step up to the front window, so our badges could be scanned. We were all excused from the trial! At first she was saying that we'd be put on a different panel, but then we reminded her that this was our second day, and we were supposed to be free to go now. I was so happy! I think I'd been developing a case of the Stockholm syndrome, I felt so fond of her! In honor of the occasion and following Kymm's example, I stopped at the Kent McDonalds for breakfast, then drove on to work.
Back at work, I dug my way through piles of email, and converted and posted a Powerpoint presentation that our group manager had done last week. There is still lots to do! I stayed late at work, then drove straight to Elliot Bay Books. Tonight Connie Willis was the instructor from Clarion West that was reading. She is so funny! No wonder she is often asked to be a toastmaster at science fiction onvention banquets. She read the first chapter from the book she is currently writing, after checking to see that not too many of the audience had heard her read the same thing in February. I think I've read most of her books, and just finished her most recent one in June during the film festival, but I didn't bring any to be signed. I've quoted Jerome K. Jerome above, because Willis really digs him as a funny writer, especially in Three Men in a Boat. After the reading, Kate and I talked about some friends we have in common, and discussed the Clarion West website which I maintain. There are some proposals for adding features to the site, but I'm not eager to add things that will need frequent updating.
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