The Warlock Rewritten

  My daughters Eleanore and Genevieve dressed as the fairies Summer and Fall.   As some of you may or may not know, my wife Mary is a theatrical costumer and costume hobbyist (although "fanatic" might be a more appropriate term), and she enjo… more »

When my family first moved to Illinois back in the '80s, I was delighted to discover that Champaign-Urbana had their own science fiction convention.  Chambanacon became a regular part of our year.  The people were warm and welcoming, the costum… more »

  On the journey home, I landed in Moscow according to (revised) plan and found my way to my hotel—appropriately, it had a model rocket out in front.  Check-in was a matter of a long waiting line ending in a clerk who didn't speak Englis… more »

  Now, as you might guess from Ortho's logo, I'm a coffee addict.  The Russians drink coffee only rarely; instead, they drink tea—by the glass, and they have special holders for hot tea glasses.  My hosts asked me what… more »

  I arrived in Volgograd in the middle of the night but was welcomed warmly nonetheless.  I slept longer than I should—jet lag and having caught a late flight—and rose to go in search of breakfast.  The concierge, the nice… more »