September 24, 2011

Talking between the talks

After a month of classes, long weekend events with students, and all the busyness of fall semester, it feels good to sneak away for an academic conference in Country to the North. I’ve been enjoying the conference life: going to sessions, listening to talks, and eating meals with colleagues. Yesterday morning at an animal studies session, a group of us got into such an intense conversation during the question and answer period that we went to a nearby coffeehouse to talk some more. Artist Friend and I were actually continuing an argument that we'd started at a conference last June, but now other conference friends chimed in with their perspectives. We sat in comfy chairs in front of the fireplace, balancing mugs of coffee and tea on our laps, all of us talking at once. The best part of any conference is the space between the sessions, where we have time for long, in-depth discussions.

11 comments:

Lomagirl said...

I always think it sounds like it would be so much fun to go to a conference with you.
You inspire me to make the effort to go to conferences- and I look forward to more in the future when my kids are bigger and easier to leave.
(Next spring I plan to go and take the new baby with me, but that's only possible in the early months.)

Lilian said...

J-E-A-L-O-U-S!!! ;)

AF said...

I had a long, intuitive discussion with my cat, Molly, and she doesn't think she's being exploited. She's fine with dogs being exploited and thinks they deserve it. She's never encountered a horse and has no opinion about them.

Jeff said...

Lively, unplanned discussions such as you describe are a pleasure; and if it's in a comfy setting as described, all the more so. :)

BrightenedBoy said...

I'm envious of any place where people can sit in front of a fireplace cradling mugs of coffee in September.

Sarah said...

I really want to know what the history is of the naked pictures, but oh how I feel as if I oughtn't click on anything with "naked" in the title! Perhaps I'll come back later...

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Oh, I miss this.

I did just go to a writer's retreat, but there was no time for talks between sessions. And the reception was all people circulating and making small talk which I'm bad at--I miss yoU!!!

jo(e) said...

Sarah: Oh, you can go to the post above and click on any of the links. Really. The photos are ridiculously innocent.

jo(e) said...

Mary: I miss our lunches! And long talks. And walks.

Anonymous said...

Oh my! You came to the town I live in! I was slated to speak at the conference on the issue of cancer care, but a cancer related death in my immediate family on Sept 11 prevented me from having the stomach to give the talk. I wish I hadn't become desperately ill and had been able to go to more sessions. I'm looking forward to getting a book from one of the keynote speakers... to help with my new found love of backyard hens.
I hope you were able to enjoy yourself in our funny little 'city'.
Anonymous just for this post.

jo(e) said...

Anon: I had a wonderful time there. People were so friendly and nice everywhere we went.