Award-winning fantasy author Helen Lowe sent me a bunch of great questions all the way from New Zealand, and I answered them.  They’re now up on her blog.  Thank you so much, Helen!  Writers always ask the best questions (and never ask the worst ones ^_^). Now I need to go put Helen’s books on hold.

Also — here are some photos from my BEA week.

View from the Top of the Standard (Washington and 13th) looking south to downtown.

From the Top of the Standard looking west (sort of) across the Hudson River to the lovely shores of New Jersey.

Northish view from one the bathroom stalls at the Top of the Standard.  V. surprising bathroom stalls.

Eastish view from the Top of the Standard…

I enjoyed this little walkway with glass floor and glass banister.  I like vertiginous stuff.

On a panel (I am on the right) with (l-r) Naomi Novik, N.K. Jemisin, and Catherynne Valente at the NYPL.

Okay listen, I went to the Met and took a thousand pictures, but I’m going to be nice and only show you two. First, the flags in my favorite room, the knights-in-armor room.

Second, in the musical instrument department, which has the best views of the knights-in-armor room (see the colorful flags in the reflected glass?), this funny bell guy.

In the American Museum of Natural History (where I needed to do some fact-checking) I beheld a scene of terror.

I liked this poem in my subway train.

Murals seen while walking on the High Line. The best new way to get from points between Gansevoort Street and 30th-something Street on the West Side.

And check out that sky!

Central Park — nice day for a ballgame.

Finally… my hotel was in Times Square.  I lived in NY for several years and have visited the city countless times, but never have I spent as much time in Times Square (or “the hell portal,” as a NY friend calls it) as I did during BEA. Being on the ground was a bit intense. I have a strategy that involves pretending I’m the only person there, and looking not at people but at the spaces between people; it’s oddly calming. Try it. OTOH, being above the ground, in my hotel room, looking down, was just fine. These last few pics, including the one above, are from my hotel room, looking down.

And looking up.

And finally, looking west, over 46th Street, at a pretty sunset.