For the record

[jlh]

This fandom is a really really odd place. This is one of those times I wish more people read my LJ, but there is naught I can do about that at this moment.

I do not tend to talk about my fandom friends--or really, my RL friends, or even where they overlap--in this journal. Part of that is that I don't think "I went to the movies with Ali" is all that interesting to anyone else. But part of that, I admit, is that some of the people I'm friends with, I'm a bit shy to mention here, because they are well known, and I don't want people around for the wrong reasons.

Also, while I am demonstrative and pretty emotive in private, I'm not so much about the public pronouncements of emotion. I don't wibble, I don't proclaim lots of joy. Too much of a Maine Yankee, I guess.

But tonight, I have to say something about a good friend of mine. Why her? you ask, and rightly, as I am lucky enough to have several good friends here on LJ. Well, because my other friends don't have people gathering on discussion threads and LJ's to attack her personally.

So.

epicyclical is good people. She cares much, much more than she ever shows because she is that sort of person. She has been brilliant to me on any number of occasions, has ordered me margaritas during a crisis and insisted on staying with me when I was crying my eyes out. She's amazingly funny and fun and smart and quick and infuriating and annoying and then not. She hates happy endings and cucumbers and politics and she likes avocado and making her characters suffer and dancing on subway platforms. We sit around and yammer for hours about whether the Red Sox have a chance at the pennant this year and the relative importance of authorial intent and the effects of gamma rays on man in the moon marigolds and semiotic film theory and whether Jude Law is hotter than Ryan Philippe and dystopian futurefic and the correct maintenance of internal combustion engines. And okay, only some of those things but you'll have to guess which ones. She is not a snob--ask the Muses, they all met her, randomly, at my apartment--and if you are very very lucky you will meet her at Nimbus and see for yourself, though she is shy and I would not recommend quoting her back to her because that makes her nervous.

But most importantly, she is my friend and I love her, and anyone who wants to hurt her because they think it's funny or cool or something can fuck. off.

And that is all I have to say about that.

Comments

[queerasjohn.livejournal.com]

Damn straight.

(Don't quote me on that. I should probably have said "quite".)

and the correct maintenance of internal combustion engines

Though, obviously, not the licensing and registration thereof. :D

[ladylisse.livejournal.com]

She is not a snob--ask the Muses
Of course not. I thought she was a sweetie. And you, incidentally, are a very good friend. *hugs*

And on a completely unrelated note:

whether Jude Law is hotter than Ryan Philippe
This is even debatable? Jude Law, dude. *mops up drool*

[jlh.livejournal.com]

That was actually one of the things I just stuck in there--no question it's Jude Law, dude.

[debellatrix.livejournal.com]

Well, because my other friends don't have people gathering on discussion threads and LJ's to attack her personally.

Not again? What do people get out of attacking others in this way? It's stupid, hurtfull, and accomplishes nothing.

and if you are very very lucky you will meet her at Nimbus

Yes that't true. I've sponsored a panel that I think she's on, and I'm really looking forward to her insight on the subject.

Will you be there?

V.P.

[thegraybook.livejournal.com]

Which panel did you sponsor? :)

Re:

[debellatrix.livejournal.com]

Well, two actually
Resolved--Can Draco Malfoy Be Redeemed?
Coming out of the Cupboard: Slash in Harry Potter Fandom

[queerasjohn.livejournal.com]

*grins* Hee! The second one of those is my panel!

Re:

[debellatrix.livejournal.com]

How cool is that?

[gehenna1.livejournal.com]

Dude. YOu sponsered cass's panel and john's panel? You are like the power behind the throne. go you, boo!

[debellatrix.livejournal.com]

Muuuuaaahhhhaaaaaahhhaaaaahhaaaaa!

No seriously, the people participating in these (and all) panels give so much of themselves to the fandom. It is the *least* I can do.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

I will be there, and dude, you are sponsoring two of the three panels I consider must-sees (the other is the shipping one, but I'm just bringing popcorn to that and watching the chaos) so go you! yay!

[debellatrix.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the shipping debate.
"Will all participants please check weapons at the door?"

[tartpants.livejournal.com]

Clio is good people. She sticks up for her friends and she cross-posts her reviews so lesser-known fandom writers don't feel left out when they briefly hook-up with a BNF to co-author a ridiculous ficlet. I am personally hoping that I get to meet *you* at Nimbus, provided that you are going at all. ^_^

[bookshop.livejournal.com]

*desperately wants to meet all of you*

and clio, that fourth space in your room? still got an opening? *bats eyes* if you don't mind rooming with the twice-rejected music school drop-out, that is. *shamelessly self-pities*

[queerasjohn.livejournal.com]

*baps* Oi. I shall start singing that to the tune of "Beauty School Drop-Out" if you're not careful.

>:D

[jlh.livejournal.com]

YES, yes, we definitely have the opening and it has your name written all over it, sweetie.

Self-pity away, you deserve it, at least for a little while. We'll talk later.

[evil-erato.livejournal.com]

Yay! We have our fourth! *does snoopy dance* (Not that Aja know me from Adam, but she will come July *g*)

Erato

Daft ha'peth

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

Rene is silly people for wibbling about co-authoring brilliant ficlet that made me spit tea at my monitor and she should write more. Yepyepyep.

Clio pretty damn cool, too.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

thanks, but this wasn't about me. Yes, I'll absolutely be at Nimbus! Yay!

And dude, I'm so with the lesser-known writers. *points at OTP* Most of us feel that way at least from time to time, sort of lost in the shuffle. But that's not why I cross posted my review; I did it because all three of you wrote the story, so durr!

[mmichelle.livejournal.com]

Clio IS good! She's obviously an awesome friend to Cassie, because she stood up for Cassie. And that was a really sweet post, Clio.

[thegraybook.livejournal.com]

Wah. *loves incoherently*

[ciceronianus.livejournal.com]

I don't want people around for the wrong reasons.

I added you to my friends list a long time ago because someone recommended you to me - not because you have "famous" friends, but because you were a good person and worth knowing. Or - cool :)

And lo, it turned out to be true. Not only that, but I've been able to read your fics as soon as you've mentioned them and I've been rather lucky for that too.

So I hope that's a good reason - even though I don't know you and you certainly don't know me. I am convinced that you are fab beyond any sort of association with people I may have heard of.

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

Watchoo said.

[ex-mahoney365.livejournal.com]

Aw, damn. You're both good people. I hope everything is all right, and I hope the miserable jerks of whom you speak fall off the edge of the earth.

[bobbypin.livejournal.com]

I don't want people around for the wrong reasons

Firstly, I must say, I've always watched your journal from afar. I admire you muchly, and rarely comment because a) I never really know what to say and b) I don't want make a fool of myself in front of you, when I admire you so much. You can rest assured that I'm not here for the name dropping or to associate myself with all the 'big names' of fandom. I added you because I avidly followed EWFS, and so I friended you on the basis of your brilliant writing. Same reason I friended Cassie and all the other HP writers on my friends list.

I am always mildly surprised when they friend me back (like you did!) I think people tend to forget that those people who are 'famous' in the fandom are just people too. There are dozens of reasons why people have gathered "on discussion threads and LJ's to attack her personally", but I hope you realise they are not worth yours or Cassie's time.

So I'm glad you know what Cassie's like, and I'm glad that underneath her funny, intelligent and amusing 'fandom face' she really is a funny, intelligent and amusing person (as well as a whole lot more) and that you can tell people this, no matter how few people you tell.

And I think you're a wonderful person for writing this, I just admire you all the more for it.

*posts before she loses her nerve*

[mmichelle.livejournal.com]

I agree. I hate it when you go to someone's friend list and you'll see Cassie and Lori and Heidi and loads of other people well known in fandom who are simply there so the person looks cool or something. I only add people to my friends list if I truly admire them, not to look good.

[rubydebrazier.livejournal.com]

Amen to what she said.

[evil-erato.livejournal.com]

Nope, Cassie isn't a snob. And from what I saw she is shy. Between her shy and my shy, I think we managed to say "hello" to one another, but other than that we both were off in our own little corners ;). Still, she's definitely good people. Much like Trelawney (or Lavender!), I have The Sense :-D

[thegraybook.livejournal.com]

Wah. We will bond come Nimbus! I am less shy with alcohol in me.

Re:

[evil-erato.livejournal.com]

Hee hee - so am I :)

[dejaspirit.livejournal.com]

You know, I actually get quiet when I'm drunk. But I'm not shy in RL. Not at all. :D And Ebony and I make the joke that we won't be hard to spot.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Neither will I. *points at icon-portrait*

[dejaspirit.livejournal.com]

Cool Beans. :D I knew I would like you...

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, my room will be well-stocked with booze. I'm rather shy myself, but I'm good at acting.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Tell the truth, now: you didn't bond with CC because you were distracted. I think we both know by what.

Re:

[evil-erato.livejournal.com]

And I was drunk. Don't forget the drunk.

[ladylisse.livejournal.com]

As yet again, I wish I had screwed homework and stayed the night. Wah.

[dejaspirit.livejournal.com]

You know what. I'm new to this fandom, and one of the first places I found was this shipping site where everyone did nothing but talk about how much they hated this person named Cassandra Claire because she was this snarky bitch who had too many plot twists in her stories, and wrote icky Harry and Draco slash.

I knew immediately that I would adore her.

And even though I don't know her personally, I think she has a very big clit to stay in this fandom, still writing the stories she wants to, and fighting off the trolls. (Although she has enough sense to know it isn't fair to enter into a battle of wits with the unarmed.)

*sighs* I wish I had her grace. I recently snapped on an author for slandering a friend of mine (a friend in RL and in fandom) and I can't even hate this person. It's like hating a retarded puppy.

But if Cassie does decide she'd like some help de-gnoming, I'm here.

Dionne

[jlh.livejournal.com]

I think she has a very big clit to stay in this fandom

You. Fucking. Rock.

[dejaspirit.livejournal.com]

Why thank you, girlfriend. Now tell me who is fucking with Cassie. I'm feeling a bit rabid today...

[katrionaa.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I don't friend people because of their friends, I friend them because they have something interesting to say themselves.

The one thing I really dislike about this fandom (and I realize it's not unique here but this is the only one I've been in) is the idiotic people who think putting other people down is the best way to make themselves more important/famous/whatever. It doesn't, it just makes them look like the jerks they are. I hope Cassie didn't let herself be too bothered by their pathetic, puerile crap.

[til-midnight.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of respect of Cassie. There are a lot of people who dislike her and she manages to either avoid getting entangled in the debates or to handle then with a lot of poise and calmness. I certainly couldn't do it.

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Amen, Clio.

P.S. Had asparagus tonight. Thought of you. It was wonderful.

[ivyblossom.livejournal.com]

This is all i have to say about this post, and about the (in)famous Cassandra Claire: