The Portland trip was great fun - got to hang out with LibraryThing's Tim Spalding and talk all things book (we even recorded a podcast about the Legacy Libraries which he may subject you to, even though I kept telling him I have a voice made for the printed page). He gave me the full Portland tour, and we got to visit a number of the used and indie bookshops in town. One of these - Books Etc. - is sadly closing next week, and another - Carlson & Turner - had one of the best used books on books sections I've come across in a long time.
My talk at NEHA went alright, although the computer was possessed by demons (literally, I think - someone else was controlling the system from outside the room, it was quite creepy ... I was rather glad to find out later that it had happened to other panels too). And they schedule so many panels at once that there's not much opportunity to draw an audience, which was a bit of a shame. But my paper seemed well received and it was nice to see old friends and make some new acquaintances.
Also, I must recommend Amtrak's Downeaster, which I took up and back from Boston. Friendly staff, smooth ride, pleasant scenery - all that together makes for a nice easy trip.
Alright, off to add the new books; will post about them shortly.
