Neal Stephenson speaks at the National Book Festival. He devoted his entire 50 minutes or so to questions from the audience, at least half of which were devoted to Snow Crash., and roughly the other half were about the Baroque Cycle. L. generously gave me the first volume of the Cylce, Quicksilver, las Christmas, but I didn't get more than 80 pages in before school started and I just couldn't stay focused on it. Then during the summer I didn't want to commit to such a big book, both because it meant I would have to skip reading several other books, and because it's so darn big and heavy that it makes for horrible train reading (kind of like a law textbook). On top of that, Quicksilver is a little hard to get into. Some of the comments here suggest that it gets easier as you get into it, and that the first volume is important to set the stage for the second, which is supposed to be much better. Those thoughts echo what I've heard elsewhere so I do hope to get back to Quicksilver soon. I have high hopes for the series because every other Stephenson book I've read—including Zodiac, The Diamond Age, and Cryptonomicron—has been terrific. Hearing Stephenson speak was the highlight of the Book Festival for me, but it was a great just to be at an event that's all about writing, writers, reading, books. Here are a few more pictures from the festival. The short time we spent there made me want to read and write more than ever. My impulse is to quit law school and just find an 8-5 job so I could spend more time in the evenings and on weekends writing and reading. It sounds like a little dream. But then, I'm reminded that when I have free time, I don't use it to read or write, so the answer may not be in revamping my life to make more time for writing. That's part of it, but it's not the answer. Also, if I eventually end up producing a novel or some short stories, I wouldn't be the first person w/a J.D. to do so. The law is a profession that's all about people's stories, and it's about conflict and morality and ethical choices and life and death—all of which are the ingredients of great fiction. So a few years in this legal profession could be great in the long run for a writing career. At least that's the theory. I hope it's true.

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PIWIT: An unidentified but beautiful coastline on Otherward Photography.