All Seated on the Ground by Connie Willis

"All Seated on the Ground" is a 2007 science fiction novella by Connie Willis. It is about a woman who is part of an investigation into the glaring aliens that have landed in Denver. Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell: "All Seated on the Ground" follows Meg Yates, a humorous newspaper columnist, who has been asked to join the commission studying the Altairi - aliens that have recently landed on the Denver University campus. The aliens, who do nothing more than glare at everyone and allow themselves to be led to various places, are still a mystery after months of investigation. Communication efforts begin to make some headway after a visit to the local mall at Christmastime. As Meg and Calvin (a local choir director) try to understand the alien's peculiar actions they match wits against a fiery reverend and an inattentive chairman in a race to decipher communications before they depart. The mayor came and welcomed them to Earth and to Denver. The governor came and welcomed them to Earth…