MythCon and the MythSoc Awards

So, I cdn't make it to this year's MythCon (after having v. much enjoyed last year's event in  Colorado), but was v. interested to see the schedule of presentations. Thanks to David Bratman for posting the schedule before the event:

http://www.mythsoc.org/assets/MC47_Schedule.pdf

and also for his post-con report of some of the event's high spots:


http://kalimac.livejournal.com/897464.html


http://kalimac.livejournal.com/897696.html


http://kalimac.livejournal.com/897849.html

Looking at the schedule, there are definitely papers I wd have attended, given the chance:

--Rbt Boenig's Plenary lecture  -- having been impressed with Boenig's book (which I believe won last year's award), I'd like to hear more of what he has to say.

--Joe Christopher's latest piece on the Lindskoog Scandal

--Chip Crane on the evolution of Tolkien's prose style

--Talley et al on Tolkien's unsung heroes

--Himes's piece on CSL's hypocrisy as a critic (a look at Lewis's late, unsatisfactory AN EXPERIMENT IN CRITICISM)

--David Bratman's "C. S. Lewis: Numenorean" (being myself deeply interested in how THE LOST ROAD, THE NOTION CLUB PAPERS, & THE DARK TOWER intersect with Lewis's space trilogy)

--both Croft's pieces: the one on post-Tolkienan faerie drama, and esp. the other on JRRT's Introductions, Prefaces, and Forewords.

--Fitzsimmons's piece on Barfield (there being so few presentations on OB, I try to never miss an opportunity to see one).

--and lastly Lazo's "C. S. Lewis Got It Wrong (and Why It Matters): Unraveling an Unpublished Mystery" (mainly to find out what his topic is and, depending on the answer, what he had to say about it).


As for the Mythopoeic Awards, congr. to all the nominees and esp. the winners. It was good to see what is almost certainly the best book ever written on Ch. Wms., one of the Society's three tentpole authors, get the nod (Lindop's THE THIRD INKLING). And it was also good that Williamson's book on the emergence of modern fantasy (a book I liked so much I contributed a cover blurb to it) also was honored.


--JDR