Next Up: MYTHCON

So, now that I'm back from Minneapolis, the next trip is only about ten days away: a visit to this year's MYTHCON, being held in Dallas Texas July 9th through 12th. I'm presenting an updated version of my paper on R. Rider Haggard's influence on JRRT, and also taking part in a panel discussion of Tolkien's sources.

For a good overview of this year's conf, cf. the following link:

http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/41/programming/

And for a schedule of events, see

http://www.mythsoc.org/assets/mythcon-41-schedule.pdf

If you're going to be in the area, or know you'll be attending, be sure to look me up during the weekend. While there are always some good papers, the real fun of a Mythcon is getting together with people, finding out what they've been working on, and meeting folks who hitherto have only been names on title pages or in online discussion groups. I'm glad to learn, from the latest version of the schedule, that Jared Lobdell, whom I haven't seen in at least a decade, will apparently be there (although his presentation is scheduled opposite mine, alas). There are also folks attending I only see once in a blue moon, like the Glyers and the Hunnewells, and others I see once or twice a year at most, like David Bratman and Bruce Leonard and Mike Foster and Merlin De Tardo, and some I'll be meeting in person for the first time, like Janet Croft and Jason Fisher and David Oberhelman. I'm particularly looking forward to the performances of THE MASQUE OF THE MANUSCRIPT (which I enjoyed when I first got to read it, in the British Library's Reading Room back in 1981) and a reading of an exchange of letters between Warnie Lewis (one of my favorite Inklings) and a missionary pen-friend, presented by Mike and Diana Glyer.

Should be quite a conf. Hope I'll see you there.

--John R.

See you in Dallas?

So, it's now more or less official; I'll be going to Mythcon* this year as a Special Guest.

The Guests of Honor are Tim Powers (author) and Janet Brennan Croft (scholar).

The dates are Friday July 9th through Monday July 12th.

The place is Southern Methodist University** in Dallas, Texas.

The theme is "War In Heaven". Guess I'll need to re-read THE BOOK OF ENOCH and ENUMA ELISH before this summer.

Janice and I haven't been to a Mythcon in several years,*** so this will be a nice change for us. An added bonus is that it's close enough to the Ark-la-tex area that I'll be able to drive over for a family visit afterwards, making this two vacations in one.

So, if you're going to be at Mythcon this year, let me know; it's always good to get together with Tolk folk.

--John R.

*more formally known as the 41st Annual Conference of the Mythopoeic Society.

**home of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, but don't hold that against them.

***I've been to five in all, I think (six if you count the Oxford Centenary Conf) and served on the committee for two of those; Janice has been to more than I have.