Mo*Con Memories

THE GOOD:

Mo*Con is always full of good. I enjoy hanging out with Maurice Broaddus and my other fellow writers. Pity that Gary Braunbeck and Lucy Snyder couldn't make it this year, but I'll see them both later this year, certainly at Context.

The poetry slam was new this year, and I read three of my pieces, including "The Monster with the Shape of Me", published last year in Weird Tales. I think it went pretty well, but Linda Addison would read first with each go-round. How do you follow Linda Addison? Answer: the best you can.

Also new was the art show, which allowed Grace Welch, AKA Grace the PA, to be Grace the Artist as well. Many happy Mo*Con attendees took home art, and Grace promoted her new website, http://www.rabbitmoonarts.com/.

THE BAD:

The hotel stay was not the best. The room didn't have working air conditioning or heat. A morning bath flooded the bathroom, part of the room, and the hall outside, thanks to a leaky bathtub, and required an early morning move to another room. A room that also didn't have working air conditioning or heat. At least the water stayed in the tub. It just never got above 50°F.

The staff was very understanding and helpful the whole time. I have no complaints with the human element of the hotel, but I don't believe I'll be staying there next year.

THE UGLY:

Doug Warrick and Kyle Johnson brought to Mo*Con a self-published book they found in the basement of a used bookstore. The fame of this tome spread, and various passages were read aloud over the course of the weekend. I can't bring myself to say more about this than the book was blatantly premeditated and therefore no plea of temporary insanity is possible, except by those of us who experienced it for ourselves. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So I did both.

***

Thanks go to Maurice and the gang for another great Mo*Con, and I'm looking forward to attending next year as well.