Mythcon 41 internet roundup

For those of you who subscribe to Mythprint, I am working on a special issue consisting of Mythcon conference reports (and, if there’s room, a few photos). It’s not too late to join the Mythopoeic Society, which includes a subscription to Mythprint. In the meantime, here’s a roundup of some other thoughts, gathered from around the Web.

• Sara Reyes, July 10
• Shanna Swendson, July 12
• Lou Antonelli, July 12
• Rachel Cantrel, July 13
• David Bratman, July 15
• Don Williams, July 15
• Sarah Beach, July 16
• Scott Cupp, July 16
• John Rateliff, July 17
• Denise Roper, July 21

I am interviewed at Mythcon for TechTards.com

As most of you know, Mythcon 41 finally came and went over this past weekend. Two years of work, more or less, and now it’s over. I can’t believe the accelerated nostalgia I’m already feeling! *sigh*

Part of the fun was being interviewed for a video podcast at TechTards.com. They’ve just started up a fun, irreverent (and live) podcast where they talk to and about nerds, geeks, dweebs, dorks, and everything in between. Mythcon certainly falls somewhere along that spectrum — lord help us, had they seen our Sunday night follies, in which I was the star of the (mostly annual) Not Ready for Mythcon Players skit! As my wife said, “congratulations; it was so refreshing to finally see you attempt something you’re just terrible at!” Touché. :)

Anyway, Sarah Magee and Mark Ramsey turned up Sunday afternoon and spoke to Randy Hoyt (my co-chair), Tim Powers (our author guest of honor), and yours truly. (Hi, Sarah! Hi, Mark!) The entire episode has been posted here (also embdedded below for your convenience). I’ve only ever posted one piece of video of myself here on Lingwë, a paper excerpt which came out looking like the Zapruder film (scroll down about halfway through this post), so for those who’d like a proper look at me in all my bloviating glory — made by professionals (or at least people who can point a camera and hold a microphone ;) — Sarah’s interview with me starts at about 08:50. Among other things, I recite a little of Beowulf in Old English. (There’s the hook! But I know, I had you at “bloviating”. :)

The entire Mythconversion (see what I did there? ;) runs from about 03:50–16:30. If you aren’t interested in the maunderings of a lonely IT guy from Louisiana, you can just stop listening at the break (around 17:00), but I’m sure the TechTards would appreciate it if you watched the whole thing.

Mythcon 41 Schedule

Hello, everyone! The schedule for Mythcon 41 is now available online. For those chomping at the bit, or for anyone still on the fence about coming, take note that Mythcon 41 is going to be a big, full, well-attended event with more than forty papers*, eight panels, eight hours of writers' track programming, and two presentations in a readers’ theater format. We’ll also have a dealers’ room, art show, auction, and a lot else besides. More than 120 people are registered to attend, and it’s not too late to join in the fun. You can register here through July 2, or at the door. And unlike many conferences, we also have individual day-rates, so if you could only attend one or two days, don’t let that stop you coming out.

* As you’ll see from the schedule, these run the gamut, from J.R.R. Tolkien to C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams to George MacDonald, J.K. Rowling to Stephenie Meyer — and much more. I beleive it’s also safe to say that ours will be the first Mythcon ever to feature papers on The Devil Wears Prada and Bishop-Prince Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. (No, those aren’t the same paper! :)

Farewell, Alexei

Sad news this morning from Anthony Burdge and Jessica Burke:

As we know everyone here at MythSoc was his friend and colleague, we want to let you know that we just found out Alexei Kondratiev passed away last night.

In Alexei, Jessie and I share a mutual friend, Carole L. Gonzalez, who was his close friend. Carole wrote to us via facebook this morning and told us the news. They suspect a heart attack, but we are not sure at the moment.

We just saw Alexei last on Thursday May 20th at our book release party. He came early and stayed through til the end, bought a book which we inscribed for him. We spoke of Mythcon 39, where he was papers coordinator as you know, and how the book came to be shortly thereafter--we had a wonderful time chatting with him (as always) & he stayed throughout the live podcast recording. When the hosts of the show asked us how the book came about, we spoke of Mythcon and acknowledged Alexei’s role within it, and when they asked us more of MythSoc we addressed Alexei for some insight. That recording is still being edited together, and when it posts we will dedicate it to him.

We’re all saddened by this loss, made even more accute, since he had talked about attending Mythcon this summer, speaking highly of Jason’s work coordinating & spoke about how he looked forward to seeing everyone this year. Since we won’t be able to join you this year, raise a glass for Alexei. He will be missed.

I didn’t know Alexei nearly as long as many in the Mythopoeic Society, where he was active for many years. In fact, I only met him in person at Mythcon 39 in Connecticut two years ago. My friend Gary and I were out late on the CCSU campus, when I caught sight of Alexei, wondering around, clearly and adorably lost. He guessed (correctly) that I was a Mythie, and came over to ask if I knew where the Mythcon dormitory was. And that was the first time we met. During the course of that conference, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel on language and myth in fantasy literature, with Carl Hostetter, Sharan Newman, Arden Smith, and Alexei. Alexei had much of value to offer, particular in the area of Celtic philology. In that same sphere, Alexei came up to me after my own paper and offered some much appreciated correction to my pronunciation of medieval Scottish Gaelic and Old Irish (not my strong suit at all). He and I shared many common interests in philology and mythology, and we had a number of wonderful conversations, both in person in Connecticut and through email.

I will leave it to others to memorialize Alexei’s scholarship and service to the Mythopoeic Society, but suffice it to say that I feel very fortunate to have met him in person (if only once), and he will be deeply missed by many, myself not least. It is touching to know he had been looking forward to coming to Mythcon this year in Dallas, and we will find some special way to honor him there.

Roísam ih flaith ind rígsin, ataroillem, atarothrebam in saecula saeculorum. Amen. [“May we arrive at the Kingdom of that King (God), may we merit it, may we inhabit it in saecula saeculorum (forever). Amen.”]

— An Old Irish Homily

Don’t forget about Mythcon 41

Last month, I posted the Call For Papers for Mythcon 41, which will be held in Dallas, Texas, at Southern Methodist University, July 9–12, 2010. The chairs of this event (Randy Hoyt and yours truly) have been hard at work, and we recently finalized the pricing for room and board. Mythcon is a relatively small, intimate gathering, a bit more like a family reunion at times than other conferences I’ve attended — but please don’t let that put your off; we love welcoming new faces too! Point being, most of those attending Mythcon stay in campus housing and eat together on campus as well. We also have a wonderful banquet on Sunday evening. The pricing on room and board this year is quite reasonable, so do consider it.

Also important: we have extended early registration pricing until February 15, 2010. After that, it’s going to go up a bit, so if you’re thinking about coming, not would be a great time to register. You can either send us a check, or pay online in mere minutes. Just follow this link.

Mythcon may still be six months away, but the days will pass more quickly than you realize! If you can’t attend Mythcon yourself but know someone who can, or participate in clubs, groups, or forums, online or off, on fantasy, science-fiction, creative writing, or even horror — we would certainly appreciate your letting folks know about our event.

We now return to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

Mythcon 41 Call for Papers

Regular readers will remember that I’ve written about Mythcon — the Mythopoeic Society’s annual conference and fantasy convention — from time to time. For example, here is my detailed conference report for Mythcon 39. I was unable to attend Mythcon 40 this past July in Los Angeles, but I did have a paper read there. My good friend Randy Hoyt (also the webmaster for the Mythopoeic Society) filled in for me.

It was at Mythcon 39, though, that Randy and I first began talking about bringing Mythcon to North Texas. In its forty year history, it has never been to Texas at all, let alone to the Dallas/Fort Worth area (the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.). The closest Mythcon has come to Texas is Norman, Oklahoma (Mythcon 37), a bit more than 200 miles; Nashville, Tennessee (Mythcon 34), more than 600 miles; Boulder, Colorado (Mythcon 27), right at 900 miles. Every other Mythcon over the past forty years has been 1,000 miles or more away! So in our view, a Texas Mythcon was long overdue.

And so, it’s happening in 2010: Mythcon 41 will be held at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas over the long weekend of July 9–12. Randy Hoyt and I are co-chairing the conference, with the on-campus sponsorship of the Department of Continuing Education! Even though the conference is months away, we have already opened registration, here. Room and board packages will be available, but we are finalizing the costs now. Those will be posted on the Mythopoeic Society website as they become available.

In the meantime, I’m happy to share the Mythcon 41 Call For Papers. You don’t have to present a paper in order to attend Mythcon, but for the scholars among you (amateurs welcome!), please consider proposing one. We have a conference theme, “War in Heaven” (see below for more details), but papers do not have to deal directly with this theme. However, we do especially welcome papers on the theme. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions, either here or via email.

Mythcon 41 Call For Papers

Mythcon 41: War in Heaven
The 41st Annual Mythopoeic Conference
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
July 9-12, 2010
Download: Call For Papers (PDF)
Proposals for papers are due: 4/15/10

Guests of Honor

Tim Powers, Author
Tim Powers is a science-fiction and fantasy author. He has received numerous awards and nominations for his works, including the World Fantasy Award for his novels Last Call (1992) and Declare (2000). He has been nominated for four Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, most recently for Three Days to Never (2006).

Janet Brennan Croft, Scholar
Janet Brennan Croft is the editor of Mythlore, one of the premier periodicals on the Inklings and fantasy literature. She has published many articles and three books on J.R.R. Tolkien, including War in the Works of Tolkien (2005), which won the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies.

Additional Special Guests to be announced!

Theme: War in Heaven
From the great epic poems of ancient Greece and ancient India to the Book of Revelation and the Poetic Edda; from John Milton and William Blake to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams; from Philip Pullman to Neil Gaiman and beyond, theomachy (conflict amongst and against the gods) has been a perennial theme in mythology and mythopoeic literature. Moreover, the year 2010 marks our theme with special significance as the 80th anniversary of the publication of Charles Williams’s novel War in Heaven.

Papers dealing with the conference theme are especially encouraged. We also welcome papers focusing on the work and interests of the Inklings (especially J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams), of our Guests of Honor, and other fantasy authors and themes. Papers from a variety of critical perspectives and disciplines are welcome. Each paper will be given a one-hour slot to allow time for questions, but individual papers should be timed for oral presentation in 40 minutes maximum. Participants are encouraged to submit papers chosen for presentation at the conference to Mythlore, the refereed journal of the Mythopoeic Society. Paper abstracts of no more than 300 words, along with contact information, should be sent to the Papers Coordinator at the address below (e-mail preferred) by April 15, 2010. Please include your A/V requirements and the projected time needed for your presentation.

All paper presenters must register for the full conference; please see the Mythcon 41 web page for information and rates.

Robin Anne Reid
Mythcon 41 Papers Coordinator
Department of Literature and Languages
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Commerce TX 75429
Robin_Reid@tamu-commerce.edu
Alt: rrede13@yahoo.com

The Mythopoeic Society is an international literary and educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and mythopoeic literature. We believe the study of these writers can lead to greater understanding and appreciation of the literary, philosophical, and spiritual traditions which underlie their works, and can engender an interest in the study of myth, legend, and the genre of fantasy. Find out about the Society’s activities at: http://www.mythsoc.org/.