Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind

Did somebody say Bouchercon?

And if so, the answer is probably best found here.

I'm keeping this brief for Kol Nidre looms large tonight, but this year's BCon was unusual for me for a variety of reasons:

• I hardly drank.
• I went to bed early.
• I got some reading done (Sam Savage's FIRMIN, which is the wonderfully weird, wise and heartfelt tale of literature, longing and heartbreak from the perspective of a rat.)
• The only panel I attended was my own.
• I spent maybe half an hour in the dealer room (primarily to add my scrawl to 120 copies of DAMN NEAR DEAD - no hand cramps because it's all about rhythm.)
• I saw enough of Madison to feel familiar with the geography (and the cows, and the sounds of drunken UW students) but still be hopelessly stumped on the navigational front.
• I grilled my own salmon only to have it taken away for sitting out too long.
• I was more nervous than usual at the Anthonys (for an award which deservedly went to Janet Rudolph.)

And most importantly of all with regards to the convention's future, I was elected to the Standing Committee as a member-at-large for the next three years. Once I've recovered my wits I plan to embrace this new opportunity with a vengeance. Because if not for a last-minute bid for 2009 that was prepared in just a few weeks by Jim Huang & Mike Bursaw, there wouldn't be a Bouchercon, let alone in Indianapolis. Whether it's because the community takes the convention for granted, is too caught up in its own petty grievances and self-absorption, or any other potential reason, the future is a subject that's discussed tentatively at best and hardly ever at worst. And my hope is that this will change very soon.

Otherwise, congrats to all the award winners, it was great to see so many of you (albeit very briefly for the most part) and the blog will return to normal on Tuesday morning.

The Girl's Guide to Bouchercon, 2006 Edition

I realize linking to last year's edition is phenomenally lazy of me, but really, most of the points don't change from year to year. The crucial difference - at least for me - is that I don't have to watch from the sidelines, and I can go into that hyper-social mode I only seem to access once a year, right around BCon time. Funny how that happens...

What will also remain the same is that Confessions will be a blog-free zone while I'm at BCon (though once I return, and survive Yom Kippur, expect lots and lots of posts.) And something tells me that other folks may not adopt the same stance. And for those who take a picture and need to upload those pictures right that second (and don't have their own Flickr account) The gateway email address I set up last year that will allow for easy uploading of photos to the Bouchercon Flickr site is still valid. The email address is: even17way AT photos DOT flickr DOT com. So store them in your contact lists, cameraphones or whatever you want to use to make your pics available to the public.

What does bear repeating every single year is this: The first ten minutes spent on Bouchercon waters will be confusing, fright-inducing and otherwise weird. And then you will meet someone you know -- probably in and around the hotel bar -- and everything will take care of itself. It always does.

See you in Madison!

BCON Advisory: hotel rooms still available

I've been asked to spread the word that for those in need of a hotel room, because of cancellations there are still slots available at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace. For a limited time, of course, but call the hotel direct at 608-255-5100 for further information.