After nearly two years of planning, especially the last two months that were filled with tasks, Mythcon 40 finally arrived. I went over to the campus on the day before, as a number of attendees, including our Guests of Honor, were arriving on Thursday.
Some planned to go out to dinner in Westwood, once our Author Guest of Honor arrived, but as James Owen and his family were driving in from Arizona, it got late (heading toward 8 pm) and several bailed, in order to dine sooner. Even so, a fair number of us went to Jerry’s Deli when the Owen family arrived (myself, Merlin Detardo, Hannah Thomas – who would be looking after the kids during the weekend, in addition to presenting a paper – a mutual friend of James & mine, Jim MacQuarrie. I think there was another person present, but I’m drawing a blank (I’ll hate myself if/when I remember) — but the fact that I can’t quite recall clearly is indicative of how stress-brained I was. We had fun talking. And as we waited for the waiter to come back around, I suddenly decided it would be my treat (for all, that is – I was treating the Owen family anyway).
Anyway, things got rolling on Friday, with a surprising number of folks who joined for the day on impulse. They were intrigued by the schedule and asked if the abstracts (which were included in the program book) were also posted online. They weren’t then, but I quickly talked with the Society’s webmaster, to have a PDF added to the site before the weekend was over (we’d both brought our laptops – ah, what a cyber age we are in!).
Saturday brought the first full day of the con. Between hauling things around the week before the conference, and sitting badly at my desk chair, I wasn’t really able to walk for long stretches, so I commended the Procession into the care of Designates, and went into the auditorium ahead of everyone. Soon everyone trooped in, seeming all merry and happy, and I greeted them with a few announcements and my opening comments. And then I turned the podium over to Diana Pavlac Glyer for her keynote address. She used an early poem of C.S. Lewis’ to launch her discussion, as the poem had the useful image of sailing out to unknown lands in a coracle of verses. (The theme for the conference was “Sailing the Seas of Imagination”.)
From that point on, things became a blur for me. After Diana’s presentation, there was a panel I participated on, I know that. But between buzzing around making sure people were having a good time, and dealing with incidental glitches that came up, I never did get to many papers. I was on the C.S. Lewis panel, and a panel on fantasy art. But all the wonderful things on the schedule slid by me as I was playing hostess. I heard part of Janet Croft’s paper on “Naming the Evil One”, and the latter part of Hannah Thomas’ paper on “Evil in Narnia” — both of which seemed good to me. I went to the presentation about Hilary Tolkien (J.R.R.T.’s brother), which was well attended. It seems to be the fate of the conference chair that that person rarely gets to as much programming as he or she would like. However, at every turn, I was reassured to hear happy, engaged conversation going on.
The Art Show had plenty to see, including some pieces of James’ that I had never seen before. And the Dealers’ Room seemed to have a satisfying flow of traffic. I had been concerned about that, because what with the economy and the small size of Mythcon, I didn’t want it to be a waste for the vendors. But they all seemed content at the end of the weekend.
The Saturday night entertainment began with an adaptation of Dorothy L. Sayers’ play “Love All” performed as a Readers’ Theatre (adaptation by Sherwood Smith). It built to a satisfying ending.
It was then followed by the Mythcon Masquerade, which is a very low key affair. The following picture is of all the participants, along with our judges (Lynn Maudlin, Ellie Farrell, and Sue Dawe).
Mythcon 40 Masquerade contestants and judges
Sunday was more of the same, for me at least, running around, making sure the Guests of Honor were enjoying themselves, that long-distance guests were doing well, that first time presenters (a number were giving their first paper at a conference anywhere) were stimulated by the experience, especially being in the midst of so many major Inklings scholars.
One of the humorous things running through the conference was the title of James Owen’s drawing for the Program Book. It was titled “Tom Bombadil, or After the Elves Sailed”. But it shows Tom looking at the One Ring.
Mythcon 40 Program cover
James posted a picture of the cover on his LiveJournal. My friend Kyle told me an amusing bit about being at lunch at a table filled with new-to-Mythcon attendees who began speculating about the title. After a bit, she asked them, amused, why they didn’t just go ask James about it (he was at a table only about 20 yards away, with his family). She said they looked at her, rather shocked, and said in hushed voices, “We can do that?” But apparently they did not follow through.
As people settled in for the banquet on Sunday evening, I was relieved that things were going so well. There was a lot of laughter and happy chatter going on. But the parade of Food Sculpture/Art was quite the circus of delight.
I had sat at what was basically the Head Table, with the Glyer family and the Owen family. And the first offering to be delivered was Reepicheep in his coracle, presented to Diana.
Food Art: Reepicheep in his coracle
After that came another coracle — this one with chicken bone oars.
Food Art: Reepicheep in his coracle
James became inspired and requested of the caterers some ketsup and mustard, and quickly created a James Owen dragon, which he presented to Diana, titling it “The Condiments They Keep”.
Food Art: “The Condiments They Keep”
Ketsup turns out to be more watery than mustard, so it didn’t hold its shape as well. But then Food Art is ephemeral by nature.
However, young Nathaniel Owen (known as “Bug”) was inspired by his father’s actions and produced his own contribution to the festivities.
Food Art: Nathaniel’s dragon
I sat across from him, marvelling at how much he resembles his father. And also feeling slightly guilty that I was sending the three children (Bug, his sister Sophie, and Sierra Glyer) home with happy memories of adults playing with food. Will I be guilty of corrupting the young, and disrupting family discipline? Well, no one was complaining at the time.
There then arrived several dragon offerings, with a sprinkling of other things. One was a drawing of James’ face in butter, but I couldn’t figure out how to take a picture of that. Another was a plate of chicken bones, which the presenters dubbed “Here, There Were Chickens”. One of my favorites was the “Badger with Blueberry Muffins”.
Food Art: Badger with Blueberry Muffins
Here, there be dragons —
Food Art: flaming dragon
And Sue Dawe’s masterful dragon — with chicken wings for wings.
Food Art: Sue Dawe’s dragon
There was much laughter during this, delighted. Some of it roaring. It was quite an outburst of creativity. I’m glad I thought to make sure there were toothpicks on each table.
But we then did get down to more serious things, for a while. I introduced the Secretary for the Mythopoeic Awards, with this brief speech. It really does encapsule what Mythcon is to me, the balance of scholarship and play that marks the works of the Inklings and the festivities of Mythcon. After the awards were announced, Special Guest Glen GoodKnight gave a speech about his history with the Society. Since he had not been active for several years, it received attentive response: everyone was happy to see Glen at Mythcon again.
We then took a short break, while the caterers cleared the dishes. James gave his Guest of Honor speech, which was engaging, and wound down to a very personal anecdote that absolutely had the audience charmed into utter silence. It was very special, and ideally suited to the conference and the audience.
This was followed by more lighthearted entertainment, the so-called “Dead Inklings” panel, wherein various attendees impersonated key Inklings, and guest Dorothy L. Sayers. David Bratman was JRRT, James Owen was Charles Williams, Don Williams was CSL, Mike Glyer was Warnie Lewis, and Laura Simmons played Miss Sayers. This was followed by “Like a Rolling Ring”, wherein some Bob Dylan songs where hilariously adapted to Tolkien storytelling. And it was all wrapped up by the Not-Ready-For-Mythcon Players who were quite amusing this year. (Although I suspect that only those who had read my book understood why the Muse was present in the activites. Ah well, I may have a small readership, but an appreciative one!)
There were a few more papers in the morning, and then things wrapped up with the Society Members’ Meeting and then Closing Ceremonies. By this time, I suppose I was getting a bit emotional — between the stress of bringing it off, fatigue from getting through the weekend, and the delighted satisfaction of seeing eveyone enjoying themselves, I was rendered speechless when the Committee presented me with a model boat, with a dragon by James on the sail, and little flags with the signatures of the committee and presenters on them. They made me cry.
Once home, I made space for the boat. This spot —
Was converted to this —
The Dragonboat finds its home
A closer look at my lovely boat — which is right near my desk, in order to inspire me at all times —
The Dragonboat
And that was Mythcon 40, for me. I was very happy.
Glad the boat found a home!