Con Report: ConTemporal, Sunday

Sunday began with two of my favorite lit panel topics: “The Best of Middle School and YA Books” with GOH Emilie Bush, JM Lee, and Marina Segeyeva; and “Effective Writing Collaboration” with teams Tanith Tyrr and Todd Stewart, and Clay and Susan Griffith.

I would also have liked to sit in on “YApocalypse”, with JM Lee and Chris Berman discussing the popularity of post-apocalyptic dystopias in YA literature.

A fun panel rounded out the schedule for our lit guests, “Artsist vs. Others Pictionary”, with The Traveling Revelers, Emilie Bush, The Gin Rebellion, Danny Birt, Scotty Sunshine, and Clay & Susan Griffith.

The day was both long (we were all feeling pretty tired by this final day) and too short, as we left closing ceremonies and began the mad round of goodbyes and taking down all the framework of “Chicago 1933”, returning the North Raleigh Hilton to “normal”.

Port Raleigh destabilized, and the ConTemporal departed for another year of adventure, scheduled to return when Port Raleigh restabilizes next year —in 1632. :)

I want to give a *huge* round of applause and thanks to the fantastic literary and crossover guests who joined us this year:

Guests of Honor

Emilie P. Bush

Dave Lee

Aleta Pardalis

Literary and “Crossover” Guests

Suzanne Adair

Chris Berman

Danny Birt

Clay & Susan Griffith

JM Lee

Jean-Michel Margot

Misty Massey

Marina Sergeyeva

Winfield Strock

Tanith Tyrr & Todd Stewart

Mark Van Name

Suzanne Warr

Allen Wold

Darcy Wold

I also want to give a “shout out” to Daughter, who worked hard as a “minion” all weekend, wherever she was needed. We got Fitbit bracelets right before the con, and she outpaced me every day. All through the weekend, staff stopped me in the hall to tell me what a great help she had been. That’s my girl.

Dogs in house:	Houdini
Music	Arcangelo Corelli - The Best Of Arcangelo Corelli Concerto Grosso, Op. 6
Time writing	Too long, and interrupted by cute animal pictures
June word count	11,301