Why they're coming to NoirCon
NoirCon 2012 happens in Philadelphia next week. Here's what some of the panelists and honorees have to say about previous NoirCons and about why they'll be at this one. (Read more hosannas for NoirCon here.)
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© Peter Rozovsky 2012“My favorite moment was [2010], when Christa Faust ran into the theater a few minutes late for her panel, Butch — her dog — scampering beside her on his leash. She was wearing a red skirt that matched his jacket and had gone to dark hair with a stripe of white to match Butch's coloring. It was the best entrance I've ever seen.
“There were several hilarious moments involving goat fornication, but I'll let someone else tell that story.
“This is my third Noircon. The intimacy of the venue and closeness of the group are what mainly bring me back, as well as the strict focus on noir and quality panels. Also, this year I came to pay my respect to two of my favorite writers, Harry Crews and Larry Brown.”
“At the last, lovely NoirCon, I was the Keynote Speaker. The keynote speech, for reasons which only people who love Noir could forgive, was scheduled at an unusually early morning hour. The audience and I had been up late the night before imbibing freely at the sumptuous banquet. In the morning, we were all enveloped in that atmospheric swirl of dislocation and loss of identity by which the art of Noir lives, breathes and propagates. I scarcely had to lift my voice.
“This year, I am stranded in my apartment in Paris (no hardship at all, by the way) by Hurricane Sandy, and will fly in Saturday night to a Greenwich Village which is without electricity, heat, water or phone service. Once again, Noir form is following Noir function. And my four days in New York will be a fine preparation for this year's NoirCon.
“What makes NoirCon different from all other conferences is the genius, enthusiasm, the solid sweat equity, and the real love of Noir its wonderful director and co-founder Lou Boxer has exhibited for the genre, the conference, and all of NoirCon's participants. Our native American art form of Noir – it's the black backside of the American Dream – owes a great deal to this conference.”
“This is my first Noircon. What attracted me is that I was asked to be the Guest of Honor, and no one could resist that.”
Labels: conventions, Harry Crews, Joan M. Schenkar, Larry Brown, NoirCon, Noircon 2012, Otto Penzler, Vicki Hendricks
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 1:20 PM
6 Comments:
How lucky for you it's in Philadelphia. I haven't heard all that much about the city as a whole after Sandy. No news is probably good news in this kind of situation.
Seana, one of the bigger post-Sandy stories in the Philadelphia area is fustrated New Jersey drivers crossing into Bucks County, Pa., to get their gas. So yes, this area came through fairly well. You'll see from Joan Schenkar's comment that New York's troubles may complicate her trip to Philadelphia.
I hope she makes it. After exchanging e-mails with her, I'm reading The Talented Mr. Ripley. I'd like to discuss that with her as well as Adrian theory about Strangers on a Train vs. the Ripley books and what that says about Patricia Highsmith's personality.
Gas is king. If Joan Schenkar does make it, you should apprise Adrian about this and see if he has any comments. Or really, even if she doesn't.
It seems to me that Adrian's assessment might generate discussion rather than complaints. Schenkar would probably be open to criticism of the kind Adrian offered. At the last Noircon, she acknowledged that Highsmith was not a pleasant person. I'll try to remember to slip her a copy of Adrian's essay.
I don't know how she plans to travel from New York to Philadelphia, but the trains are running, as announced in a Philadephia Inquirer article posted in the Noircon Web site.
I think you have to hope she doesn't get any big ideas from "Strangers on a Train" in that case.
What, you mean like Joan Schenkar and Adrian each agree to skewer the other's favorite— oh, wait. If she comes to Noircon on a train. If she does, I'll ask her if she met anyone interesting.
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