Authors, Fans, and the Orca Whale

The fact that this is The Rap Sheet’s first attempt at a comprehensive Left Coast Crime wrap-up posting (a full 48 hours after the fact) tells you that the conference, ably organized by Superfan Andi Shechter and her battalion of volunteers, was one hell of a good time.

I find it difficult to write about a conference without lapsing into gratuitous name-dropping. And yet, mystery conferences are about people: the writers, fans, vendors, spouses, and assorted characters--fictional and otherwise--who wander through the panel discussions, book rooms, and of course, the bars. Still, these were my highlights of last weekend in surprisingly sunny (for the most part) Seattle:

It was an enormous thrill to finally meet many of my colleagues at The Rap Sheet and January Magazine--J. Kingston (“Jeff”) Pierce, Linda L. Richards, David Thayer, and Megan Abbott. These are all folks whose writing I admire, so a smile of recognition and a firm handshake is a warm and wonderful acceptance into the tribe.

I also had the good fortune to meet writers who have successfully survived one of my Mystery News interviews; namely, Mark Coggins, Michael Silverling, Peter Spiegelman, and two current Edgar nominees, Naomi Hirahara and Cornelia Read. I’d met Con Lehane at Bouchercon in 2005, and it was good to reconnect with him as well.

As you have seen in a previous post, Jeff Pierce conducted the conference interview with toastmaster Gary Phillips. Much is made about Phillips’ physical stature and frequent explosions of laughter. He is also a locomotive of words, particularly when it comes to subjects about which he has near-religious passion: crime fiction, comic books, community activism, politics, his family, his upcoming non-mystery about African Americans in World War II, and the disclosure that one of his ongoing projects is a new addition to the magnificent Ivan Monk series.

Linda’s panel was the first one I attended on Thursday, in a room filled to capacity (and thus a tad warm). Linda disclosed that one of her criteria for selecting which books to read out of her usual comfort zone is how the book feels in her hands (“I’m a very tactile person,” she explained). When asked to describe her books featuring stockbroker-turned-day trader Madeline Carter, the attribute that most resonated with the crowd was Linda’s assurance that the books contain “no math.” That brought down the house.

Megan Abbott and the aforementioned Con Lehane were two anchors of Saturday morning’s “Noir: It’s the New Black” panel, which proved once again that talking about what is and is not “noir” means wrestling with a very slippery concept, and one that ultimately is in the darkened eye of the beholder.

By sheer luck, and thanks to my Mystery News publisher, Chris Aldrich, I happened to be sitting two seats away from Donna Moore during the Saturday night awards banquet. As has been reported previously, Moore won the Lefty Award for ... Go to Helena Handbasket. Judging by the startled look on her face, she wasn’t expecting that surprise. The photo above shows Donna holding her Lefty, which was shaped like a beautiful orca whale.

Following the banquet, Jeff, Linda, Chris, and I all retreated to a bar at an adjacent hotel, the one at the Renaissance Madison Hotel being too crowded and noisy. There, we spent a couple of hours casually talking about all aspects of crime fiction and the community of writers and fans. Although I am far from a rookie, this being my eighth mystery conference, I never tire of being around writers such as these three, who have a wealth of information and opinions, who read even more than I do, and whose passion has not been dimmed by the realities of the publishing business. In appreciation of the kind support Jeff has shown me these last few months at The Rap Sheet and January Magazine, I decided to initiate him to the succulent and sensuous pleasures of a Red-Headed Slut.

Has ever a writer taken better care of his editor?