The Outward and Physical Sign of the Recognition of My NECON Peers: A Fez

In this picture, you see the representation of the recognition of my achievements on this blog.

Camp Necon is a wonderful get-together, and I haven't blogged about it for several years. NECON is like rock and roll camp for writers. I get to mingle with fantastic people, talented writers, people whose work I read and respect, in a congenial atmosphere. Because it's limited to 200 people, I don't get that 'crowd exhaustion' I get with larger conventions, where I have to get away from the convention I am attending just so I can have some breathing space.

I'd name all the people I'm pleased to have met or got reacquainted with, but that list would be as long as the Campers list itself. The traditions of NECON, passed down from the late and greatly beloved Bob Booth, remain in place. Single track panels mean that you never have to choose between which panel you want to see. A roast of unique local hot dogs, called Saugies, while everyone meets and greets. There is a level of camaraderie sharing that is unlike any other get-together I've ever attended. I have said it before and I will say it again, NECON is my family of choice. They are surprisingly generous, in perspective, their experiences, and their time. Special thanks to Jim Moore for setting me straight about something I had tangled up into a knot in my head. And Vikki Ciaffone. And Errick Nunnaly. And Bracken MacLeod, Dana Cameron, Matt Bechtel, Mary Booth, Trish Cacek, Craig Shaw Gardner, Beth Massie, Barbra Gardner, Cort Skinner, Gemma Files, Laird Barron, Weston Ochse, Yvonne Navarro, Larissa Glasser, Jeff Strand, Greg Dearborn... of hell with it. Everyone at NECON deserves thanks for being there, for making a wonderful and family atmosphere, even if I didn't interact with them much.

At the end of NECON 37, fezes are handed out. During the weekend, the organizers chose actions they deem 'fez-worthy.' My admission that I wad watched 89 kaiju for My Year of Monsters films was deemed 'fez worthy'. This means that I was recognized, by a group of my peers, for this blog. For my pursuit of obscure kaiju films. So thank you to my readers, for keeping me going, for encouraging me.

This fez is for you.