Mo*Con IV, Part III

Mo*Con is the little convention that could. The brainchild of author Maurice Broaddus, Mo*Con (a nom de guerre coined by Chesya Burke) brings creative peoples, be they scribes or scribblers, and their supporters together for discussions of art, literature, and spirituality in all its many guises (even the lack thereof).

This year’s theme was The Love and Business of Writing and it got off to a fine start on Saturday with the first panel discussion, which was on relationships, particularly when one of those involved is a writer… of course there’s double the fun when both have that nasty creative habit. Panelists Tom Piccirilli and Michelle Scalise, Gerard Houarner and Linda Addison, discussed the pros of being in a joint creative union (as well as past pitfalls), while Kelli Dunlap and Alethea Kontis shared the heartache that can come from non-supportive psychic vampires (it was a gathering of horror writers after all).

The second panel hit closest to home for me as it covered the business side of things. Extremely informative and enlightening, the panel discussed the ends and outs, and more importantly to some, the money side of things. Long story short, if you’re writing for the money… get out now.

(from L to R: Wrath James White, Gerard Houarner, Tom Piccirilli)

After a break for lunch we were treated to a gallery showing, complete with wine and a variety of cheeses. The artists on hand were an eclectic mix, each wonderfully talented in their own way. I found myself most drawn to the paintings of a woman who called herself Madam Aradia, with her whimsical, yet dark paintings of nightmarish imagery, but if I could have dropped money for any single piece, it would have come from the table of Alethea Kontis, because her fairy tale inspired crafts were a wonder to behold. They captured something that I think was lacking in the other artists work… joy… unadulterated, scream it from the rooftops, elation. Alethea’s works were a celebration of life and love, and I would have loved to have taken a piece of that home with me.

Back downstairs we were treated to a debate between Wrath James White and Maurice Broaddus with Wrath making his case for Humanism and Maurice championing the cause of Christianity. Wrath won the battle of words easily, as reason always wins out over something that is wholly personal and non-definable. Being a Man of Faith myself, even though that faith is far different from that of Maurice’s path, I see it as an internal process that defines the spirit and inflames the passions that arise.

The final event of the convention was the Spirituality panel in which I joined Kelli Dunlap, Wrath James White, Kevin Lucia, and Coach Culbertson on stage (with moderation by Maurice). I discussed my beliefs in Odinism and Thelema and how those beliefs influence my writing. Of course, being a discussion about faith and spirituality it soon devolved into a more heated discourse, but cooler heads prevailed and all in all, it was interesting, if not defining. I know I had a lot more to say, but in the end, I think I said what was most important, that, as writers, we have to b3e able to become the characters that we’re writing about, even while examining themes that are underlined by our inner voice.

So, all that being said, what was the true highlight of the weekend for me? A very close second was meeting up with old and new friends. Having the opportunity to crawl out of the dungeon and converse with your peers, to unload all that baggage in person (as opposed to bantering on message boards, twitter, and emails) is alone worth the price of admission. But I did say a very close second, didn’t I?

Mo*Con IV, for me, was all about Paul Arthur Trainer. See, Doug Warrick and Kyle Johnson bought a book in a used bookstore titled Clown. Between panels we stood around and read from this masterpiece. We laughed. We cried. We died a little inside. And it was magic. Pure, liberating magic. Has a book ever been so poorly written as this? Maybe. There’s still Pacione out there clamoring for the title. But reading this aloud, in good natured fun, we came together and put a stamp on Mo*Con that is undeniable.

So here’s to you, Paul Trainer, you odd scene breaking, comma abusing, nipple kissing, genius. You made a great convention all the better with your madness. And I suspect you’ll be seeing spikes in your sales soon enough.

Best Mo*Con ever? You know, I think it was.

from L to R: Coach Culbertson, Kevin Lucia, Maurice Broaddus,
Wrath James White, Kelli Dunlap, Bob Freeman