Skip the Banquet. But Go to the Conference.

Jeff Cohen

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ--This past weekend was spent (after moving Eve into her apartment on 116th St. in East Harlem) at the Deadly Ink mystery conference, the only such gathering in my home state of New Jersey. I was on three panels, saw many good friends, sold a few books, discussed publishing even when I didn't know what I was talking about, and had a lovely time as I always do at this conference.

On Saturday night, the conference held its central event, a banquet at which awards were given, speeches were made, and this year, a local troupe presented a murder mystery play/game.

I didn't attend.

I never go to the banquet at a book conference (which is the only kind I attend). I realize it's the big splashy moment the conference organizers anticipate and it is where everyone from the conference will be in one room at one time. I get that people actually dress up for such things and look forward to them for months before they take place. But I never go, and I don't anticipate starting anytime soon.

A good pal of mine who happens to be a bigger deal author than me once told me, "The only time I go to the banquet is when I'm nominated for something." That's sort of a dodge, since she's nominated pretty much whenever she writes a book, but I agree with the sentiment.

The banquet is everything the hotel bar is not: Formal, structured, polite. Who needs that? In addition, one is invariably served hotel food, which is better than airline food, but easier to avoid. 

New Brunswick is actually a very nice small city and has a good number of interesting and unpretentious restaurants which I patronize on a fairly regular basis. On Friday night, a pretty boisterous bunch of us went an patronized the local microbrewery Harvest Moon and had a fine time with no speeches, no awards and no hotel food. Why spend another evening doing the opposite when you don't have to?

(Also, they charge you about $50-$75 for that dinner. I can do better than that at any restaurant in town.)

At Deadly Ink, it's easier than usual to avoid the banquet because my house is about a mile and a half from the conference. I left not long before the banquet was going to start and had dinner with my wife and my son. Then we watched a movie. And I was back at the conference in the morning for the 9 a.m. (!) humor panel, which was a lot of fun. You should have been there. Dru Ann Love was there, and Donna Andrews. 

This is all said with affection. I love conferences and enjoy seeing my writing buddies. Deadly Ink is especially fun because it is a Jersey thing, and so we get lots of the locals: Ilene Schneider (my rabbi, if I had a rabbi), Jeff Markowitz, Jack Getze, Roberta Rogow, E.F. Watkins and Cheryl Solimini were around. Special thanks, by the way, to Steve Rigolosi, who came up with the idea for this week's post. The guests of honor, Donald Bain and Renee Paley Bain, were as charming and gracious a couple as I have ever met, and I hope to see them again soon. My pal Donna Andrews picked up a punchline for me when I needed one.

It's an exhilarating feeling to meet new readers, to talk about the work and to see some really wonderful people. I love going to conventions and I will attend many more as long as I'm a working writer.

And I'll see you after the banquet. In the bar.

Comments

[twitter.com/trow125]

I can understand not going if you are charged separately for the banquet, but for conventions where the banquet is part of the registration fee, like Malice and Left Coast Crime? Sorry, I'm too cheap not to take advantage of food I've already paid for, even if it is hotel food (and I'm a vegetarian, so it's probably going to be an uninspiring pasta dish). Plus sometimes you get a killer toastmaster, like Lee Goldberg or Brad Parks.

[Dru]

I think everyone should experience Deadly Ink, especially if you live in the local area.

[toni lotempio]

I'll see you next year at Deadly Ink, Jeff. And we'll hang out in the bar.

Does this mean you do not attend the dinners when you go to Malice too??????

[Ilene Schneider]

I attend banquets only when the price is included in the conference fee. All too often it's cheaper to get a much better meal in the hotel or nearby. Plus, the formal part of the banquets can be deadly (pun intended) boring. The informal part - the comraderie of my table mates - is terrific, though.

And I'm honored, Jeff, to be your rabbi. Just hope you already had a Bris.

[Joni Langevoort]

We miss you at the Malice banquet, Jeff! They're kind of fun because authors are asked to host fans at their tables, and therefore get to chat/visit with people who are excited to sit with said author. Most authors seem to enjoy that.

[Jeff Cohen]

I completely respect your position, Joni, but I don't share it. I love to visit with the readers, but I feel like I can do that all through the conference. Malice is especially good at making that happen.