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<\/a><\/p>\nThank you Lou Boxer.<\/p>\n
For an eccentric, intelligent mixed bag of prose, performance and personalities. Thanks for the special edition beer. I don’t drink, but I did save the bottlecap.<\/p>\n
Heide Hatry opened at PhilaMOCA with clips from her previous work then introduced the conference next day at the playhouse.<\/p>\n The config of Ms Hatry & crime fiction was not immediately apparent, but anyone who knows Lou’s blog would never accuse him of making it easy. Her lurid show was reminiscent of sixties protest art, a public and political statement illuminating a distasteful practice that makes any thinking carnivore uneasy.<\/p>\n Ms Hatry grew up on a pig farm in Germany and her art gives new meaning to working out childhood issues, but I must admit, I understood perfectly. Hatry makes public the hidden and wide scale slaughter of pigs, a commonplace horror. And lets get real, the sight of a beautiful woman covered in blood is not entirely foreign to this crowd.<\/p>\n This is NoirCon!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In case you missed it, the presentation continued on into the next day, when the connection became somewhat more tenuous.<\/p>\n Ms Hatry & Suzanne Mayer, founder & host of the Erotic Literary Salon<\/em> & moderator of the Burlesque Noir panel cooking up a scheme . . . .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Society Hill Playhouse<\/em> is a great off-Broadway type theatre. Black paint over red walls and rickety tables are comfortable, familiar. Delicious to relax in the dark, cavelike Cabaret Theatre, midday while the rest of the city toils.<\/p>\n A perfect hushed setting, poised for an early 21st century happening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mix was eclectic and entertaining. Panels included, Burlesque Noir, Jewish Noir and the David Goodis connection.<\/p>\n What other crimewriter’s conference would have a handout like this?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Friday opened with Career in C Minor and a serenade from Wesley Stace.<\/p>\n in conversation with\u00a0 SJ Rozan & Cullen Gallagher.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then Florida’s own Jonathan Woods<\/p>\n And Vicki Hendricks<\/p>\n <\/p>\n joined Friday’s mid-morning Southern Noir panel with Jake Hinkson and Joe Samuel Starnes.<\/p>\n I bought Jake Hinkson’s (at left) first novel, Hell on Church Street<\/em>, happy to discover a new voice.<\/p>\n The highlight of the day was the Jeremiah Healy’s interview with Otto Penzler. Later that evening Penzler accepted the Jay & Deen Kogan Award for Excellence<\/em>. Rumor has it that Mr Penzler is building a home addition for his awards, somewhere in Manhattan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joan Schenkar discussed The talented Miss Highsmith, and brought artifacts from Patricia Highsmith’s (The talented Mr Ripley, Strangers on a Train<\/em>) life including this blow up of her notes.<\/p>\n Later at the ceremony, we were awed by Grover Silcox’s one man performance of\u00a0 A Tell-Tale Heart – a Tribute to the Master of the Macabre.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Much free beer . . .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Designed by the stylish and talented Jeff Wong.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Winner of the Maltese Falcon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming from Key West, It was wonderful to be in the open spaces of this great Noir city.<\/p>\n In a hotel across the street from the famous Reading Terminal Market<\/em>, operating indoors since 1892.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To bed and back to the market next day for breakfast.<\/p>\n Jonathan & I traveled well together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did much aimless wandering<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then back to the True Crime panel with Dennis Tafoya, Wallace Stroby, Alison Gaylin & Megan Abbott on the nature of our obsession. <\/p>\n Throughout the day, it was slightly unnerving to see, peeking from under my table, this pigs bladder, modeled into the form of a jaundiced baby-in-a-box, courtesy of Ms Hatry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keynote speaker, Robert Olen Butler took us on a filmic\/textual exploration of Dickens Great Expectations<\/em>.<\/p>\n The brave Duane Swierczynski interviewing Lawrence Block, this year’s recipient of the David Goodis Award.<\/p>\n Block claims that he is through with writing books, but no one seems to believe him.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n