Thursday, June 01, 2006

A Cross Plains Journey

Just as a head's up, I won’t be posting here from June 8 through the 10 because I’ll be in Cross Plains, Texas for Robert E. Howard Days. I mentioned in a previous post about being a member of REHupa, the Robert E. Howard United Press Association. We’re a group of diverse scholars, artists, and fans who are interested in preserving and promoting the literary works of Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Cimmerian, Kull of Atlantis, and many more iconic characters. Howard essentially founded the genre of Sword & Sorcery, and his impact on the modern fantasy field has been second only to that of J.R.R. Tolkien.

This is Howard’s centennial and it looks like we’re going to have the biggest gathering ever in Cross Plains, which is the small hamlet (around 1000 people) where Howard spent most of his life and did all of his writing. A large number of panels and events are planned, and there will be ample time for shooting the bull with writers, editors, film makers, fans, and just about anyone else you could imagine. If you’re interested in finding out more, check out Howard Days.

If you miss Howard Days, the World Fantasy Convention will be honoring Howard’s centennial this year, as well. Many REHupans will be there. That Con is in Austin, Texas, November 2-5, and there will be a 1-day trip to Cross Plains available.

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