Or . . .
     The B. Traven Conference, where nobody knows the true identity of 
the other attendees.
Or . . .
     The Anton Chekhov Conference, where everybody stays home, talking 
about how everything would be all right if we could only get to Moscow, 
where the conference is being held.
Or. . .
     The William Makepeace Thackeray Conference, where everybody sits 
around, complaining about why the Charles Dickens Conference has far 
more attendees.
Or. . .
     The Arthur Conan Doyle Conference, where attendees announce the 
conclusion of papers before the speakers have finished.

On 8/19/2013 10:28 AM, Ben Wise wrote:
> I prefer the Emily Dickinson conference where everyone stays home.
>
> Ben
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kevin Mac Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 5:36:37 PM
> Subject: Re: Elmira Twain Conference 2013
>
> Well, it's no wonder we have good attendance at the Mark Twain Conference.
> At the end we all sing and smoke cigars (but we don't inhale) and then we
> light out for the territories for four years.
>
> At the Melville Conference they all get tangled in the ropes during the
> harpoon-throwing contest (and unless you know some pretty fancy moves you
> don't want to be the fattest white guy there). At the Virginia Woolf
> Conference they all wade out into a river, and they don't all come back.
> It's much worse if you're an attendee at the Hart Crane Conference --they
> take a cruise but the ship returns to port empty. At the Frank Norris
> Conference they head off into the desert with handcuffs, which sounds like
> fun, but isn't. I've heard the Salinger Conferences can get edgy; what a
> bunch of fakes! And after that last bar fight I flat out stopped going to
> the Christopher Marlowe Conferences.
>
> Twainians are such a friendly bunch.
>
> Kevin
> @
> Mac Donnell Rare Books
> 9307 Glenlake Drive
> Austin TX 78730
> 512-345-4139
> Member: ABAA, ILAB
> *************************
> You may browse our books at
> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Bird" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 2:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Elmira Twain Conference 2013
>
>
>> I am late chiming in on the success of the Seventh Quadrennial =
>> International Conference on Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College a few =
>> weeks ago. I have now been to all seven, and it does seem that it just =
>> gets better and better. When I introduced the Hal Holbrook documentary, =
>> I asked how many people were there for the first time, and over half the =
>> people raised their hands. I was really happy to see so many new folks, =
>> as well as to renew old friendships. The Cigar Ritual at the end was =
>> lively and moving, with raucous but heartfelt group singing, heavy on =
>> spirituals and camp songs. Fitting for what Tracy Wuster calls =
>> =E2=80=9CMark Twain Summer Camp.=E2=80=9D I look forward to the next =
>> one. Hats off to Barb Snedecor and her crew! As Bruce Michelson said =
>> when he won the Louis J. Budd Certificate of Merit from the Mark Twain =
>> Circle of America, we certainly must have the most congenial author =
>> group on the planet!
>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>> John Bird
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> -----
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