I'll chime in with Hal and say what a great conference it was--I think
perhaps the best yet.  I would urge folks to come to the next one:  the
attendance seemed a bit down this year, and that's not good.  The price
might seem steep, but that includes all meals, and the dinners were really
amazing.  Not to mention that you are in the center of the Mark Twain
universe for three days.  Like Hal, I was impressed by the number of
international attendees, as well as the well-deserved awards.  I heard lots
of fine papers and got to see old friends, make new ones.  And Hal is being
modest when he brings up the topic of music:  he took Joe Csicsila's guitar
the last night and is pretty much a 70s human jukebox.  I really enjoyed
playing with Hal and Joe C. and Cameron Nickels--and if Shelley Fisher
Fishkin could have found the acoustic bass she was frantically looking for,
we would have torn it up, I am sure!  Thanks to Barbara Snedecor and the
conference planners and Elmira College for a great several days.

John Bird