I didn't attend this year's Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, but I drank there. Tim Rogers invited me to join them at the hotel bar. He's a fine hospitable fellow. I had a good time, arriving at around 9 PM and didn't leave until 2 AM. It was an interesting gathering of talented writers from all over the country. This happened. So did this. And this.
I need to register for next year's conference. From what I heard, the workshops and seminars were all good. Plus, a hotel room might make the late nights less daunting.
I get a little skeptical about writing conferences. They sometimes cater to a desperate constituency. Maybe because the conference is hosted by UNT, and not Writer's Digest, it reaches a different crowd. If I do attend a conference next year, I'll give Mayborn a shot. If nothing else, they have the bar.
UPDATE: Peter Simek wins the Mayborn report. Forget what I've written and just go here.
