Farewell to the Hunt Valley Inn

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In 1981, I was invited by my pal Howard Weinstein to join him at a Maryland-based show called Shore Leave. I drove down to the Hunt Valley Inn in Cockeysville, and it was so wonderful I have been coming back steadily ever since. Today, the hotel, part of the Marriott chain, closes. I have no […]

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My Farpoint 2023 Schedule

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Farpoint was once October Trek and ClipperCon in terms of those who founded and ran each iteration of the media convention that was either in October or February. This year, Farpoint celebrates its 30th and rather than being seen as the little sibling to Shore Leave, it has forged its own identity. Their guest line-up […]

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Novella Lessons Learned

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A freelance writer always likes to be invited in on the ground floor of something new because you never know what will click and what won’t. All too often, I’ve gotten excited by projects that were met with less enthusiasm. Yet, when I was invited to join Systema Paradoxa, I was delighted since it meant […]

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My Shore Leave 41.6 Schedule

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Regular readers know how much I love Shore Leave, the largest fan-run con, now up to 41.6. Yeah, they’d playing with the numbers since this year is a virtual con. The good news for those not in the Maryland area is that you can now attend and see what you’ve been missing. All the details […]

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So, What Kind of Year has it Been?

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As 2019 ends, and the final year of the decade begins (at least that’s how I count it), it’s time to take stock and judge the year as a whole. Deb and I had a relatively quiet, relatively good year. We saw plenty of television, a handful of plays and a bunch of movies, did […]

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Shore Leave 41 After Action Report

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Shore Leave 41 was a great experience but I was left withregrets which is not how things usually shake out. First of all, the con was fun and despite more than a few ofthe regulars being absent for one reason or another, it was good to be there. As I discussed last week, we moved […]

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What I’ll be doing at Shore Leave

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My love for Shore Leave has no bounds as it enters its fifth decade of existence. It has grown and prospered, evolving to meet the ever-changing needs and desires of the fans. I love how it has earned and maintained a reputation for being a fun, fan-run show where the media guests are comfortable. This […]

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My Farpoint Schedule

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Hard to believe, but it’s already February which also means it’s time for Farpoint. It happens to be a little different this year, their 25th. First, they’ve relocated to the Marriott Hunt Valley Inn (no matter who owns it or what they call it, that’s how we all refer to the venue). Second, it’s a […]

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My Shore Leave 39 Schedule

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It’s hard to believe it’s time for Shore Leave 39 already. I’ve been coming steadily since SL 3 back in the early 1980s and I delight at how it has grown but retained its intimate, fan-centric experience.I’ve got a rather packed schedule along with playing emcee most of the weekend. For those attending, here’s where […]

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