Nominated for a Robert E. Howard Foundation Award

The Robert E. Howard Foundation has announced the nominees for its annual awards honoring the best Howard scholarship of the previous year. I was surprised--and very, very pleased, proud, and honored--to find my essay "Not Your Ordinary Gun-Dummy: The Western Heroes of Robert E. Howard" among them. It's nominated in the Hyrkanian category, for Outstanding Achievement - Essay (Print). This essay was published in REH: Two-Gun Raconteur #18. The awards will be presented in Cross Plains on June 10, during the annual Howard Days festivities.

This is incredibly gratifying to me. I've been a Howard fan for almost 50 years, ever since I picked up a copy of the Lancer edition of CONAN THE USURPER in Barber's Bookstore in downtown Fort Worth. (I could show you the building and probably come pretty close to pointing out the spot where the rack stood that held that copy.) I've been involved with Howard fandom for more than 20 years, having attended my first Howard Days in 1995 and joining the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, better known as REHupa, shortly thereafter. I've written several introductions to collections of Howard's stories and contributed the occasional article to various publications. However, I've always considered myself more of a reader and fan than a scholar and have approached most of my writing about Howard that way. Mostly I've had fun (the way I try to approach most things) and it makes me feel great to know that my fellow Howard fans think this essay is worthwhile.

Now, it's up against some stiff competition, mind you. The other nominees are Dierk Guenther's “A Farewell to the Old West – The End of the “Old Frontier”—Robert E. Howard’s ‘Old Garfield’s Heart’”, which also appeared in REH: Two-Gun Raconteur #18, and Jeffrey Shanks' “Evolutionary Otherness: Anthropological Anxiety in Robert E. Howard’s ‘Worms of the Earth’”, which appeared in THE UNIQUE LEGACY OF WEIRD TALES. I fully expect one of those guys to walk off with the award, and well-deserved it will be. But there really is a lot of truth to that old saying about it being an honor just to be nominated. My sincere thanks to the Robert E. Howard Foundation and everyone who participates in these awards.

Pavilion Photos

Mark Finn with REHupan Amy Kerr sitting on the other side of the table.

Indy in "friendly REHupan" mode, with Gary Romeo in the foreground. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I tend to forget to take pictures, and when I do I'm not very good at it. But at least I got a few this time.

Howard in Pop Culture Panel

At the table, that's Indy, Mark, Dan, and Rusty, left to right.

Cross Plains

I rolled into Cross Plains a little before ten o’clock this morning for my almost-annual visit to the Howard Days get-together. I say almost annual because I missed last year, but now I have a new streak started. The day had already been productive for me, because on the drive down there I worked on the plot for a new project that I can actually talk about for a change, at least once all the details get nailed down. More on that later.

But today was mostly about visiting with old friends like Rusty Burke, Indiana Bill Cavalier (“the friendly REHupan” or “Black Indy the Bad Ass”, depending on whether or not you’re roused his ire), Mark Finn, Charles Gramlich, Dave Hardy, Michael Scott Myers, Gary Romeo, Paul Herman, Chris Gruber, and Russell Andrew. The highlight of the morning was Mark Finn’s discussion of his REH biography BLOOD AND THUNDER, plus we were entertained by a reading of a new short story by Mark.

After adjourning to Jean’s Feed Barn for lunch, it was back to the pavilion at the Howard House for a panel all about Robert E. Howard in Pop Culture, moderated by Indy and featuring Rusty, Mark, and Dan Rosenfelt, a representative from Paradox Entertainment, the company that now controls all the Howard-related properties. Dan filled us in on the numerous Howard-related movie projects that are coming up, as well as the extremely popular and successful Age of Conan on-line roleplaying game. I also spent a considerable amount of time talking to authors and Howard fans Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes. I spent less time actually inside the Howard House than I normally do, but of course I had to walk through and pause outside Bob’s room for a moment to reflect on all the great work that was done there.

Late in the afternoon most folks headed for the barbecue at Caddo Peaks, while I climbed in the car and headed home. It’s a two-hour drive, and I like to get home before dark. My name is James, and I’m a geezer.

All in all, I had a great time, as I always do in Cross Plains. I always come back feeling a little revitalized as a writer, too. We’ll see how that carries over when I sit down to do tomorrow’s pages.