The Official Thank You
Hi there, I am Freon, the guy ConFusion voted in as Most Likely to Represent Michigan Fandom for 2009. That is, Fan Guest of Honor.
I wrote a short story collection misleadingly named Tales of the Fantoon Dynasty Volume One and released it at Confusion in 2004. I wrote you into it, naked. http://lulu.com/freon
I am of course kidding. About the naked part.
You might need to know I'm allergic to livejournal and myspace. I only hold that as a disadvantage on my part because email is fine by me. I hope this message satisfies and do hope you post whatever bits you want on your livejournal or Myspace page.
Thanks first of all to the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association - its board, president Joe Saul and its membership including you in the Stilyagi Air and Pressure Corps. For those of you receiving this message who don't know what that is, go look at the website : http://www.stilyagi.org Steve King and Paul Haas deserve much praise.
If that did not cover it, I want to especially thank Anne Murphy, Randal Bradakis, Jeff Beeler, and Jae Walker, for letting me bring some favorite, underappreciated hobbies into their convention's permanent history, and my bevy of liaisons Kathy Becker Jess Zerwas and Jen Nis for proving that I am just too much damn man for most.
I am of course kidding. About being more than just the right... ah, you get the picture.
For the convention itself I can only say it simply would not be ConFusion as we know and love it without Sheryl Bradakis, Davroz, Melanie Brooks, Kevin Nickerson, Karen Roe, Debbie Rigdon-Smith, Richard Tucholka, Jer Lance, Bill Korsak, Keith Kurek and everyone you see in the conFusion Program book as a staffmember for the convention. You really should have had them autograph the book for you because they'd have liked to have done it.
I savored the experience and will long tell of it to little fanlings of the future; particularly both my whirlwind of panels Saturday and my breakfast from Papa John's, prepared and preserved with care and love by the convention GreenRoom. If you have not experienced a convention greenroom, I suggest you volunteer some of your time as a programming presenter, panelist or performer, and augment your already great experience with that extra bit of TLC that we famous folks so enjoy. Special fun was had when I chanced upon lunch with Jim Frenkel, an occasion worthy only of Shula's and our hosts the Troy Marriott, as well as everyone else who dined with me Thursday night at Bangkok Cuisine Sterling Heights while accumulating the Goh brigade - not to mention Beirut Palace, for supplying precious molecules of sustenance Saturday to both myself and my wife Shalla. Kudos.
I am indebted totally for bringing ideas to life, to John Matthews, Malcolm Cleveland, Clif Flynt, Cat Rambo, Michael Marcus, Scott Lockwood, SFOHA and the whole (aforementioned) RFF team who let me herd them around like I was on staff or something, because I really wasn't and the fact that the shows happened at all was out of their dedication to showing you - - not me - that a convention is worth going to on basis of sounds alone.
Lastly I want to thank Diane Frkan, Al Bouchard, Tom Dow (from afar) and Jennifer Granholm (from not-so-afar) for nudging fandom's attention a little closer to our adopted new film industry - seeing as I have just heard that good ol' Pontiac Michigan is the apparent site of Raleigh Studios and Endeavor Agency's big plans for us. http://tinyurl.com/alyfky
I am of course kidding about the 'we famous folks' thing. I am not worthy of respect as a fan - rather you all are worthy of respect from me as people like me. Thanks for liking me.
Special thanks to David Lillard, Mike Glicksohn and Larry Tucker, who if rolled together would be roughly a quarter-ton of role model for any fan - and they are, for me. Heartfelt grace Mike and Larry btw for personally letting me into the inner circle.
I'm not kidding.
Good rum... damn good rum. AAArrrrgh!
