NoirCon, Pre and Post

NoirCon kicks off in Philadelphia this Thursday, and I couldn't be more excited. Bouchercon is always a blast, but there's something to be said for the smaller, more intimate cons.

If you're anywhere near Philadelphia... or could be!... it's not too late. You can still register and hang out with crime fiction superstars like Megan Abbott, Scott Phillips, George Pelecanos, Christa Faust, Daniel Woodrell and Reed Farrel Coleman (to name just a few). The program is action-packed. The conversation (and drinks) will be flowing. All this, and the City of Brotherly Love, too!

There are also two NoirCon-related, off-campus events I want to mention (and no registration required:

This Wednesday night, NoirCon Eve, Mike White will be signing his fantastic Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers Du Cinemart Collection, at Brickbat Books (7 p.m., 709 South Fourth Street, Philadelphia PA 19147). Packed with groovy film writing, Funky also includes some mighty fine pieces on David Goodis, James Ellroy and Richard Stark's Parker novels. Secret Dead Blog approves.

And then on Sunday afternoon, Philadelphia Noir editor Carlin Romano along with a whole gaggle of contributors, including yours truly, Dennis Tafoya, Meredith Anthony, Keith Gilman and Jim Zervanos, will be reading/signing/hanging at the Moonstone Arts Center (a.k.a. Robin's Books). The event starts at 2 p.m., right around the time your hangover will start to wear off.

If you're attending any part of NoirCon, sound off in the comments section. And if not, check this blog and my Twitter feed (twitter.com/swierczy) for updates straight from the underbelly of the con.