NOTE: check out our full schedule of WALKING TOURS (departing from the Biltmore, once on Sunday, otherwise thrice daily), and our full schedule of FILM SCREENINGS, at the RISD Auditorium, and at the Black Box @ 95 Empire!

SUNDAY

Each time slot generally includes time for questions and a 10-15 minute break before the next set of panels and talks.

8:00am – 9:30am

CTHULHU PRAYER BREAKFAST (Grand Ballroom, Biltmore)

A proper summoning, accompanied by a good old-fashioned breakfast buffet, presided over by the Reverend Robert M. Price and Deacon Cody Goodfellow, with the Golden Key Choir lead by Choirmaster Darrell Schweitzer.

**Tickets on sale NOW, via our “buy passes” page, or directly here: ~~https://cthulhuprayerbreakfast.eventbrite.com/~~

8:30am – 10:15am

AUTHOR READINGS: Peter Cannon, Don D’Ammassa (L’Apogee, Biltmore)

9:00am – 10:15am

“WHY CTHULHU?”—IS HPL TOO MAINSTREAM? (Thurber Ballroom, Hotel Providence)

Lovecraft is now a cottage industry. There are Lovecraft inspired toys, games and even plushies! Does this mean that Lovecraft has lost his effectiveness? Has he been marketed and labeled so much that we are losing sight of his meaning? And, has Cthulhu become a surrogate for Lovecraft? (Will Murray, Nick Gucker, Andrew Migliore, Jason Brock, Dennis Paoli, Niels Hobbs – mod.)

WEIRD AND FANTASTIC POETRY (Garden Room, Biltmore)

Poetry has had a long history of using weird and fantastic images and themes. Lovecraft himself devoted many poems to these concepts. This panel discusses the history of weird poetry as well as celebrating its greatest poets. (Wilum Pugmire, S.T. Joshi, Steve Mariconda, Brett Rutherford)

AUTHOR READINGS: Peter Cannon, Don D’Ammassa (L’Apogee, Biltmore)

10:30am – 11:45

LOVECRAFT’S ESSAYS & LETTERS (Thurber Ballroom, Hotel Providence)

When considered in terms of word count, Lovecraft wrote more letters and essays than fiction. Find out why these were so important to Lovecraft and what they mean to us today. (S.T. Joshi, Jesus Navarro, Donovan Loucks, Leslie Klinger, Derrick Hussey – mod.)

WEIRD ART (Garden Room, Biltmore)

Lovecraft recognized the importance of “weird art’ as shown in his story, “Pickman’s Model”, and there is a long tradition of art that is both weird and unusual. Join us as we discuss some of the masters of this field and examine new and upcoming artists. (Jason Eckhardt, Bob Knox, Bob Eggleton, Stephen Gervais, Nick Gucker, Allen Koszowski, Joe Shea – mod.)

STUART GORDON INTERVIEW (Grand Ballroom, Biltmore)

One of the most famous and successful Lovecraft film directors of all time, Stuart Gordon sits down for an interview about his life and work and his views about the man from Providence. (Stuart Gordon, Jason Brock – interviewer)

AUTHOR READINGS: Caitlin Kiernan, Wilum Pugmire (L’Apogee, Biltmore)

Noon – 1:00pm: LUNCH

Grab something light in the Biltmore (drinks and snacks available outside the Grand Ballroom) or a pizza at the Hotel Providence, check out the food trucks on Kennedy Plaza, or sit down at one of several nearby restaurants.

1:00pm – 2:15pm

THE “OTHER GUYS”: Robert E Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Bierce, Hodgson, Chambers…(Thurber Ballroom, Hotel Providence)

Several writers like Ambrose Bierce, William Hope Hodgson, Robert Chambers and others influence Lovecraft in smaller ways. Learn more about these writers, their lives and works and how they are connected to Lovecraft and weird fiction history. (Joe Pulver, Scott Conners, Bob Price, Sam Gafford, Daniel Mills, Darrell Schweitzer—mod.)

SELF, GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY IN LOVECRAFT (Grand Ballroom, Biltmore)

This panel strives to examine these issues in Lovecraft’s fiction that have gone un-discussed for so long. What are the impact of these themes on Lovecraft and his fiction? How can it relate to today’s society? (Wilum Pugmire, Caitlin Kiernan, S. J. Chambers, Jesus Navarro, Lois Gresh, S.T. Joshi – mod.)

INNSMOUTH POETS’ POOL – poetry corner (L’Apogee 17, Biltmore)

Poets Are The Deep Ones. Although they use pen quills rather than sea gills, Lovecraftian poets plumb depths of horror and the Sublime unknown to mere mortals. Jump into The Innsmouth Poets’ Pool and join The Deep Ones during the scheduled poetry hours during Necronomicon 2013. Poets wishing to share their work, or fans wishing to read their favorite dark and Lovecraftian poems and verses, can sign up for 20-minute slots. Featured readers’ names will be posted online and at the event. Open slots of time will be used for “round robin” readings (everyone taking turns reading one poem at a time), with the final segment of each session reserved for chat and book signing.

To sign on for poetry, to see a listing of available time slots, and for further info via a contact email, please follow this link: http://www.poetspress.org/necro2013.shtml

1:00pm – 2:25pm

ACADEMICS TALKS (Garden Room, Biltmore)

“Human Interpretations on the Biology and Evolution of the Old Ones,” Fred S. Lubnow, Ph.D. – Princeton Hydro, LLC

Currently, life on Earth is taxonomically divided into three domains based on ribosomal RNA sequence similarities: the Eubacteria, the Archaebacteria and the Eukarya (includes the protoctista, fungi, plants and animals). Lovecraft’s biological discoveries are at least partially of extraterrestrial or in some cases extra-dimensional origin, so conventional Terran taxonomic classifications are typically not wholly applicable. This presentation specifically uses Lovecraft’s existing text, and a few other studies that have analyzed his text, to attempt to present an objective taxonomic classification scheme for Lovecraft’s entities. In addition, the presentation focuses on entities such as the Deep Ones, Elder Things, Shoggoths, Mi-Go and similar organisms. Some points will be made on how some of these organisms can actually be crossed with Terran species to create hybrids. Some, such as the Shoggoths, can actually be classified as of Terran origin and in fact may fit into the existing three domain taxonomy. Others, such as the “Color” that came from space, are difficult to even consider as “biological”. It is hoped that this presentation will offer investigators some insight into the taxonomy of Lovecraft’s biological discoveries and their relationship to Earth-based life.

“*Atmospheric Harmony*: H.P. Lovecraft as Proto-Providence-Preservationist,” Sarah Zurier – Historian, R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

This talk will consider H.P. Lovecraft’s writings about Providence’s rapidly changing cityscape and his attempts to make the case for preserving historic places. His opinions will be reviewed in context of the emerging local and national historic preservation movements. Specific sites include ‘The Old Brick Row’ of warehouses south of Market House, the Hogg Greenhouses on the site of the Colonial Apartments, and Benefit Street.

“Lovecraft, and the history of Astronomy in the early 20th Century,” Michael Umbricht – Observatory Curator and Visting Scholar, Ladd Observatory, Brown University

Description TBA

1:00pm – 3:00pm

WORKSHOP: Let’s Make a Movie! Now Let’s Watch It! (Second Floor, 95 Empire)

There’s a lot of sausage-making that goes on behind the scenes of making a movie, and learning a little bit about the mechanics and the logic behind editing will help you overcome this extremely common hurdle. If you’re going to make your own movie (and after this innovative workshop by Hellbender Media, you’ll be able to!), then you’re going to have to dance the same kind of dance we all do, and that includes editing. In this final workshop, we’ll show you a few tips and walk through a scene or two, and then voila! The damn thing is done. You made a movie at NecronomiCon! You unspeakably brilliant person!

2:30pm – 3:45pm

THE LENGTHENING SHADOW: LOVECRAFT’S INFLUENCE TODAY (Thurber Ballroom, Hotel Providence)

75 years after his death, Lovecraft is still influencing writers today. Find out how the “gentleman from Providence” is making his presence known even now. (Peter Cannon, Steve Mariconda, Don D’Ammassa, Paul DiFillippo, Robert Waugh, Joe Pulver – mod.)

LOVECRAFT’S NEW ENGLAND: HISTORY AND SOCIETY (Garden Room, Biltmore)

Lovecraft was a product of his time as well as the unique history and society of New England. This panel explores the many elements that made Lovecraft the man, and writer, that he was. (Rory Raven, Will Murray, Donovan Loucks, Daniel Mills, Ken Faig -mod.)

RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY AND COSMIC HORROR IN HPL (Grand Ballroom, Biltmore)

These are three of the biggest themes in Lovecraft’s life and work. What were Lovecraft’s views on these subjects and how did he incorporate them into his work? Can we understand Lovecraft through these concepts? (S.T. Joshi, Jason Brock, Bob Price, Cody Goodfellow, Marc Ricciardi- mod.)

AUTHOR READINGS: Laird Barron, Alan Dean Foster (L’Apogee, Biltmore)