In order to make sure I got into the 2005 Conference on College Composition and Communication, I was part of proposals for a few different things: a pre-conference workshop, a panel presentation, and a “Special Interest Group” (SIG) on creative writing. Well, there’s some confusion on the mailing lists and such about what has or hasn’t been accepted yet, but it looks like the only one of these things that “made it” was the SIG presentation.
This presents a bit of a dilemma for me. Basically, I can afford to go to one “big travel” conference a year, and both the CCCCs and the 2005 Computers and Writing Conference are going to be in San Francisco. On the one hand, I always like the CCCCs, I didn’t go last year, and considering the fact that it is the major conference in my field, it is one of those things I probably should go to as often as I can. On the other hand, because my panel and workshop (probably) didn’t make, I’m not sure it’s worth it to go for my relatively minor speaking role in the SIG, and I am also not sure which friends of mine are going, especially folks around EMU. Oh, I’ll know people if I were to go the CCCCs by myself, but right now, I’m not sure if I know anyone I can split a room with and such, for example.
Now, I went to C&W last summer in Hawaii (ahh… Hawaii…), and as much fun and as important as that conference is to me, I’m not sure that’s a conference I need to go to every year. So, on the one hand, I probably could/should skip C&W this time around, especially if it is a choice between it and the CCCCs, and I should probably go to the CCCCs. On the other hand, I know I’ll know more people (and frankly, have more fun) at C&W, I’ll probably be able to split a room with someone, and I will probably be able to have a more significant speaking role at the conference.
One other issue is timing. The CCCCs is in the middle of March, while C&W is in the middle of June, arguably a more convenient and pleasant weather time for me to go to San Francisco.
What to do? Who out there knows they are going to the CCCCs in March, anyway?