DragonCon 1999:
Anne McCaffrey's Private Panel

This private, by-invitation-only panel was held for Anne's fans at her request.  It was publicized no where expect the Weyrfest room, so that it wouldn't be mobbed by a bunch of semi-fans.  Anyone who stopped by the Weyrfest room before 1pm Friday for more than a minute or two would have learned of the panel, and could have asked for an invitation to attend.  On my way to the panel room, I discovered that I didn't have my invitation with me (oh no!) and had to race back to the Weyrfest room to get another one.  On my way into the panel, security prevented the woman in front of me from entering--she didn't have an invitation--and I privately cheered; she must have just heard a rumor about the panel, but hadn't taken the time to find out how to attend as a true fan would have.  Once inside, I was delighted to find that Becky and Donna had saved me a seat front row center with them.   And when Anne sat down off-center on the platform, I was right across from her!   Bless you, Becky and Donna!
Her son Todd McCaffrey was persuaded to join her on the platform, and the two of them answered all the questions that were shouted out.  It was a wonderful time to see Anne's great wit in person, learn about future plans for books, and generally have a grand ol' time with the great Dragonlady.

The notes I took from this panel fall into three general categories, which I'll cover on separate pages.  The categories are the Dragonriders of Pern tv show from Atlantis, the Dragonflight game from Grolier Interactive, and a general McCaffrey Q&A.