The Official Philip José Farmer Home Page

Upcoming Appearances

The Event: On the Peoria Public Library's Calendar of Events page you will find the following listing for August 10th:

WRITERS LIVE EVENT: "The Lover’s Celebration: The 50th Anniversary" of the publication of Philip Jose Farmer’s first science fiction story, The Lovers, 2 PM, Lakeview Branch Library. The Lovers, a groundbreaking story about aliens and humans, led to Farmer’s winning the 1953 Hugo Award for Most Promising New Talent. Fans from across the U.S. and as far away as England are coming to Peoria for this 50th Anniversary Celebration. Tributes from other Science Fiction Luminaries will be read. Author’s Reception sponsored by Friends of Peoria Public Library. Books will available for sale and signing. Open to the public. FREE 497-2141

Where To Stay: Holiday Inn
4400 N Brandywine Drive
Peoria, IL 61614
Tel: (309) 686-8000

The Holidome Brandywine whose information is listed above is offering us a discount from their standard $99, we have a choice of $76 for room only, or $81 for a room plus breakfast, they also offer complimentary transportation to and from the Peoria airport. This rate is good for any length stay, that includes August 9th or 10th, so you can arrive early or stay over and still get the same rate. To get this rate just tell them that you want the PJFarmer rate, if you have any problems ask for Gina, she is the sales manager who set this up for us. We will all be in one area of the hotel so that it is easier to get together.

Here are the driving directions from the hotel to the Lake View branch of the Peoria Public Library.

Who Is Coming: The following is a list of people who have contacted us directly or posted a message on the PJF Forum. Please email me if your status is incorrect or changes.

Phil & Bette Farmer {2 for dinner}
Mike Croteau - coming from Georgia - bringing wife, kids and even my mother. Rooms reserved (fri). {4 for dinner}
Rick Beaulieu - coming from Texas - room already reserved (thur-sun). {1 for dinner}
Dale LaFleur - coming from Texas. {1 for dinner}
Fernando Maldonado - coming from Texas. {1 for dinner}
Craig Kimber - coming from Ohio - room not yet reserved. {2 for dinner}
Tracy Knight - coming from Illinois - bringing wife, arriving the day of the event. {2 for dinner}
Jason Robert Bell - coming from New York - room reserved. {1 for dinner}
Roger Crombie - coming from Bermuda! - room reserved (thu-mon). {1 for dinner}
Kelley Cullers - coming from somewhere near Peoria.{1 for dinner}
Lee Barrie - coming from Rockford Illinois - room reserved (sat).{2 for dinner}
Dan Getz - coming from Nevada - room reserved.{1 for dinner}
Stevyn Prothero - coming from Michigan.{2 for dinner}
Paul Spiteri - coming from England with wife and kids! {3 for dinner}
Zacharias Nuninga - coming from The Netherlands with girlfriend! room reserved (fri-sun) {2 for dinner}
Shannon Robicheaux - might be coming from California. {1 for dinner}
Bill Knight - coming from Illinois - bringing wife, arriving the day of the event. {2 for dinner}
Maggie Neslon - local. {1 for dinner}
Bill Dennis - local. {1 for dinner}
Rob Gibson & Tasha Walters - coming from West Virginia.
Don Mead - coming from Illinois. {1 for dinner}
Dean Marvin - coming from Florida.{1 for dinner}
John Angelo - coming from California.{3 for dinner}
Jim Cook - coming from Ohio.{1 for dinner}

The dinner is completely sold out!

What Else Is There To Do: Before the event: For those who will be in Peoria on Friday. Check-in at the hotel is 4:00pm, I was hoping to get to the hotel around 1:00pm, meet up with the few people who have already checked in and those just arriving, and go to Bradley Park. We could kill time at the park playing disc golf until we can check-in at 4:00. Then we could all meet in the lobby again around 5:00 and go out to eat somewhere.

*****THIS JUST IN***** Across the street from the hotel is a Perkin's restaurant (family style food, inexpensive, anything from sandwiches to steaks). They will be able to seat 20-30 people, more or less together, in the back of the restaurant. They are expecting us around 5:00 for supper.

If you have never played disc golf, it is a lot of fun, just like golf (as you may have guessed) but the game goes faster and there are no greens fees. If you want to practice ahead of time, you can check the disc golf link above and see if there is a course near you. Sports Authority and Play it Again Sports both sell discs if you have those stores in your area. I've also been told that discs are for sale at Parkway Tap, just across from Bradley Park on Farmington Rd. I have lots of extra discs so you can use one of mine if you just want to try it out on Friday. Every person I have ever taken to a course for the first time has loved it and asked where they can buy discs before we even finished the 18 holes (baskets actually).

During the event: Before we get to the book signing there will be a few surprises for Phil and Bette, and you could be there to see them! The library will have a table set up selling newer Farmer books, with the proceeds going to the library. I (Mike) have talked to Maggie Nelson at the library and we will have a second table set up for me to sell the items that I am selling for Phil here on the page. Maybe the copies of unpublished manuscripts will be harder to resist when they are right in front of you. I will probably only have a couple copies of each manuscript, and I cannot take credit cards on the spot (only through Paypal when we get home). But you could always order a copy after the event if they prove too tempting. I will have lots of copies of WORLD OF TIERS Volume 1. If any dealers are willing to make a donation to the library and have a lot of choice Farmer items, contact us about bringing your stock to the event as space will be limited.

Phil will be at the library from 2:00 - 4:00. We will be selling books and other items before he arrives, from 1:00 - 2:00 and after he leaves, from 4:00 - 5:30.

After the event: Phil and Bette Farmer will be leaving the library at 4:00. At 6:00 we will meet them at The Lariat Steakhouse for dinner. Just like last year's Living Legend Reception we can spend another couple of hours hanging out with Phil and Bette. Here is the catch: if you want to go to the dinner, you have to look at this menu and decide what you want to eat ahead of time. This will accomplish two things, we won't be limited to only 4 items to choose from (because of the large group), and by emailing Mike ahead of time and placing your order, you are securing your seat at the dinner. If you do not contact us ahead of time, you cannot attend the dinner! Right now we hope to have some time before the food arrives for everyone to have their picture taken with Phil and Bette. We will put the digital photos up on the web site after the event so you can download them and print them.

Here is a map of the area, including the Holiday Inn, the Lake View branch of the library, the Lariat Steakhouse and Bradley Park.

Watch This Page for Developements!

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