Friend a Day – Christopher Robert Cargill

Photo by Eugene Hsu

I’ve known Cargill since I met him in a kitchen in Austin, Texas.  We were both trying to stuff 200+ bags full of SWAG for Butt-Numb-a-Thon.  Actually, I think I was mostly in the attic rolling posters.

I’m fairly certain I thought he was loud and obnoxious.  I was an idiot.

He is loud.  But he’s not obnoxious.

Fortunately, it only took me about 24 hours to figure that out.

Cargill is better informed about almost any topic than anyone I know.  I may not always agree with his opinion (though I usually do) but I can’t argue with his facts.

I’ve gone to him for advice on several occasions as there are very few people whose opinion I value more than his.  He has a way of cutting through all the bullshit and getting right to the central issue that has to be addressed.

He’s also one of the most gracious hosts I know.  When Butt-Numb-a-Thon rolls around, he and Jess open up their home to a parade of out-of-town guests.  I’ve never felt unwelcome in their home.  They make you feel like you are one of the most important people in the world for the time you spend there.

In the years of doing panels with him at CONvergence, he has shown he is up for just about anything.  If we are doing a comedy panel, he is funny.  If we are doing a panel about movies, he knows a lot about movies.  As a writer, he knows a lot about writing.

He doesn’t use a panel to sell his work.  I assume that he expects being an intelligence and informed speaker can do more to sell his work than trying to talk about his work every second.

Cargill is going to be a Guest of Honor at the convention this year and that has been a long time coming.  His resume certainly means he is worthy of the title.  It is his personality, however, that makes him perfect.

He is loud, yes.  He is also generous, intelligent, funny, and creative.  I can’t wait for CONvergence attendees to get to know him better this weekend.