All my contributions were in the last two days of the conference. My paper session was good, inasmuch as the papers being presented were all good papers, strong narrative drive, good, interesting insightsl. Our audience was a modest seven people, and we each received one question or comment apiece. (I wished then for a roundtable discussion!) Still, two people came just to hear my paper, which all on its own made it all worth it. That evening, I joined a group of Brits for a roundtable discussion about the job market on both sides of the ocean. It was lively and brief, an hour of discussion and opinion in the midst of one-and-a-half hour sessions.
Four intensive and rich days of conferencing - yet fairly relaxed at the same time. It was a good chance to catch up with old friends and meet new colleagues. I have a dozen recommended books to go away and read now - no, I didn't buy all those at the book fair. That's the bibliography accumulated in scribbles in my notebook. Although I may have bought a book or five while I was there anyways...