Cross-posted at DailyKos

Time has flown by and just a few short months ago we were all fired up about heading to Vegas for the very first gathering of the netroots at the YearlyKos Convention. A group of us had the idea that this was an important enough historical event that it should be documented. A group of four photographers and several volunteers spent time documenting the event and closed the convention with a slide show (previous diaries here and here.)

We were perhaps a little optimistic about the amount of effort it would take to assemble something like this into a book. I think one of the original diaries claimed 4 to 6 weeks, and clearly that didn’t happen. Everyone’s attention turned to electoral pursuits, but we felt it was important to write in with a progress report and share some of our work.

Overview of YearlyKos 2006 (page 2)- click for full-size PDF

It wasn’t until after we finally started assembling the photos and the essays we received that we realized just how important it was to get this right and properly document this truly historical event. The book we are putting together is 180 pages. Whether you attended YearlyKos Convention 2006 or not, there will be something there to bring it home for you. Hunter has composed some brilliant essays setting the stage of the conference, discussing the events that transpired, and analyzing what it all meant. We’ve got some brilliant photos and great quotes.

Our first offering will be an eBook and we plan to pursue a print publication as closely as possible afterwards. In addition to benefiting the next YearlyKos Convention, the proceeds from the eBook sales will help to finance a print publication. We are still accepting pre-orders for the eBook; be on the lookout for an announcement of the release of the book soon.

unConventional Forward Page (page 3) - click for full-size PDF

Portrait: Gina Cooper (page 9) - click for full-size PDF

Essay: Gina Cooper (page 10) - click for full-size PDF

We’ll be delivering this book in the next few weeks. This book is your chance to re-experience the YearlyKos Convention if you were there sweating it out there in the desert with the rest of us. You’ll practically smell the 50 years of smoke filtered into the walls of the Riviera again. You’ll feel the energy in the room at the Hard Rock Hotel as General Wes Clark jumped on the table to speak to the packed room. If you didn’t have the opportunity to go to YearlyKos Convention 2006, it’ll give you a teaser of the experience and fire you up for the next one.

 YKC 2006