The December 1992 Newsletter by Jeanne Bowman North American Administrator P.O. Box 982 Glen Ellen California 95442-0982 USA Phone 1(707) 996-9009 be warned! Junior secretaries eager to practise! Again. Robert Lichtman keeps the mailing list, Paul Williams the bulk mail permit (thanks!).
JUMPING JEHOSHAPHAT
That's right, FOUR candidates, fanzine fen all. I met 'em now you get to choose (tough call, believe me). So, reproduce these ballots, get out the vote. Early and Often - you may change your vote on the ballot (after I cash the check) but I have to know before 5:00 pm on the date of THE VOTING DEADLINE -- MAY 1, 1993. Sorry, no fax, no modem, no net (yet). Mail or phone as above.
•P.O.Box 611 is for bulk mailing purposes ONLY•
OGEE
How about that Glasgow bid? So, Confrancisco and a TAFF delegate from Europe, then what? I like Pam Wells' suggestion to change the TAFF schedule so that a North American goes to Glasgow. With as many people nominated, and worthy, in Europe this round, why not give them another go at North America's Conada (Winnipeg '94)? Tell me what you think. I don't mind a long stint at Administrating, just talk to me. Bill Bodden says I ought to ask for a donation before listening to any suggestion...
GEnie, Jeanne? queries Dave Bridges
I've been getting addicted to GEnie, in particular their Science Fiction Round Table bulletin board. Damon Knight is one of the most charismatic people there, but we have Joe Haldeman, PNI-I, TNH and a lot of others. Great fun, but, very addictive.
I do have a question appertaining to my involvement in both TAFF and the SFRT. The SFRT is a place where people who are interested in SF hang out. Some are fannish fans, some are media fans, and some are just folk. Yet a fair number will be attending the convention...
What I want to know is how the SFRT would stand as a fan organization with regard to voting in TAFF. I'm thinking of where it says "If you think your name may not be known to the TAFF administrators..." or however the hell that bit is worded.
It reads "ease give the name and address of an active fan (not a fan group, a candidate or their nominator) ..." I'd rather have a personal reference. You, or PNH or a local like Lenny Bailes make sense. General Electric Network doesn't. Chuq von Rospach auctioned a copy of Mike Resnick's "Redbeard" on GEnie and sent in the $25 proceeds. It counts by me.
And also, if I uploaded a voting form complete with my name on the bottom as its originator, would such a printout be accepted as a legal voting form? GEnie had a downloadable file that was valid for the recent Hugo Awards. How does TAFF fair on this front?
No problem. It's been done. The ballot asks for verbatim reproduction -- but no one rejected those with the glaring typo I produced. Do you want to send in a disc for an official text copy?
The only real problem I see with this is, it's not, Mondo 2000 aside, internationally interactive. I think people want to see the fanzine appearances.
GEE WHIZ
Thanks to these intrepid Magicon Auctioneers, (and those who bought from them) who raised over $275 for TAFF: Richard Brandt, Moshe Feder, Ellen Franklin, Andy Hooper, Peter Larsen, Michelle Lyons, Spike Parsons, Geri Sullivan, Art Widner and Roger Weddall (whom, I am told, was Mr. Personality at the event, leading DUFF to pocket $546.30).
Further more, Geri Sullivan and the Magicon fan lounge raised $54.36, and after Geri went back to Minneapolis, by golly she auctioned off $165.50 worth of stuff and sold $40 worth of TAFF t-shirts.
Gosh, thanks too, Ditto 4 for your $50 donation!
GENUINE ARTICLE
The mail auction. Send in your bids to P.O. Box 982 Glen Ellen, Ca. 95442-0982 USA with a post card, and I will appraise you of it's status. You procrastinators out there the deadline for last minutes phone bids on this auction will be January 20, 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
•Please note: Pam Wells will take bids on Rounds 1 and 2 for European TAFF until Easter 1993•
In his Hyphen: The Less Than Compleat Catalog Richard Brant writes, Published 'in the fleeting interval between issues of SLANT,' as Walter Willis wrote in the first issue, HYPHEN reigned for one spectacular decade as the supreme fannish fanzine on either side of the Atlantic. Madeleine Willis coined the onomatopoeic title; their associates over the years included token Brit Chuch Harris, James White, John Berry, George Charters, Ian MacAulay, and the irreplaceable Arthur Thomson. These particular issues are from Thomson's collection.
ITEM #1 HYPHEN #8, April 1954. Cover by art editor Bob Shaw. 30 pp. Mal Ashworth contributes an all-purpose snide con report. Chuch Harris's "Random" continues his running feud with James White (dragging James's poor fiancee Peggy into it). Vin[c] Clarke's "Grunch" touts the latest reproductive technology, Bob Shaw weighs the perils of collecting, and there's an especially lively lettercol. The bacover is devoted, as always, to "Eavesdroppings", quotes gleaned gloriously out-of-context from correspondence and conversation ("I WORKED ON HER MOST OF THE NIGHT AND GOT INK ALL OVER THE WALLS"). Hyphen's reprint supplement, TOTO, presents a 1942 Spaceways contribution on a day in the life of a skiffy writer, the by-line is "Lyle Monroe". Minimum bid $10.
Proceeds will be shared with ATom's family.
Thanks Mr. B for words on Hyphen 8. I'm not much on reviewing, but some things came home with me...
ITEM #2 SALIROMANIA 5 Sept 1991. In which Michael Ashiey remarks "the thing that's wrong with the parrot squawk of "fanzine fandom is dying" is that it is just a theory. (A bit like Marxism. Remember that?)" Fanzine reviews. Seriously lurid and tasteless cover. Will come in brown paper wrapper. Minimum $1.00
Also from the bottom of my suitcase and the not too distant past, is the historically interesting,
ITEM #3 ELECTION SPECIAL by Abigail Frost. Produced, but not distributed in the USA for her 1991 TAFF bid. (two one sheet issues.) "I say, it doesn't say anything about layout, does it? Couldn't we put my platform in huge great letters and the others in 6pt -- no, 5pt? And you can get these scratch and sniff inks now, print mine in Shalimar, no, Miss Dior and Pam's in Stale Curry and Bruno's in Boiled Cabbage?" Withstands the test of time. Minimum bid $1.00
•Needed to auction for the next newsletter - old zines featuring Ashley Watkins and Tony Berry•
•Equal Opportunity Embarrassment•And Still Available, prices postpaid:
TransAtlantic Hearing Aid D.Langford $5
Platen Stories by Dave Langford $4
Fanthology 87 edited by R Brandt $5
A Fans' Christmas In Ireland W. Willis and fannish neighbors. Art by Stu Shiffman. Limited & numbered edition ... $6BUTTON • TACK
The Rick Sneary Memorial FanzineFeatures, in addition to reprints of Rick's writings, articles and commentary by Robert Bloch, Redd Boggs, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ed Cox, Bill Ellem, Dick Eney, Don Franson, Mike Glyer, Dean A Grennell, John Hertz, Frank Kelly Freas, Robert Lichtman, Ethel Lindsay, Mark Manning, Len Moffatt, Art Rapp, William Rostler, Roy Tackett, Harry Warner Jr, Walt Willis and Stan Woolston. Artwork by Terry Carr, Charles Lee Jackson II, William Rotsler, ATom and Bjo Trimble. 58 pages, photo cover, co-edited by John Hertz, June and Len Moffatt and published with Ed Cox. Proceeds from the sale of "Button • Tack" go to TAFF. (Over $180 so far.) This prodution says all there is to say about fanzine fandom supporting TAFF... Thank you all! To Order Your Copy: write a $5 check to "Jeanne Bowman" but mail it to Moffatt House, Box 4456, Downey, Ca. 90241. Len and June will send your copy and forward the cheques.