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Fandango, v. 2, issue 3, whole no. 7, Winter 1944
Page 9
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GOTHIC TALES is not fantasy, though he stated that they are excellent reading. I note with extreme interest your remarks anent the project-omania which has struck fandom lately. I am particularly struck with your underlying attitude that all these projects must be sponsored by the NFFF or some similar organization in order to be successful. Now I realise that my own personal fanarchistic attitude may perhaps be coloring my views, but I honestly cannot see the utility of the NFFF in such a connection. I have seen two NFFF projects carried out this summer: Daugherty's DIRECTORY, and the Speer FANCYCLOPEDIA. Daugherty told me that he'd never have compiled a second edition of his directory except to add to the greater glories of the NFFF. Ackerman stated to me that he would never have dreamed of publishing the Speer opus except as an instrumentality of the NFFF. I have absolutely no reason to doubt the sincerity of these gentlemen; in fact, it is plain that they actually feel that way about it. But why do they, and you, feel this way about it? Daugherty did every tap of work on that directory himself. He kept all the files, he made the dummies, cut the stencils, designed the cover, mimeographed, assembled, addressed...why no one even helped him carry them to the mailbox! Despite Walt's sincere contention, that directory is a NFFF project in name only. And the Cyclopedia! I was in the club practically daily from the time Ackerman first thought of getting the stencils from Bronson until the finished product came back from the binders, and I know for a positive fact that if it had not been for Ackerman, and Ackerman alone, that book would still be a stack of unfunny stencils. Morojo and Daugherty did a vast amount of work on the job, others of us helped more or less, but Ackerman is the boy that put it over. He says he wouldn't have done it had it not been for the NFFF; I believe him, but I'm wholly unable to see why he feels so. True, the NFFF put up some money (a lot less than Ackerman himself, though!), and in one sense it might be said that it was NFFF contacts that made the deal possible--but we all know that Ackerman had wide contacts in fandom years before NFFF was heard of and that he will have these same contadts years after NFFF is in the same limbo with ISA and other forgotten clubs. His personal prestige would have gotten the financial backing just as easily as he got it through NFFF; his coworkers, I am sure, would have worked just as hard helping him mimeograph and asseble it if it had sailed under its true colors as an Ackerman-Speer project. Would someone mind explaining all this to me in words of one syllable? You speak of THE GREAT BIB. A great deal of preliminary work has been done....anarchistically! First, Louis C. Smith--in a recent issue of LETHE--volunteered to act as co-ordinator for the entire project, and serve as a clearing house. This led Sam Russell and myself to contemplate the book section of the list. We wrote Smith and ALSearles on the subject. Smith was delighted, gave us to understand that we could go ahead with his full cooperation. For a number of reasons (including Bearles high-handed attitude towards FAPA censorship, and his tendency to look down his nose at anyone save himself) it will be impossible to collaborate with him. If he wishes to continue his present biblio, he is of course at full liberty to do so; but we shall try our hand independently of him. Our listing will probably run to 150 pages if mimeographed, and will be issued as a bound book. Virtually all the preliminary work was finished last night, and we have started the actual cataloging. Further information will appear from time to time in the general fan press. Can an anarchistic project succeed? -- 9 --
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GOTHIC TALES is not fantasy, though he stated that they are excellent reading. I note with extreme interest your remarks anent the project-omania which has struck fandom lately. I am particularly struck with your underlying attitude that all these projects must be sponsored by the NFFF or some similar organization in order to be successful. Now I realise that my own personal fanarchistic attitude may perhaps be coloring my views, but I honestly cannot see the utility of the NFFF in such a connection. I have seen two NFFF projects carried out this summer: Daugherty's DIRECTORY, and the Speer FANCYCLOPEDIA. Daugherty told me that he'd never have compiled a second edition of his directory except to add to the greater glories of the NFFF. Ackerman stated to me that he would never have dreamed of publishing the Speer opus except as an instrumentality of the NFFF. I have absolutely no reason to doubt the sincerity of these gentlemen; in fact, it is plain that they actually feel that way about it. But why do they, and you, feel this way about it? Daugherty did every tap of work on that directory himself. He kept all the files, he made the dummies, cut the stencils, designed the cover, mimeographed, assembled, addressed...why no one even helped him carry them to the mailbox! Despite Walt's sincere contention, that directory is a NFFF project in name only. And the Cyclopedia! I was in the club practically daily from the time Ackerman first thought of getting the stencils from Bronson until the finished product came back from the binders, and I know for a positive fact that if it had not been for Ackerman, and Ackerman alone, that book would still be a stack of unfunny stencils. Morojo and Daugherty did a vast amount of work on the job, others of us helped more or less, but Ackerman is the boy that put it over. He says he wouldn't have done it had it not been for the NFFF; I believe him, but I'm wholly unable to see why he feels so. True, the NFFF put up some money (a lot less than Ackerman himself, though!), and in one sense it might be said that it was NFFF contacts that made the deal possible--but we all know that Ackerman had wide contacts in fandom years before NFFF was heard of and that he will have these same contadts years after NFFF is in the same limbo with ISA and other forgotten clubs. His personal prestige would have gotten the financial backing just as easily as he got it through NFFF; his coworkers, I am sure, would have worked just as hard helping him mimeograph and asseble it if it had sailed under its true colors as an Ackerman-Speer project. Would someone mind explaining all this to me in words of one syllable? You speak of THE GREAT BIB. A great deal of preliminary work has been done....anarchistically! First, Louis C. Smith--in a recent issue of LETHE--volunteered to act as co-ordinator for the entire project, and serve as a clearing house. This led Sam Russell and myself to contemplate the book section of the list. We wrote Smith and ALSearles on the subject. Smith was delighted, gave us to understand that we could go ahead with his full cooperation. For a number of reasons (including Bearles high-handed attitude towards FAPA censorship, and his tendency to look down his nose at anyone save himself) it will be impossible to collaborate with him. If he wishes to continue his present biblio, he is of course at full liberty to do so; but we shall try our hand independently of him. Our listing will probably run to 150 pages if mimeographed, and will be issued as a bound book. Virtually all the preliminary work was finished last night, and we have started the actual cataloging. Further information will appear from time to time in the general fan press. Can an anarchistic project succeed? -- 9 --
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