DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fandango, v. 1, issue 4, Spring 1944

Transcribe
Translate

Fandango, v. 1, issue 4, Spring 1944

Page 5

I saying!
       Of course, this all fits in beautifully with what Juffus goes on to say about psychological maladjustment among fen. After becoming well acquainted with the LASFS, to say nothing of several other fen up and down the pacific coast, I am of the firm opinion that there is not a single member of fandom who is completely normal psychologically, with the possible exception of Alva Rogers (an amazingly human person to be calling himself a fan. From what I've seen, the average fan is completely introverted, and in addition is so neurotic and unbalanced that continual association with him is virtually impossible. This, incidentally is my sole objection to the slan center idea; I doubt strongly if the project on a large scale would last a year.
      Your remarks on trying to get the fans to live more in the outside world are beautiful. Experience with other introverts is actually harmful so far as developing these kiddies, because after all what most fen (including myself to some extent, dammit) need is a complete feeling of freedom in any sort of company. If we are going to spend out time sitting of the flats of our butts in the LASFS crudroom, Slam Center, or anyplace else--instead of going out with people, we might just as well stay hermits, with our only outside contacts through the rarified medium of letters.
       My own ideas on slan center are covered elsewhere in this ish, but in connection with your foundation idea, I should like to suggest that the ideal place for such a deal would include a bar room which was also open to the public. Of course, there might be a tendency for the kiddies to depend on their liquor to mingle with the populace, but even so, the ease with which one makes acquaintences in a barroom shud help the boys climb out from within themselves. (And don't you just love the way I drop nonchalantly into simplified spelling whenever I come to the end of the line? Blame 4sj; he's sitting right here at the same table with me at the moment, and there is an unmistakeable aurora of phony spelling hovering about.
        But why in HELL should you worry about possible scandals in slan center? In the first place, who cares? We are supposed to be unconventional emissaries of the future, atheistic and impatient of present day restrictions of all kinds--thus it would be right in line with our other attitudes for us to be somewhat lax in our "morals". Then secondly, if the LASFS is a fair sample of fandom, we need have NO WORRY about any scandal. The average LASFSIAN would sit quite comfortably alongside a naked woman; without a tremor he'd go on reading his ASF. All he'd be likely to use the babe for would be to moisten his finger when he wanted to turn a page!
         Now I shall veer. Your remarks on editing are strictly from crud. As editor of one of the top subscription fanzines, I can assure you that the only stuff I've ever used without editing has been written by either H. P. Lovecraft or Clark Ashton Smith--and I've even edited some of the Lovecraft sutff I used. I will say that if the average fan writer would take enough pains with his stuff, editing would be unnecessary, but how many bits of fan writing are worth a damn even after having been edited? As to obtaining the author's consent, my masthead carries the notation, "Accepted material subject to editorial revision if necessary".
                  ---oOo---
          Ray #2. This is probably the sanest discussion on Degler yet. However, I should like to ask, "WHY a national fanorg at all?". I'm doing OK without one, and the rest of the boys seem to be making out.
                  ---oOo---
          THE PHANATGRAPH. By all means, let's have the uncompleted Merritt stuff, and WHITOUT inept completions by other hands!
                   -- 5 --

Saving...

I saying! Of course, this all fits in beautifully with what Juffus goes on to say about psychological maladjustment among fen. After becoming well acquainted with the LASFS, to say nothing of several other fen up and down the pacific coast, I am of the firm opinion that there is not a single member of fandom who is completely normal psychologically, with the possible exception of Alva Rogers (an amazingly human person to be calling himself a fan. From what I've seen, the average fan is completely introverted, and in addition is so neurotic and unbalanced that continual association with him is virtually impossible. This, incidentally is my sole objection to the slan center idea; I doubt strongly if the project on a large scale would last a year. Your remarks on trying to get the fans to live more in the outside world are beautiful. Experience with other introverts is actually harmful so far as developing these kiddies, because after all what most fen (including myself to some extent, dammit) need is a complete feeling of freedom in any sort of company. If we are going to spend out time sitting of the flats of our butts in the LASFS crudroom, Slam Center, or anyplace else--instead of going out with people, we might just as well stay hermits, with our only outside contacts through the rarified medium of letters. My own ideas on slan center are covered elsewhere in this ish, but in connection with your foundation idea, I should like to suggest that the ideal place for such a deal would include a bar room which was also open to the public. Of course, there might be a tendency for the kiddies to depend on their liquor to mingle with the populace, but even so, the ease with which one makes acquaintences in a barroom shud help the boys climb out from within themselves. (And don't you just love the way I drop nonchalantly into simplified spelling whenever I come to the end of the line? Blame 4sj; he's sitting right here at the same table with me at the moment, and there is an unmistakeable aurora of phony spelling hovering about. But why in HELL should you worry about possible scandals in slan center? In the first place, who cares? We are supposed to be unconventional emissaries of the future, atheistic and impatient of present day restrictions of all kinds--thus it would be right in line with our other attitudes for us to be somewhat lax in our "morals". Then secondly, if the LASFS is a fair sample of fandom, we need have NO WORRY about any scandal. The average LASFSIAN would sit quite comfortably alongside a naked woman; without a tremor he'd go on reading his ASF. All he'd be likely to use the babe for would be to moisten his finger when he wanted to turn a page! Now I shall veer. Your remarks on editing are strictly from crud. As editor of one of the top subscription fanzines, I can assure you that the only stuff I've ever used without editing has been written by either H. P. Lovecraft or Clark Ashton Smith--and I've even edited some of the Lovecraft sutff I used. I will say that if the average fan writer would take enough pains with his stuff, editing would be unnecessary, but how many bits of fan writing are worth a damn even after having been edited? As to obtaining the author's consent, my masthead carries the notation, "Accepted material subject to editorial revision if necessary". ---oOo--- Ray #2. This is probably the sanest discussion on Degler yet. However, I should like to ask, "WHY a national fanorg at all?". I'm doing OK without one, and the rest of the boys seem to be making out. ---oOo--- THE PHANATGRAPH. By all means, let's have the uncompleted Merritt stuff, and WHITOUT inept completions by other hands! -- 5 --