Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 20:31:17 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: Sam Lubell <samlubell at verizon.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Capclave
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 07:17 PM 10/18/2004, Ted wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
>To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
>Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 2:42 PM
>Subject: [WSFA] Re: Goodbye?
>
> > You missed an excellent con.
>
>Really?  By what standards?  I heard a lot of complaints.
>
>They boiled down to two things:  That a decreasing number of
>out-of-the-area fans showed up (especially contrasted with Capclave 1,
>which drew a number of people from elsewhere)

This is something we do need to work on.  However, those who did show had a
great time.

>, and that the GoHs were
>neither significant nor a draw.

Considering that last year we had William Tenn and still had a decline in
membership, I think our problems run deeper than the choice of
guest.  Besides, considering Capclave is a relaxacon, I'm not sure that the
guest of honor really is the cause of membership shifts.  Looking at the
list of past Dis/Capclaves, Pat Anthony got more people than Michael
Swanwick, George RR Martin got more people than Connie Willis etc.  Do
these necessarily represent popularity?

Last year's GoH, Phil Klass, was an *excellent* choice -- a man who has
>written some of the best SF of the last half-century.  This year's was
>someone I'd never heard of

As the one who picked Klass, I'm glad you liked him.  However, no guest
pleases everyone.  I picked Tenn because he was the writer I most wanted to
spend a weekend honoring, but I'm sure a lot of people new to the genre
took a look at our flyer and said, "William Tenn, Never heard of him"  as
his only recent books have been the expensive (and not usually found in
bookstores) NESFA Press books.  That's why it is important to have a
variety of guests, including some newer writers.

>Next year's GoHs -- Howard Waldrop and the Nielsen-Haydens -- are far
>better choices, and I hope that will help re-energize Capclave.  Otherwise,
>I can see it fizzling into extinction.  And that would be a shame.

Okay, let's turn this in a positive direction.  You're an experienced,
long-time fan.  Any ideas about how to prevent Capclave from fizzling into
extinction?