Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:23:37 -0400
From: Ted White <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Former WSFANs get a Worldcon
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Gayle Surrette wrote:

>  I've only seen Tom at conventions.  He's usually working on them or
>  on panels (which is a different type of work). He's been a co-chair
>  of a Worldcon and on various concoms.
>
>  On panels, he's articulate and interesting -- and as far as I'm
>  concerned that's worthy of a GoH slot all on it's own.
>
>  A person who is the ultimate in fanac but can't carry on a decent
>  conversation within the panel structure would in my mind be a
>  terrible GoH. Besides who the heck cares about fanac status -- I
>  don't and I doubt many others do either based on conversations with
>  convention attendees. At cons what counts is a persons ability to
>  help instill in the attendees a sense that this person loves the
>  field and can talk intelligently about it.

Well, speaking as the Worldcon chair who inaugurated the Fan Guest of
Honor tradition (NyCon3, 1967), I can tell you that it was intended to
honor major fans for their fanac.  Ours was Wilson "Bob" Tucker, who had
been a major fan since the mid-'30s, and who created much of what we had
come to value about fandom.

I agree that any GoH should be at least "interesting," and "articulate"
is even better.  But, and this may be a surprise to you, in core fandom
these are commonly possessed qualities.  I mean, as fans the first thing
we learned to do was to write.  In those days conventions were few and
far between and one's ability to work on a con was not one's most prized
attribute as a fan.  One's ability to express oneself *was* a prized
attribute.

I've known Tom for years, and I have no objection to his being Denver's
FGoH.  But I can think of dozens of fans who deserve the honor more --
who've been around longer (some are in danger of dying off) and done
more to distinguish themselves.

But I could say that equally of many recent past Worldcon FGoHs.

--Ted White