Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:56:13 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <wsfalist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] NASFiC
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

My thoughts about the NASFiC have changed over the years.  I worked on
the 1979 (right after coming back from Worldcon, with an incubating
upper respitory virus the became full blown during the NASFiC) and the
1985 (Austin).  They were pretty good conventions.

At Austin, watching Richard Powers paint was a sight.  However, the
real treat, was standing on the Congress Street Bridge during dusk
and.... http://tinyurl.com/ym7d32

But I digress....

As far as I am concerned, the NASFiC is a fairly useless convention,
created by American fans, unhappy at not having a "big con" to go to
when Worldcon went overseas.   I have no problem with the idea of a
"national" US convention, I have a problem with the *World* Science
Fiction Society administering such.  One another mailing list, if you
want to fill your inbox with vast amounts of email, the subject line
"Kill The NASFiC" is a winner.  It's a lot of work for next to no
fannish compensation.  If folks aren't goingto Worldcon, it would be
nice if they spent some oftheir Worldcon moeny an go to a.... *gasp*...
a convention they've never been to.  It's not like there'sa dearth of
conventions in this country.

When Baltimore was bidding for 1983 one of the things we had to
overcome was the assumption that if we lost we'd be hosting the NASFiC.
We had no intention of doing that. And we let fandom know... in no
uncertain terms.  Sometimes you do need to use a clue by 4 on people.

Frankly, I would rather see WSFA devote it's resources to making
Capclave a better convention each year.  Not necessarily bigger, but
better.

Anyway, my 2 cents worth.

mjw