Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 17:20:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Slander
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

This will be my last message on this subject unless someone brings up
something new.

Candy Madigan <candymadigan at mindspring.com> wrote:

> No, she did not "suddenly" become upset.  It's just that she finally
> decided to no longer allow you to crash her invitation only parties.

I have never crashed a party in my life.  Every time I had been to
Elizabeth's condo, it had been because she had either specifically
invited me or had invited all WSFAns when I was still in WSFA.

After she hosted two Fifth Fridays, she had invited me to at least two
events to which not all WSFAns were invited, one of which I attended.

And she had invited me back since then.

I can't make it any plainer than that.

> At her house, you were asked to go when you were the last WSFAn
> there.  You argued with her about it.  *That* is what she is so
> upset about.

Yes, I understand now that that is what she has been asserting.  But
is there the slightest evidence for it?  Has anyone come forward to
say they saw me do this?  Has anyone come forward to say they saw me
argue with any host or hostess or refuse to leave anywhere, ever?  Has
anyone come forward to say they saw me crash a party or other event,
anywhere, ever?  Has anyone come forward to say they have caught me
in a lie, ever?  No.  Such actions would be grossly out of character
for me.

I do not go or remain anywhere I am made to feel the tiniest bit
unwelcome.

> This happened at the last 5th Friday she hosted which was in 2004.
> *You* are the reason she no longer hosts 5th Fridays.

Even though she invited me, specifically, to at least two parties
since her last Fifth Friday?  That makes no sense at all.

> Oh for Ghod's sake!  Grow up!  Your personal issues with Bill and
> Elizabeth do not matter to anyone but you, Bill, Elizabeth, and
> apparently to me.  And it mattering to me is just a flaw in my
> personality.

Yes, I take it personally when someone spreads malicious lies against
me.  If people come to believe them, it can destroy both my career
and my social life.  From what you say, this isn't recent, as I had
thought.  According to you, while she was acting friendly towards me
and inviting me over, Elizabeth has been secretly slandering me behind
my back for years.  I have no idea why.  I have no idea who else she
may be doing the same against.  I have no idea whether you could be
her next victim.

Bill's claims make no sense.  If he didn't want me at his Balticon
party, he could have said so to me in person, privately, at Ravencon.
Or in person, privately, at Balticon before his party began.  Or via
email before Balticon.  Or via telephone before Balticon.  Even once
the party began, he could have asked me to step out into the hall, and
spoken to me in private.  Or he could have refrained from hosting an
*open* party.

He did none of those things.  What he actually did had only one
possible motivation -- to humiliate and denounce me in front of as
many people as possible.  I have no idea why.  I have no idea who else
he may do the same against.  I have no idea whether you could be his
next victim.

The character of WSFA's officers should matter to every WSFA member.

Has anyone asked Bill what he will do if his girlfriend is "creeped
out" by someone at his Capclave?  What if that person is in charge of
the con suite?  What if that person is the guest of honor?

> Well, I was wondering how long it would take for me to lose my
> patience with you.  I think I just found out.

Because I dare defend myself against lies instead of confessing to
anything, no matter how ridiculous, someone accuses me of?

> You are, of course, welcome in my home,

As I said, I never go anywhere I don't feel welcome.  Not even if I'm
specifically invited.  I will never set foot in your home again.  Not
even if you apologize to me, as you did the last time you called me a
liar.  (That time you claimed I had blocked your email from this list.
You later agreed that I had not.)  I should have known better than to
have anything to do with you after the first time.

> I am tired of your self-pity

You can't tell pity from anger?

> and paranoia.

It's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.  And by your
own statements, Elizabeth *is* out to get me.

> You seriously need to consider counseling.

To counsel me to what?  Accept vicious lies against myself, and
refrain from denying false accusations?

> And people *do* know Bill's character.  They *like* Bill's
> character.  Think about that.

Perhaps they didn't *know* Bill's character.  Neither did I, until
last weekend.  After all, he's only been in the club since 2001,
same as Elizabeth.

-----

I thank everyone who has sent me supportive emails.  It's good to know
that it's only a tiny clique within WSFA whose main fanac consists of
spreading malicious gossip and lies.  I just hope they don't succeed
in destroying Capclave, as it's the DC area's only remaining annual SF
con.  I'm sorry that most of you feel too intimidated by this clique
to speak up publicly.