Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:16:17 -0400
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Open and Shut Parties  (was Re: Slan...)
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Well said!  Huzzah!  Hear, hear!  Right on!  And other such
affirmations and expressions of congruency of thought and feelings.

I do wonder why this just showed up in my in-box today though...maybe
messages with a lot of value travel slower?

-- Mike B.

At 6/3/2007 11:42 AM, Walter Miles wrote:
>Part of the foundational mythology of fandom used to be that most
>of us were shy, solitary readers who weren't invited to parties,
>and were rejected and sometimes mistreated by our peers (in high
>school, if you will).  Then we found this strange, nomadic feast-
>of-the-elves where we were allowed in, our weirdnesses accepted,
>often encouraged, where we could exercise and develop those
>(beneficial and necessary!) parts of ourselves that we could never
>even reveal in our pale previous lives.
>
>I believe that there was essential truth there.  Many of us were
>shy, or socially backward, or felt real or apparent rejection or
>alienation in society.  We experienced powerful liberation
>and affirmation of ourselves in fandom, and this has helped a good
>number of fans do better in the wider world as well.
>
>Our mythology
>also suggested, or should suggest, our
>responsibility to our fannish fellows and those who come after us.
>We must not climb into the rescue boat and promptly pull up
>the lifeline.
>
>Open fannish parties may well be our central ritual practice.
>They embody the mythology [I have referred to].  They say "I don't
>know you, but I shall.  Tell me what you know.  Show me what you
>can do.  What do you think of this?"
>
>Not every party needs to be open, but open parties reinforce the
>best part of our mythology
>
>An apparently open party, from which only a few are humiliatingly
>excluded (even for the "best" reasons).
>
>Soul killing.
>
>Some of us are/were so socially timid,  we would be reluctant to
>enter any party, however <inviting> open.
>
>When you hold an open party you never know who will come through the
>door, a murderous pervert, a crushing bore, your next best friend or true
>love.
>
>===========================================================
><Pls note the new "from" address, I'm slowly shifting over>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>Walter A. Miles, Jr.  waltmiles at comcast.net  (301) 891-2815
>217 Spring Avenue, Takoma Park, MD  20912