Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:05:10 -0400 From: Barry Newton <bnewton at ashcomp.com> To: wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com, WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net> Subject: [WSFA] Fwd: Philip K. Dick's Widow, Tessa Dick, Needs Our Help Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net> -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [WSFA] Philip K. Dick's Widow, Tessa Dick, Needs Our Help Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:14:18 -0500 From: David Moffatt <johngaltredux at msn.com> To: <Con2012 at sfcontario.ca>, <chair at albacon.org>, <arcanacon at comcast.net>, <president at wsfa.org>, <constell at con-stellation.org>, <con.info at conclavesf.org>, <info at conflux.org.au>, <cthulhu at comikazeexpo.com>, <info at fencon.org>, <jennifer at hal-con.com>, <programmingdept at iowa-icon.com>, <chairman at loscon.org>, <morbius at altair-4.co.uk>, <ovff at ovff.org>, <chair at orycon.org>, <chair2012 at philcon.org>, <con2012 at sfcontario.ca>, <basfa at earthlink.net>, <info at windycon.org>, <peter at wizardworld.com>, <publisherliaison at wfc2012.org>, <comments at scificonventions.com>, <fanaco at contextsf.org>, <akentertainny at aol.com>, <javier at away-mission.com>, <tracy at mymacdaddys.com>, <info at steamcon.org>, <info at fanboyexpo.com>, <info at philcon.org> I am writing to express my concern and request your help over a situation which ought to be troubling to every serious science fiction fan. Tessa B. Dick, widow of ground-breaking SF author Philip K. Dick is on the verge of losing her home due to unpaid property taxes. She is in need of nearly $9000 to keep the tax man at bay for the moment. Should she fail to raise that amount, she will need money to move. At the moment she is essentially without funds after a lengthy and thus far unsuccessful attempt to qualify for disability. You may not know that Tessa Dick is herself an accomplished author of science fiction, mysteries, and personal memoirs, including several volumes discussing her life with Philip K. Dick. At the moment, she has been selling signed copies of her books, as well as treasured personal items, online in the hope of raising money. Progress, however, has been very slow and at the present rate, she will not have the money needed by a mid-November deadline. In that context, it is my hope that you may be able to help. I know that auctions/sales of memorabilia etc. are common fundraisers at science fiction conventions and by fan groups. On behalf of Tessa Dick, I am writing to ask if you would be willing to assist her by offering some of her items for sale and perhaps making other efforts to insure that she can stay in her home of some years. She may also be willing to appear as a guest at conventions or gatherings though I do not know for sure (I do know she is unable to drive). Please be aware that I am not her official representative and have no professional standing in this matter. I am merely a longtime fan who believes that the fans just might be able to come through where publishers, Hollywood, and other sources have failed completely. So....I am laying this before you in the hope that you will be willing to take up the challenge. Tessa Dick may be contacted at busby777 at gmail.com <mailto:busby777 at gmail.com> or via Facebook under her full name, Tessa B. Dick. She also has blogs at http://tessadick.com/feed/, http://tessadick.blogspot.com/, http://pkdmemoir.blogspot.com/, and http://www.blogger.com/profile/06169895128599237020. Please do contact her if you have any questions. She asked me to write, but I may well be unable to answer any specific questions you may have. She has assured me she will happily do so. Please help. We are talking about Philip K. Dick's muse, "The Dark-Haired Girl" as he described in his essay of the same title. Philip K. Dick's work changed, and in some ways predicted, our world. Surely the woman who was his inspiration deserves far better than the raw deal she is getting right now. I believe the fans can make a difference--I have seen wonderful things done for others in the past. I believe we can do it again. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. Yours Sincerely, David Moffatt ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It's of no use. If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge....and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life"--George Mallory. -- Barry