Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2021 18:18:50 +0000 (UTC)
From: Tamar Lindsay <dicconf at dmarc-yahoo.com>
To: WSFA members <wsfalist at keithlynch.net>, WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: New contendor for first SF con

On Thursday, November 18, 2021, 10:00:52 AM EST, mark <whitroth at 5-cent.us> =
wrote: 

On 11/18/21 12:31 AM, Ted White wrote:
> On 11/17/2021 11:38 PM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
> 
>> There's a new (i.e. old) contendor for first ever SF convention:
>>
>> https://www.cracked.com/article_31795_the-odd-origin-of-the-worlds-first=
-sci-fi-convention.html
> 
> No.=C2=A0 Not really.=C2=A0 Quite aside from the fact that this "festival=
"
> *wasn't* a convention at all, the author of this piece has no clue about
> the actual origins of what he (?) believes are "sci-fi" conventions --
> *for profit* conventions:

Ted's got it absolutely correct.

=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 mark
> 
> "Unfortunately, the festival caused the organizers to go bankrupt
> because a niche isn't enough to keep the Wheel of Money turning. It
> would take some time for sci-fi and pop culture to really develop and
> garner lucrative attention, enough to warrant official conventions. But
> it's pretty cool to know that the first one was inspired by a guy who
> wasn't even trying to write sci-fi and is also known for coining the
> phrase, 'The pen is mightier than the sword.'"
> 
> --Ted White
>