Adapted from the Listserv edition
Published by Arnie & Joyce Katz
Special Thanks to: Earl KempAlso available in a PDF format
Encouraging Signs
Enthusiasm for the Bring Bruce Bayside Fund continues to build. Contributions are coming in at a decent pace, considering that the campaign is still less than a month old.Our goal is enough money, $2,500, to get Bruce R. Gillespie to Corflu and Potlatch next February in San Francisco. We also plan to send him back to Australia, despite some Aussie fakefans who want us to keep him here permanently.
Even though the cons seem a long way off, we need to get the money sooner rather than later. There are tickets to buy, hotel rooms to reserve and so forth.
So, if you agree that Bringing Bruce Bayside is a good idea - and if you don't, you should feud with yourself - now is the time to talk it up among your fan friends and scratch a check.
BBB Fund Suffers First Casualty
Who knew that co-chairing the BBB Fund could be such hazardous work? On Sunday, April 19, Joyce Katz broke both ankles when she fell in our hallway. She was feeling faint due to a massive loss of fluids at the tail end of the flu and swooned as she tried to walk from the living room to the bedroom.She broke her left ankle in one place and her right one in three places. After surgery at Valley Hospital, she's now in Harmon Medical & Rehabilitation Hospital (702-974-0100, extension 1513) and will be there until at least the middle of next week. Then she'll go to California for several weeks of recuperation under the watchful eyes of Ken and Aileen Forman and Ben and Cathi Wilson.
The injuries are extremely painful, beyond what can be safely medicated. She has not abandoned her duties as co-chairman and wanted me to tell you all that sending those donations will lift her spirits and speed her recovery.
The One Percenters
"Fans are one-percenters," wrote Curt Phillips. We feel we're special, the one unusual person out of 100 Mundanes. A terrific way to confirm this status is to contribute 1% of the $2,500 we need to raise to make the BBB Fund a success.Thanks to Jason Burnett, we also have a logo for the One Percenters. One-Percenters who wish to use the logo on their fanzines to indicate support for the BBB Fund can request it from me (Arnie).
As promised last issue, here are the One Percenters in the order in which they contributed: Robert Lichtman, Earl Kemp, Arnie Katz, Joyce Katz, Art Widner, Randy Byers, Curt Phillips and Janice Gelb.
Donate at least $25, become a One Percenter and add your name to this elite list. (The Secret Handshake is coming Real Soon Now.)
The Wright Stuff...
Bill Wright, the Australian BBB Fund Administrator reports the news from Australia:I have been at Conflux, the 43rd Australian National SF Convention at Canberra over April 23-26, 2004. Apart from the Art Show and a brilliant Masquerade party, it was almost exclusively a litcon. The quality of the panelists and the proportion of authors and budding authors in the audience were very high. Most attendees learned a lot, myself included.The auction of memorabilia directly for the BBB Fund raised AUS$125. Administrators of the other fan funds, DUFF, FFANZ, GUFF and NAFF, allocated AUS$50 of their takings to the BBB Fund. One fan bought a fanzine at auction for $40, then immediately returned the item for re-auction. The resubmitted item raised an additional AUS$15. One fan donated AUS$20 of his auction proceeds to our fund. There were also three direct donations totaling AUS$170. That makes the amount raised at Conflux AUS$404, which is equivalent to US$303. That makes the total raised in Australia so far AUS$619 (US$464).
Although he wasn't present, Bruce Gillespie's profile at Conflux was high. Greg Benford mentioned him in his GoH speech. Bruce also won a Ditmar (Australian SF Achievement) Award - for Best Fan Writer, and the William Atheling Jr. Award.
Bruce Gillespie is on track towards posting his entire fanzine production for the last 15 years, including his apa-zines, on efanzines.com by April 30, 2004. His Scratch Pad files now contain nearly 300,000 words and he still has a way to go.
Irwin Hirsh and Bruce are collaborating on I Must Be Talking to my Friends: The Best of Bruce Gillespie. We'll have details on the contents fairly soon.
- Bill Wright.
How to Send the Money:
We'll take your money in just about any form, but some ways are easier.Contributions from outside the USA should be sent in American funds, if possible. Otherwise, we'll incur some fees - but we'll happily accept what is left!
Make checks payable to:
Joyce M. Katz
PMB 152
330 S. Decatur Blvd.
Las Vegas
NV 89107, USA.We also accept cash, but senders beware. We'll soon be set up to accept PayPal payments over the Internet. This is the best possible way to contribute, since the payment can be in American funds, you don't have to write a check, and you don't need to address and stamp an envelope.
If you have a PayPal account and you wish to use this convenience, wait until I send the proper information in the next newsletter. If you drop me an email when you send your contribution, I'll send you an acknowledgment.
The Bottom Line
All of this effort comes down to one thing: money. Here are the latest contributors: 6. A. Widner; 7. Randy Byers; 8. Curt Phillips; 9. Janice Gelb; 10. Mike & Linda McInerny.The fund's current balance is $834, figured in US dollars.
See you all next week with more news.