Minutes
August 1, 2008, First Friday
Meeting called to order at 9:15 PM
Treasurer's report:
No report
Capclave Present:
We got lotsa preregistrations in July. We're doing well on memberships, but not spectacularly. There was a Capclave meeting after the regular meeting. As usual, they're looking for volunteers; signup sheets were passed around.
Capclave Future:
Displayed the dodo cups again, and announced the party schedule for Worldcon.
Capclave Far Future:
No report
Entertivities:
Worldcon!
Publications:
Journals were available on dead trees, but not unfortunately, on the Website.
Future Washington refused to answer questions. There was a suggestion that we sell them.
Awards:
We have a winner! (But no chocolate, unfortunately. Boo, hiss.) The winners have been notified. We'll put out a press release announcing that we have a winner; of course, the winner won't be announced until Capclave.
The Committee to Actually Discuss Science Fiction:
was going to discuss the August issue of F&SF after the Capclave meeting/
Trustees:
No news on getting right with the Federal Government is good news. The election for two positions on the Literary Awards Committee will take place at the First Friday in November. Only club members in good standing may nominate or serve. Candidates must be willing to serve the two year term. The Trustees have received several nominations but will announce the Trustees' slate later..
Old business:
None
New business:
None
New people:
Andrew Brown found us on the Web.
Amy Baggett found us through Cathy Green and Dr. Who fandom. She is somewhat navigationally challenged but alphabetically enhanced. The Assembled Multitude pointed out that Virginia is bigger on the inside than on the outside, making it ideal for Dr. Who types.
Announcements:
- Drew Bittner announced that his wife Kat is pregnant. She's at 10 or 11 weeks and just had her first sonogram.
- Sam Lubell has free books. Last chance, folks!
- Mike Walsh had tote bags left over from the 2003 World Fantasy Con He will be bringing 10 boxes of Berger cookies to Denver. He has copies of Other worlds, Better Lives, Old Earth Books' latest Howard Waldrop collection.
- Terry Somerville has a copy of Walter JonWilliams' Implied Spaces for $7.
- Colleen Cahill announced that Neil Gaiman will be at the at the National Book Festival on September 27th. (Unfortunately, she's escorting a poet.) Get there early — they're reseeding the lawn and there's less room for tents.
- Lee Strong gave mini-reviews of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Harry Turtledove's The Man with the Iron Heart. The "Mummy" is a fun action-adventure with strong fantasy elements. Lee particularly liked the yetis playing football with some characters.
Turtledove's alternate history has a strong premise and a powerful conclusion. However, much of the book is bad storytelling, which tremendously weakens the overall experience.
Meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:50 PM
Attendance:
Amy Baggett, Drew Bittner, Cat Bittner, Andrew Brown , Colleen Cahill, Adrienne Ertman, Paul Haggerty, Elspeth Kovar, Bill Lawhorn, Brian Lewis, Ernest Lilley, Sam Lubell, Bob Macintosh, Sandra Marshall, Sarah Mitchell, Barry Newton, Judy Newton, Rebecca Prather, John T. Sapienza, Jr, Peggy Rae Sapienza, Laura Somerville, Terry Somerville, William Squire, Steve Smith, Lee Strong, Gayle Surette, Michael Walsh, Ivy Yap, Madeleine Yeh
August 15, 2008, Third Friday
Meeting called to order at 9:13 PM by Cathy's phone
Treasurer's report:
None
Capclave Present:
Sam Scheiner Barry Newton notes that we have 174 preregistered attendees, of which 149 are paid. This is about the same as last year. The hotel is tardy setting up “our” Web page.
Capclave Future:
Bill Lawhorn was here. He's numb after driving 4146 miles. There was a Worldcon. There were parties. He discovered that the Dodo has a BBQ fetish. Handed out about half of the cups, including some we loaned to the Reno bid; they gave them out. There were no complaints about cup size.
Capclave Far Future:
In progress. Chair Gayle Surette talked to several potential GOHs; she has one lined up, but he/she/they/it needs to know the exact date for Capclave for planning.
Entertivities:
Sam Lubell had flyers for Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Con; it has a number of TV stars from the 1950s, Ed Burns, Katherine Hughes, Timmy from Lassie, and the model for Tinkerbelle.
Sam also announced the 2008 results from the annual Bulwer-Lytton contest. Several of the winners had SF themes.
Overall winner:
Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.”
Science Fiction winner:
Timothy Hanson, Commander of the 43rd Space Regiment in the 52nd Battalion on board the USAOPAC (United Space Alliance Of Planets Attack Carrier) and second in command to Admiral L. R. Morris of the USAOP Space Command, awoke early for breakfast.
Children's Literature Runner-up:
Dorothy had reasons to be nervous: a young girl alone in a strange land, traveling with three weird, insecure males badly in need of psychiatric help; she tucked her feet under her skirt to keep the night's chill (and lewd stares) away and made sure one more time that the gun was secured in her yet-to-develop bosom.
Sam was commended for not reading more.
Lee Strong gave some quick movie reviews.
The Dark Knight: Very powerful story that combines a classic superhero battle with a meditation on the effects of terrorism on society. The climax includes possibly the most outstanding display of heroism ever depicted. Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Very good fantasy story. The climax is very strong but the anti-climax is incredibly weak and illogical. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D: An adequate remake of the Jules Verne novel and the 1959 movie. Lee did not like the 3D effects because it seemed as though things were being poked or dripped into his eyes.Publications:
Editor Steve Smith announced that the June and July WSFA Journals have been sent to the Webmaster. Lee Strong says “it's all geek to me”.
Webmaster Paul Haggerty says that Changes Will Happen. If anybody wants to maintain the WSFA Calendar, they should talk to him. It is a completely separate operation from the rest of the site.
Awards:
The winners will be announced at Capclave. But we knew that.
The Committee to Actually Discuss Science Fiction:
will discuss the August Asimov's if Bill can stay awake.Trustees:
No report on our work to get right with the Federal government. Our expert, John Pomeranz, is waiting to hear from the Feds. Regarding elections, our next exercise in democracy is the election of 2 members of the Literary Awards Committee in November. Since there is a Capclave between now and then, please be thinking about candidates now and suggest them to the Trustees (Colleen Cahill, Judy Newton and Lee Strong). Only members of the club in good standing can nominate or serve. Candidates must agree to the nomination. There were some jokes made about our member Crystal Pepsi.
Old business:
None
New business:
Lee Strong pointed out that Peter Beagle, our first WSPA winner, didn't get the $250 that we'll be giving out in the future. He moved to give Mr. Beagle $250 to bring him up even with future winners. Bob Macintosh seconded; after discussion, the motion was tabled in order to discuss the motion at a Virginia meeting.
New people:
None
Announcements:
- Carolyn Frank, our substitute hostess, suggests leaving by midnight. Don't feed birds to the cat.
- Bill Lawhorn announced that if the Worldcon site selection was done on the basis of votes / time, they would have won. The Peggy Ray's House bid got 39 votes, and they sold all of their t-shirts.
- Bob Macintosh noted that Denvention had 3700 attendees. Overall, the con is getting very positive feedback. It also made money, in the range of $50K — $100K.
- Barry Newton is selling half a case of computer paper.
- Lee Strong announced that Clone Wars wasn't very good. He liked the Starship Troopers 3 DVD, but then again, he liked the first one.
- Sarah Mitchell has pictures of dodos at Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, and Wisconsin, and a picture of a moose molesting a minivan.
Meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:47 PM.
Attendance:
Mike Bartman, Adrienne Ertman, Carolyn Frank, Cathy Green, Paul Haggerty, Bill Lawhorn, Brian Lewis, Ernest Lilley, Sam Lubell, Bob Macintosh, Sandra Marshall, Sarah Mitchell, Barry Newton, Judy Newton, George Shaner, Steve Smith, Lee Strong, Ivy Yap, Madeleine Yeh.
Reviews
Armed & Magical, by Lisa Shearin.
Published by Berkley Pub Group, 2008ISBN 0441015875, 9780441015870
(Ordinary sorceress. Extraordinary power. Suddenly she's the most popular girl in town.)
The setting: An Island City containing THE school for mages (all descriptions) which also ‘contains’ dangerous magical artifacts.
The species: Elves, Goblins, and Humans. Elves versus Goblins in a not so Cold War. Occasionally, members of two different species will encounter each other and “make babies”.
Text sample: “I couldn't be bonded to just any old stone of cataclysmic power. Mine had lawyers.” (Last sentences of chapter 2)
The sorceress in question has, prior the start of the book, been bonded (not by choice) to the local equivalent of The Spear of Destiny. Only this rock has a very nasty reputation and even “ate” her father. The point of view is well maintained, as there is no “evening newscast”, or town crier, so you only find out about local events as the main character does. The magic “science” is reasonably handled. You're not always sure who the allies, and who the enemies, are. Politics and bigotry both show up, as does humor and snideness. All in all, a good read, and, perhaps, a good future Capclave Guest.
---- Brian Lewis ---
Not Elsewhere Classified
Dreaming of Mad Dog by #3
I had a dream. You know one of those dreams that sticks with you. The improbable becomes possible, and you wake up with a smile on your face. So I had this dream:
***
I come to my senses surrounded by a crowd. First off I look down; I am clothed. Good start. I then take in the surrounding crowd. I am not with anyone. So where am I? There is an electric and active crowd. Holy crap I am at a WWE event. Odd, I know it as WWE but I also remember it as the WWF. So, what am I doing at this event? I never went to one when I used to watch them on USA and TNT.
It looks like they are getting ready for one of those tribute events. They are wheeling someone down the ramp. Ah, a tribute to some former star. HOLY CRAP! That is Mike Walsh, what is he doing here? I didn't know he was a wrestler. The crowd seems to love him.
They slowly wheel him down to the ring. Several faceless stars lift the chair into the ring as the crowd continues to cheer. I am still amazed that Mike Walsh, book seller, is a former wrestling star.
The scene jumps and someone is talking about Mike. Is that, could it be? What the Heck! Gardner Dozier. Now this is strange. He seems to be saying all the right things. The crowd is eating it up. Mike sits lifelessly in the chair, maybe not all there. Gardner continues his speech. I don't know what he is saying, but it seems to be what the fans want. Maybe they were big rivals in the old days. Huh? Gardner and Walsh wrestlers, I guess the literary world is more interesting than I thought.
Gardner continues his speech glorying in the crowd's approval. Mike stirs. He stands. Gardner doesn't see it. The crowd goes wild. Mike picks up his wheel chair and throws it at Gardner. The fight is on; two old stars going at it one more time.
***
I awake, laughing at the insanity of my dream. I know at some level that they were fighting over a book. I hope that some night I may return in a dream to the glory days of Mike "Mad Dog" Walsh, hero of the ring.
WSFA History
Ten Years Ago
August 1998
WSFAns Rich and Niki Lynch won the “Best Fanzine” Hugo, and WSFAn Joe Mayhew won the Hugo for Best Fan Artist.
The WSFA Journal published a list of “children's books that will never be published”, starting with You Were an Accident.
Twenty Years Ago
August 1988
WSFA Secretary Mary Morman was authorized to spend up to $200 for a sturdy woman wooden cabinet to hold the WSFA archives. [Do we still have this? If so, where? --sgs]
Thirty Years Ago
Thirty Years Ago
August 1978
This issue was the first of the “series two” WSFA Journals. This is the series that is still going on; it's the “first of the modern era” of WSFA journals. It was devoted to the Constitution and Bylaws.
Letters
From the Editor
The next issue (September) of the WSFA Journal is the one we're going to be handing out at Capclave. So send in your best!
— Steve Smith, Editor, The WSFA Journal
From Martin Deutsch, President, BSFS, Inc.
Steve
Please read the following message at the next meeting of WSFA (or post it in the next WSFA Journal). Thanks
Martin Deutsch, President, BSFS, Inc.
“The Board of Directors of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society states that Maura Scharadin, aka Mary Ellen, aka Megaera, aka Mel is a member in good standing of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society and sincerely requests that any persons spreading rumors to the contrary immediately cease and desist.”
[I have no idea what this is about. Sounds like somebody's trying to do some character assassination. Not nice. — sgs]
From H. Wm. Mountcastle:
Greetings:
We're trying to locate “lost” alumni for an upcoming 40-year high school reunion.
A little Googling turned up Barry Gillam as a contributor to The WSFA Journal (#84, 1974). We're sure it's the right person because his home address (listed with his letter to the editor) matches the one in our yearbook.
If you have a way of contacting him (after all these years!) we'd appreciate it very much if you would let us know. We will then send the reunion information for you to forward.
Thanks for your consideration.
H.Wm. Mountcastle
Ulster County, NY
Hmtcastle at verizon dot net
[Anybody? That's a long time ago, even for me. --sgs]