Fifth Friday Party/Housewarming – Rodger Burns invites WSFA to his brand new condo for Fifth Friday at 9 PM on July 29th in Silver Spring, MD. Email him at eldersphinx@gmail.com for address and directions.
Writer Fran Wilde, author of Updraft and Cloudbound, will speak to WSFA at our 1st Friday meeting, August 5th at 9 PM. The business meeting will take place after the reading.
WSFA 7/1/16 – President Bob called the show on the road at 9:15. Secretary Sam L. summarized minutes. Minutes were approved. Treasurer’s report given.
Capclave Present. Current registration was 128. We only picked up 6 members in June and are 20 off from last year and growing. Paul said things are progressing. Cathy asked about email or postcard blast. Get flyers and bookmarks from Paul and hand them out. Capclave Future Elizabeth said she is excited to have two guests. Needs to talk to WSFA Press. Far Future Cathy said status quo, looking at hotels. Wary of hotels doing renovations. People suggested hotels.
Click the link for the full text of the July/August 2016 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the July 1st, 15th 2016 / August 5th, 19th 2016 meetings.
Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes
WSFA just held our elections for 2016. The trustee’s slate was adopted without any nominations from the floor.
President: Bob MacIntosh was reelected.
Vice President: George Shaner continues.
Treasurer: Sam Scheiner continues
Secretary: Cathy Green replaced by Sam Lubell
Trustees: Mike Walsh and Barry Newton continue. Mark Roth replaces Brian Lewis as the third tustee.
Capclave 2018 chair: Cathy Green was elected.
Capclave 2019 chair: remains open and will be voted on next year.
Capclave 2020 chair: Bill Lawhorn was elected. We’re making our 20th Capclave into a special anniversary Capclave and will need extra time.
WSFA Small Press Award Committee: No change. Sarah Mitchell and Cathy Green continue to serve.
The WSFA Journal is now under new (old) editorship. As of this issue, former editor Samuel Lubell has again become editor. Long-time WSFAns will remember I first took the reins of The WSFA Journal in July 1996, about 20 years ago. I lasted 92 issues before stepping down in June 2004 (to become WSFA President). I took up The WSFA Journal again in April 2010 through May 2013. At this point, I now hold the club record for most years as secretary, beating out Elizabeth O. Cullen who was secretary from 1957 to 1965.
So, what can readers expect from my tenure as editor of the august WSFA Journal (not to mention the journals for the other 11 months of the year?) Bad jokes (obviously), more graphics, over-use of fonts, and book reviews. Want more? The WSFA Journal is the club’s publication so if there’s anything you want in the Journal, write it and send it in! We need art, reviews, science fiction ideas, stories etc. Everything except current American politics and sports scores. Seen a movie this summer? Read a book? Write a review and send it to editor@wsfa.org. We’ll even take fanfiction!
Click the link for the full text of the May/June 2016 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the May 6th, 20th 2016 / June 3rd, 17th 2016 meetings.
Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes
WSFA JOURNAL March-April 2016
First Friday March 3/4/16
Attendance: Ken Byrer, Courtni Burleson, Cathy Green, Frances Holland, Judy Kindell, Bill Lawhorn, Sam Lubell, Bob MacIntosh, Sarah Mitchell, Barry Newton, Kathi Overton, Mark Roth, Judy Scheiner, Sam Scheiner, Elizabeth Twitchell, Michael Walsh, Ivy Yap, Madeleine, Yeh
Meeting called to order at 9:15pm by President Bob MacIntosh. Minutes from last meeting read. Treasurer report indicated we have money, we’re down a little in the year over year, but nothing worrisome.
Capclave Present and future were not present. Current Capclave registration is up to 90.
Trustees are in the process of putting their slate together.
Bill Lawhorn spoke about plans for WFC 2018 and announced that there will be a meeting at 7:30pm before first friday in April to begin planning for Capclave 2020.
Social media – dodos tweeted about parties at and photos from Mysticon.
WSFA Press was not present. Books are selling. Quite a lot of books were sold at Mysticon and 12 of the trade hardcover Skin Trades were signed by GRRM.
WSFA Small Press Awards submission are up to 49 stories.
Committee to Actually Discuss SF/F will talk about possible Hugo nominations.
Click the link for the full text of the March/April 2016 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the March 4th, 18th 2016 / April 1st, 15th 2016 meetings.
Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes
The 2015 WSFA Small Press Award was presented by Alex Shvartsman, winner of the 2014 WSFA Small Press Award, during the Capclave 2015 Convention in Gaithersburg Maryland. The winner of the 2015 WSFA Small Press Award was Jackalope Wives by Ursula Vernon, published in Apex Magazine Issue 56, January 2014.
The complete list of other finalists:
The award committee began accepting submissions for its 2016 contest (for stories published for the first time in 2015) on January 1st, 2015. Check the WSFA Small Press Award website for details.
WSFA JOURNAL JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016
First Friday January
Attendance: Rodger Burns, Cathy Green, Paul Haggerty, Kimberly Hargan, Bill Lawhorn, Sam Lubell, Bob MacIntosh, Judy Scheiner, Sam Scheiner, Michael Walsh, Ivy Yap, Madeleine Yeh, Ghost of WSFA Meetings Past
9:15pm meeting called to order by Bob MacIntosh. Previous meeting’s minutes read.
Treasurer’s Report: We have money. We’re down in the year over year, probably due to Capclave and WSFA Press.
Capclave Past has closed its books.
Capclave Present is beginning to ramp up. So far 90 people have registered.
Break even was discussed by chair and treasurer.
Capclave Future was not present.
Click the link for the full text of the January/February 2016 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the January 1st, 15th 2016 / February 5th, 19th 2016 meetings.
WSFA Journal January-February 2016
Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes
WSFA JOURNAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
First Friday November 6
Attendance: Sam Lubell, Bob MacIntosh, Sam and Judy Scheiner, Rodger Burns, Frances Holland, Aaron and Angela Pound, M Greg Key, Deidre Dykes, George Shaner, Elizabeth Twitchell, Leo Espinoza, Ivy Yap, David Keener, Kim Hargen, Madeleine Yeh
In the absence of Cathy, Sam L. took the notes.
Bob Macintosh called to order at 9:15. Everone at WFC. Treasurer said
Capclave Past – Sam L. said positives outnumbered negative. Don’t have final numbers yet. Reg down a bit from last year, Sam S. said bump from George year has stabilized.
Cap Present not here. Has a contract to look at said Bob
Cap Future got a new job.
Sam S. the other convention involved in, is WFC, done in conjunction with BSFS. Unofficial word is that they will approve us for 2018. Announcement by the end of the weekend. Will be in Baltimore at the new Balticon hotel.
Click the link for the full text of the November/December 2015 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the November 6th, 20th 2015 / December 4th, 18th 2015 meetings.
WSFA Journal November-December 2015
Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes
WSFA JOURNAL SEPT-OCT 2015
First Friday September
Attendance: Drew Bittner, Colleen Cahill, Leo Espinoza, Cathy Green, Paul
Haggerty, Fraces Holland, Bill Lawhorn, Ernest Lilley, Sam Lubell, Bob
MacIntosh, Sarah Mitchell, Sue Nemeth Barry Newton, Kathi Overton, Aaron
Pound, Angela Pound, Judy Scheiner, Sam Scheiner, George Shaner, Elizabeth
Twitchell, Ivy Yap, Madeleine Yeh, Sam Pierce, Kimberly Hargan, Kat Bittner,
Brielle Bittner
9:15pm meeting was called to order by Bob. Minutes were read by VP George
Shaner. Treasury reported we have around
Capclave was 4 weeks away. Currently have 260 people preregistered. Capclave
Future was working on the hotel and Far Future was contemplating hotel options.
Paul Haggerty will check to make sure WSFA Small Award had invited the all
finalists to Capclave. WSFA Press was waiting for signing sheets. The Policy
Committee noted that we had one and the current version was up on the Capclave
website. Committee to Actually Discuss SF will be discussing current issue of
Asimov’s after the meeting. Capclave 2020 committee wants to cohost a WFC
with BSFS to fund the expanded plans for Capclave 2020. No old business. New
Business – proposal to change by laws so that the host household gets 2 free
memberships. Discussion was held and will be reopened at the MD meeting as
required for a bylaw change.
Click the link for the full text of the September/October 2015 WSFA Journal, including the Minutes of the September 4th, 18th 2015 / October 2nd, 16th 2015 meetings.
WSFA Journal September-October 2015
Note: Publication date is set to the date of the Journal, rather than the date posted, for indexing purposes
The Washington Science Fiction Association is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2015 WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction:
“All of Our Past Places” by Kat Howard, published in Unlikely Story #9: The Journal of Unlikely Cartography, June 2014.
“Careful Magic” by Karen Healey published in Kaleidoscope, Twelfth Planet Press, August 2014.
“Cookie Cutter Superhero” by Tansy Rayner Roberts, published in Kaleidoscope, Twelfth Planet Press, August 2014.
“Jackalope Wives” by Ursula Vernon, published in Apex Magazine, Issue 56, January 2014.
“The Lesser Evil” by Day Al-Mohamed, in Sword & Laser, edited by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt, April 29, 2014.
“The Magician and Laplace’s Demon” by Tom Crosshill, published in Clarkesworld Magazine, December 2014.
“N is for Nanomachine” by C.S. MacCath in A is for Apocalypse, edited by Rhonda Parrish, Niteblade, August 2014.
“Qasida” by Rosaleen Love in Secret Lives of Books, edited by Alisa Krasnostein , Twelfth Planet Press, June 2014.
“Vanilla” by Dirk Flinthart in Kaleidoscope, Twelfth Planet Press, August 2014.
The award honors the efforts of small press publishers in providing a critical venue for short fiction in the area of speculative fiction. The award showcases the best original short fiction published by small presses in the previous year (2014). An unusual feature of the selection process is that all voting is done with the identity of the author (and publisher) hidden so that the final choice is based solely on the quality of the story.
The winner is chosen by the members of the Washington Science Fiction Association (www.wsfa.org) and will be presented at their annual convention, Capclave (www.capclave.org), held this year on October 9-12th in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
