Jim Mowatt – jim@umor.co.uk
Welcome to Pips number 10 and the summer of 2013. It’s an exciting time for me in that I stand on the cusp of what should be a glorious adventure. I have won the TAFF race and will be going to North America to do my TAFFly duty for Europe. I must lurch about the continent being all ambassadorial and that, representing European fandom. Of course it is something of a conceit to claim I am representing European fandom. The gap between UK and many other European cultures is probably greater than the gap between UK and American cultures. However, this is the mantle I wear and I intend to carry it off with aplomb, panache and probably a hat or two.
This is the current plan for my TAFF trip with funky hat map by Carrie.
8th August – Travelling – arrive Toronto
9th August – Toronto – with Catherine Crockett
10th August – Toronto
11th August – Travelling – arrive Abingdon
12th August – Abingdon – with Curt Phillips
13th August – Abingdon
14th August – Travelling – arrive Seattle
15th August – Seattle – with Randy Byers
16th August – Seattle
17th August – Seattle – Party!
18th August – Travelling – arrive Santa Cruz – with Glenn Glazer
19th August – Santa Cruz – maybe BASFA meeting in the evening
20th August – San Francisco – with Jay Kinney
21st August – San Francisco – with Jay Kinney
22nd August – Travelling – arrive Las Vegas
23rd August – Las Vegas – with Jacq Monahan
24th August – Las Vegas
25th August – Las Vegas – annual BrunchCon Fannish Fiesta!
26th August – Las Vegas – with Alan White
27th August – Las Vegas
28th August – Las Vegas
29th August – Travelling – arrive at Worldcon
30th August – Worldcon
31st August – Worldcon
1st September – Worldcon
2nd September – Worldcon
3rd September – Travelling – arrive at New Orleans
4th September – New Orleans – with Rebecca Smith
5th September – New Orleans
6th September – Travelling – returning home
Now I look upon the full list I do begin to feel a little daunted by it all. I may be in need of a holiday after that lot.
Finally – looking back on recent events –
A moment of remembrance for Iain Banks who was wrenched from us by gallbladder cancer – a lovely man and a fine writer.
A moment of remembrance for fellow Hitchhiker’s fan Zoe Parsons who could be such fun at times but unfortunately succumbed to her inner demons and took her own life earlier this year.
Worldcon
As part of my TAFF trip I will be attending LoneStarCon3 in San Antonio. Carrie and I have volunteered to help with the newsletter and we will be editing the Friday morning issue of the newsletter. I will be spending as much time as possible in the fanzine lounge which I am reliably informed is quite close to the bar. John Purcell will be overseeing the goings on in the Fanzine lounge and informs me that the Fan Funds auction will take place there at 4pm on Saturday. Please bring stuff for us to auction and bring money to buy stuff. Spike has also contacted me asking if I want to be involved in a panel about the Alamo. Fool that I am I have said yes. Now I need to do some research so I will have some idea what the other panelists are talking about.
Steve Stiles
The front cover of this zine was created by the wonderful Steve Stiles. Steve, who has probably saved kittens from burning buildings and might well untie young maidens from railways tracks has been nominated for the fan artist Hugo. Vote for Steve Stiles and make him a very happy chap indeed.