I am rapidly lurching toward the end of my Trans Atlantic Fan Fund trip now and have been tapping away on the laptop as I career wildly about the North American continent. I will be saving many of the details for my TAFF report but here’s a very brief glimpse into what I have been getting up to for the past few weeks.
Toronto – The customs guards questioned me closely. “Who is this Catherine you are going to see?” Surely everyone knows Catherine Crockett. It seems not. I search for some magic words which will release me from this inquisition. “Science Fiction Conventions” I say. The guard grins, no doubt thinking of Spock ears and willowy women in slave girl costumes. I am allowed to enter Canada. Catherine whisks me away to show me the strange (Murray Moore) and the stranger still (Taral).
Abingdon – Curt whizzes me around the state showing me history (Monticello), famous artists (Charles Vess) and snakes. A fine frolicking time in South Virginia.
Seattle – Every time you throw out the coffee dregs you hit another fan fund winner. They are uncommonly common in Seattle.
Bay Area – Glenn Glazer shows me planes, trains and automobiles. I even get to fly a plane over the bay – Wow! San Francisco with Jay and Dixie Kinney is sooo much fun.
Las Vegas – A very silly place but an enormous chunk of fun. A fine thriving fan community that keeps wanting to ply me with beer and food – gosh what diabolical fiends they are. Jacq Monahan – the hospitality goddess, Alan White – creative maniac and Nic Farey – Beam co-editor and rampaging tornado of fanac. I see many more Vegas fans in my immediate future.