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Fanfare, v. 1, issue 5, December 1940
Page 18
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18 FANFARE IN TRIBUTE by Jack Chapman Miske Trying to fill a request and do an article for Fanfare, I'm having a tough time of it. I think of endless subjects, but they involve criticising people or things, and I'm tired of the battle eternal--for a while. When things become dull I shall take up arms again undoubtedly. However, I still have no subject. Or perhaps I have. For a change, I believe I"ll render a little tribute. When I returned from the Chicon recently, it was in such a state of mind that I was ready to leave fandom. That may seem strange to you--that after all the mad fun to be had at a convention, I should be ready to leave it all. The fact is, however, that had it not been for two obligations I bear, I would have gone my separate way. The obligations are the publishing of Bizarre and the writing of "Stardust" for Harry Warner's Spaceways. It would be difficult for me to state in so many words what prompted me to enter fandom, but that which made me think of leaving is easily set forth. I found that fans were not as greatly different from the average person as I had hoped. Thus they were different from me, and continued association with them could bear little fruit for me. Of simple companionship there is plenty for me here in Cleveland, and, of course, it is more real. Of all fans present, only Earl Singleton impressed me greatly. He and I are to a great extent the same, tho he is not remotely as far gone. I think, at the moment, that my time spent in fan activities would be well-spent even if its only result were my meeting Earl. I like him. The burden of all this is that I got to wondering about what I had got out of fandom. To my surprise it's of incredible importance to me. I don't exaggerate in the least when I say fandom has entirely changed the course of my life. Fandom and the heavy philosophical overtones of good fantastic literature gave me the courage to believe only in logic as my mind saw it. They, queerly enough, gave to me the "madness with a pen" that is the attribute by which most fans know me best. They crystallized innumerable wavering thoughts into beliefs and the unshakable basis of a philosophy which is the entire guiding force of my life. It is quite probable that these things would have taken place anyhow, but it is also certain that the process was speeded by many years, thus giving me that much more time. I had always planned on being a chemical engineer, but--and I suppose this is funny--science-fiction turned me from a scientific career to one of journalism and writing,for which I am mentally better equipped. Further it has equipped me for my new career. It has given me practice in writing that is standing me in good stead. It has given me technique and imagination enough to employ it. The string of excellents my English composition papers draw are directly attributable to my fan writings. My whole life and my attitude toward the lives of others are now, for better or worse, what fandom has given me. I may someday leave the field, but I can never leave what it has done to me ###
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18 FANFARE IN TRIBUTE by Jack Chapman Miske Trying to fill a request and do an article for Fanfare, I'm having a tough time of it. I think of endless subjects, but they involve criticising people or things, and I'm tired of the battle eternal--for a while. When things become dull I shall take up arms again undoubtedly. However, I still have no subject. Or perhaps I have. For a change, I believe I"ll render a little tribute. When I returned from the Chicon recently, it was in such a state of mind that I was ready to leave fandom. That may seem strange to you--that after all the mad fun to be had at a convention, I should be ready to leave it all. The fact is, however, that had it not been for two obligations I bear, I would have gone my separate way. The obligations are the publishing of Bizarre and the writing of "Stardust" for Harry Warner's Spaceways. It would be difficult for me to state in so many words what prompted me to enter fandom, but that which made me think of leaving is easily set forth. I found that fans were not as greatly different from the average person as I had hoped. Thus they were different from me, and continued association with them could bear little fruit for me. Of simple companionship there is plenty for me here in Cleveland, and, of course, it is more real. Of all fans present, only Earl Singleton impressed me greatly. He and I are to a great extent the same, tho he is not remotely as far gone. I think, at the moment, that my time spent in fan activities would be well-spent even if its only result were my meeting Earl. I like him. The burden of all this is that I got to wondering about what I had got out of fandom. To my surprise it's of incredible importance to me. I don't exaggerate in the least when I say fandom has entirely changed the course of my life. Fandom and the heavy philosophical overtones of good fantastic literature gave me the courage to believe only in logic as my mind saw it. They, queerly enough, gave to me the "madness with a pen" that is the attribute by which most fans know me best. They crystallized innumerable wavering thoughts into beliefs and the unshakable basis of a philosophy which is the entire guiding force of my life. It is quite probable that these things would have taken place anyhow, but it is also certain that the process was speeded by many years, thus giving me that much more time. I had always planned on being a chemical engineer, but--and I suppose this is funny--science-fiction turned me from a scientific career to one of journalism and writing,for which I am mentally better equipped. Further it has equipped me for my new career. It has given me practice in writing that is standing me in good stead. It has given me technique and imagination enough to employ it. The string of excellents my English composition papers draw are directly attributable to my fan writings. My whole life and my attitude toward the lives of others are now, for better or worse, what fandom has given me. I may someday leave the field, but I can never leave what it has done to me ###
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