New Orleans, After the Hurricanes

Michael “Have A Hurricane” Sinclair’s convention reminiscences include memories of a loc he wrote to File 770 after the 1979 NASFiC:

File 770 (Mike Glyer’s science fiction fan newzine, reporting on fanzines, sf clubs, conventions, fan funds and fanac) [was] whining about something. I think it had to do with [a fan] huckstering out of his hotel room. In any event, I wrote a rebuttal letter to File 770, saying, “The last thing the fannish world needs is either a Con run by or and or/criticized by lawyers.” Cliff Amos saw the letter and called me up to ask if I wanted to work on RiverCon. I said I would like to work on the film program, but would like to have a budget and not depend on library flicks.

HurricaneThat is too funny, and Sinclair doubtless put it in his memoir to get a chuckle from all the friends who remember how he later won undying fame hosting a string of Hurricane-themed bid parties that brought the 1988 Worldcon to New Orleans – a committee chaired by lawyer John Guidry, and with three more lawyers in the leadership.

Sinclair also tells how he unexpectedly gained rather than lost votes by offending Lee Smoire.

4 thoughts on “New Orleans, After the Hurricanes

  1. Oh, to be young and foolish again… on second thought, skip the latter part.

    Professional legal advice can be a good thing, sometimes even in the context of a small “Hey, gang, let’s put on a convention!” event, especially if the supporting organization is trying to be a non-profit organization, with all the legal and paperwork requirements needed for that.

    The other professional advice I’d seek, somewhat related, is to get your financial books set up in a professional manner. In my experience, money and how it’s handled tended to be the biggest flashpoint in convention-related feuds. (The money wasn’t always the actual reason for those feuds, but it made a handy attack point against someone.)

    All this is water long gone under the bridge, of course, since no one ever feuds anymore. (Or at least I’m out of that particular loop [big sigh of relief].)

  2. Not so much related to the posting but to the page. Coincidence is strange. In the last few posting you mention NASFIC 79, Cliff Amos and Forrest J. Ackerman which stirred my own recollections. It was at NASFIC that I met Forry my first and only time. What a class act. Our group arrived a couple of days early from Canada and we were surprised when Cliff knocked on our hotel door, invited us out to dinner and gave us a brief driving tour of Louisville. An impending major convention to run and yet he had time for a few Canuck fans. That’s true southern hospitality and another class act.

  3. . . . a Worldcon which actually did “Have A Hurricane”, though only the edge of one.

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