newfan n.

It is, I believe, the well-intentioned (but unfortunately too idealistic) spurts of enthusiasm of the newfan that have turned Laney and a few others from the fledgling and his ilk. But it’s my opinion he should be given a year’s time—a year of definite activity—in which to be judged, before you start reaching for the fire extinguisher. You’ll spend a few extra minutes a week answering his numerous questions—requests and inquiries that may often sound maddeningly naive!—but, in the end, you’ll lose very little. I’ve made a number of excellent fan friendships with ease. At least, there’s a system here that some other slen might employ with success—one measly postal can go a long way toward giving the newfan a ray of feeble hope.

In Oakland I called the home of newfan Lillian Schneider, and her mother said she was even then on her way home from downtown, and that I should come right out. I taxied there, and found her mother a very charming lady, who also reads Fantasy and enjoys it, as does the entire family. Lillian soon arrived, and we had a couple of hours of enjoyable chat about fanning. She is quite a collector, and has been rapidly completing her collection of pros, being by now, I should judge offhand, about 75% complete. She gave me directions for locating her favorite store, which shows how inexperienced she is, thus to give away her secrets before she had completely milked them.

Also a missive from newfan Norman W. Storer…let’s hear more from him. [ellipsis in orig.]

A mimeograph, there was, to be sure / Included amongst the crew. / The First Fan claimed it was only a lure / The rest could merely say ‘Pooh’. / The publisher of fanmags was exceedingly tall / And the Newfan exceedingly short. / The former they didn’t know what to call / While the latter they just called ‘Wart’.

Such newfans as Mike Kington think they can draw, but I doubt anyone could fill the boots of the names you mentioned.

In the early afternoon, there was a short preliminary meeting; Ken Slater was introduced as Guest of Honour. This was followed by a game of ‘20 questions’, which was rather dead, in spite of the valiant efforts of quizmasters Terry Jeeves and John Roles, Next there came the Tea-Drinking Contest (barbaric affair), which was won by Pete Davies, a newfan from Stourbridge, who drank 11 cups of the poison. A Martyr!

Toward the end of the year newfan Ian McAulay joined the staff as co-editor, taking much the same sort of catalystic position on HYPHEN as Pete Graham has on VOID. There were two issues during 1960, totalling 50 pages.

I sometimes get the impression that the lack of new fannish terms is due to the fact that the older fans have stepped pubbing and the new fans have to look to one another for inspiration. Having looked at several newfans I can see why they don’t get much. They’re so remarkably sercon it’s almost numbing to read their stuff.

There I was in the huckster room of MidAmeriCon (my first con), the rankest of newfans, with $2.00 in my pockets, gazing longingly at the group of OUTWORLDS back issues.