Subject: [VP] (VP) Delurk, Slash Coming out Story, Ramblings
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 14:58:10 -0700
From: Melora

She steps out from behind the heavy, dusty(no Starsky undies to 
dust with), dark maroon velvet curtains, coughing and shielding 
her eyes from the glare of the spotlight.  Walking over to the 
front of the stage, she succeeds in tripping over her own feet 
twice, and manages to bean herself in the head with the 
microphone as she tries to grab it out of the stand.  She shuts 
her eyes, takes a deep breath, and searches for that quiet center 
inside herself.  Not moving the mic away quickly enough, she 
sighs heavily into it, making a noise that sounds like a 
Minnesota windstorm.  Blushing candy apple red, she opens her 
mouth to speak. 

"You don't know me but, I'm here to introduce myself.  My name is 
Marcia," grinning thinly and waving with the hand holding 
the mic, getting it tangled up in her long hair and almost 
knocking her glasses off.  There are several seconds of 
embarrassed fumbling with her hair and glasses. 

"I've been lurking around here for about a week now, and just 
wanted to say 'Hi' to everyone.  From reading the posts, everyone 
seems nice and friendly, and much more familiar with Starsky and 
Hutch than I am.  I haven't seen the show in years and don't have 
cable where I live, so there's no hope of  me seeing it anytime 
soon.   I'm glad to see(from the posts) that TNT is showing some 
of them.  It's good to know that they're still out there, 
somewhere." 

I never watched the show that much when it was originally aired, 
as I was in nursing school then and didn't have much free time.  
And what time I did have, I was dating.  But, what I do remember 
about the show was how gorgeous they both were and that 
incredible friendship that they had. 

And, in answer to somebody's question, no, it never crossed my 
mind then that there might be more to it than friendship.  Of 
course, I was much younger and much more naive then. 
  
So, how did I discover slash?  Many years later, probably 1984 or 
so, I was at work and one of my coworkers was in the break room, 
fumbling with something in her locker, when  I came barging in.  
She was acting so secretive that it was driving me crazy, so I 
just reached out and pulled this booklet thingie out of her hands 
and started looking through it.  It had letters and illos and 
stories and when I asked her what it was, she blushingly told me 
that it was a letterzine.  I'm standing there looking at this 
picture in it(which was a quite graphic Starsky or Hutch doing 
something sexual to Hutch or Starsky sort of thing) while she was 
explaining that it was fan stories about The Boys.  And that it 
was not just fiction, that it was slash fiction which presumes a 
sexual relationship between them. I'm standing there blinking up 
at her, cuz I had never even heard of  fan fiction before then, 
much less slash.  (And for some of you out there, cuz I do 
recognize some names and you will remember this, it was a copy of 
one of the issues of Hanky Panky.) 

So, I just told her I was borrowing it for the evening, took it 
home and read the whole thing.  When I went to work the next day, 
she asked me what I thought about the whole 'are they?' question 
and I just looked at her and said "of course".  So, I went from 
no fanficion to slash overnight. 

I immediately got my own subscription and then branched out into 
Star Trek fanfic also.  I bought tons of zines and lived and 
breathed fandom for a while, then fell out of it when real life 
intervened.  I still have all of my zines, and have periodically 
pulled them out and reread them from time to time and had thought 
about trying to find some new ones, but never pursued it. 

Then, about a year ago, I bought myself a computer and started 
surfing.  Took me about 4 months or so to think about looking for 
fanfic on the 'net, but I did a search one night for Star Trek 
fan fiction and found some sites, which led to more sites, which 
led eventually to the PKSP.  Well, I was packing some books up 
one evening, and ran across a box of S/H zines and did another 
search, which led to Jaes site, which led to Alexis' site and 
lots more reading.  I mentioned something on the PKSP about S/H 
and the listmom there emailed me about this list. 

So, here I am. 

She waves and grins and curtsies to the audience, and exits. 

Marcia


Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 21:32:35 -0700
From: Melora
Subject: [VP] Re:Repost and Update: Delurk, Slash Coming out 
Story, Ramblings]]

 (Update-I've been here a month or so now, and I have to admit, 
this is the funnest place I've ever  lived. Everyone has been 
very friendly, and have been very patient with all the basement 
renovations. Thanks. The RUMPus Room will be open for business 
soon. The Boyz are planning a *special* show for all of us that 
want to attend, but they're not *quite* sure what it's gonna be 
yet! The last time I talked to them, they were having a little 
spat, over the, ah, <ahem> costumes and *props* they're gonna 
use.)

(Personal update-I'm 45, happily divorced since 1983, no kids, 2 
cats. I've been a critical care nurse for 21 years, altho I 
herniated a disc in my lower back at work in December, was on 
light duty(read boring paperwork duty) for 3 months and have been 
out of work on disability since the end of April. Being out of 
work has been very hard for me, I've worked since I was 15. I've 
been very depressed a lot of the time, all these losses have been 
difficult to deal with. But, I'm better now. I still don't know 
how this whole thing is gonna turn out, or what I'm gonna be when 
I grow up.)


(Update-So I started out in S/H, then went on to ST TOS slash. 
When I got my computer, I read some ST TNG stuff (P/Q) is my 
favorite, and a lot of ST VOY fanfic (C/P/K-in any and all 
combinations), altho I have to admit that if it's ST and slash, 
I'll probably read it. Or at least give it a thorough scan 
looking for the *good* parts! I've read some Highlander (D/M is 
my fav). Some Sentinel, never seen the show, tho. Read some Miami 
Vice(C/C is my pair of choice) and for my new love (Flamingo is 
threatening to have me kidnapped and deprogrammed) The 
Professionals. I'm a Bodie fan. I've read a lot of Pros stories 
recently, and just had someone dupe me all the episodes on tape-
so I've been having a Bodie watching orgy at my house this week. 
I'm gonna go watch my new song tape and then a few eps of the 
Pros, so I'm sure to have sweet dreams tonight.)

  GBye,

  Marcia  ; ]


Subject: Re: [VP] and how did YOU get into slash?
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 19:48:50 -0800
From: Melora
To: "(VP)" <veniceplace@jbx.com>

I've been reading *and enjoying* everyone's answers to this 
question--and my intro to slash seems to be unique, so I'm gonna 
share it.

> >> How did YOU get into slash?

Well, lessee.  It was about 1981 or so.  I was working at a 
hospital in Phoenix and one of my good buds in the department was 
into lots of stuff-bats and vampire stories, Star Trek, Starsky 
and Hutch, and me being a child of my time, was interested in 
this stuff also.  I noticed that she was forever making copies of 
stuff but was always *very* secretive about it, and being 
naturally curious, I *really* wanted to know what she was 
copying.

I sneaked up on her one day and caught her with a little folded 
magazine and I snatched it out of her hands and proceeded to 
thumb thru it, watching her turn purple...Well, it was full of 
letters and stories and *PICTURES* of naked men (It was one of 
the issues of Hanky Panky--for those of you who remember it).  I 
watched her bluff and bluster for a bit and she eventually told 
me that it was a booklet of stories about Starsky and Hutch, 
written and produced by fans, and that it dealt with some 
*interesting* topics.

I just looked at her and shrugged and said,  "I'll bring this 
back in the morning."   I took it home and read it cover to cover 
several times and I was *hooked*.  I went from no fan fiction to 
slash in one night.  I have read some gen fiction, but I *like* 
the payoff of these two (whichever fandom I'm reading in) men 
loving and caring and having an ongoing physical relationship.

I  read Starsky/Hutch, Miami Vice, Star Trek, Sentinel, but my 
favorite is The Professionals.

> >> Why did it appeal to you?

> snipped from Caorann----
> Well, I'll admit that at first it was just the idea of two 
gorgeous guys
> rolling around and getting sweaty together. <g> But now I find 
the whole
> idea of guys having these intense feelings and actually 
expressing them
> really interesting.

A lot of what Caorann wrote about her family was true of mine, 
also.  Mebbe there's an interesting study to be done here?  All I 
know, is that I have searched all of my life for a relationship 
like the characters seem to have.  I've never found it yet, but 
I'm still looking.

> >> Are you in the closet about it?

About fandom--no.  About slash- -I have a few friends that I've 
told about it.  I've even let them read some of it and the one 
story I've written.  My family would *not* understand this.

> >> What compels you to write it and read it?

Well, I *love* the characters.  They belong together and I want 
them that way. I get a kick out of slash.  Sorta an inside joke 
between us fen.  I really like all kinds of fanfic...UST, angst, 
relationship studies, case-driven stories, squishy love stories.  
You name it, I'll read it.  I really like first time stories... 
that new love stuff gets me every time..

Marcia ; ]
