Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 09:16:32 -0500 (EST)
From: starsk
Subject: Names & Bio

Hi, everybody!

I have to agree with erring on the side of caution with name 
usage.  I  don't always necessarily agree with the degree to 
which some off-line fans refuse any friendly contact with online 
folks, but I feel like it is their right to determine how public 
they want to go with their activities.  As a newcomer to the 
fandom (just getting into it in summer of 1995), I don't feel 
like I have a right to come in and steamroll over the wishes of 
people who have been in it for ten or twenty years.  Also, I have 
had concerns of my own about my name being posted in any more 
public forums than this one, and have asked not to be named on 
Internet bulletin boards or chat groups, so I can understand at 
least some reasonable caution on the name issue.

I do wish some off-line fans would be more willing to share 
information via snail mail with online people.  I have had one 
person tell me that she would prefer that I not refer anyone to 
her I meet via private e-mail lists, even if I only mention her 
name in snail mail correspondence with them.  I wish there was 
more of a willingness to meet us halfway.  But I will honor those 
wishes, whether I agree with them or not.

Just my .02. :)

BTW, as far as bios are concerned:

I joined S&H fandom in 1995, 
though I had watched the series somewhat in the 70s (I'm 29 now, 
so I was pretty young to be involved in a fandom, even if I had 
known about it!), but became addicted to it when TNT started re-
running it.  I figured I was probably one of only a handful of 
people who were that rabid about it, and the only  reason I 
learned I was wrong was that I e-mailed Dean Treadway at TNT to  
ask them to put S&H back on the air when it went on hiatus in 
1995.  He informed me it would be back on soon, and also 
connected me with "Black Bean Soup", the online newsletter.  From 
that source, I made a variety of snail mail and e-mail contacts, 
discovered fanfic (much to the distress of my checking account!!) 
and met some great people.  Robin's Zebrathree list was the 
source of a number of terrific online friendships for me, and I'm 
excited to be affiliated with a second list.

I started writing fanfic in Fall of 1995, and submitted a short 
story to BBS which was published last Halloween called "The 
Gate".  My novellas include "Home for the Holidays", "Rites of 
Passage" and "Down a Dark Hall". I'm currently working on another 
one.  One of my greatest passions in life has always been 
writing, so connecting one great passion with another has been a 
real joy!  All the fanfic I've written is gen, though I've read 
quite a bit of slash.  As long as it's well-written, I love both 
universes.  To me, one of the saddest things I've seen in fandom 
is the rift between gen and slash people.  I don't see why it 
needs to exist at all if we all treat each other with courtesy.

My other great love is music.  Though I don't play an instrument, 
I consider music akin to oxygen for survival.  I love a wide 
variety of it, from rock to classical, and I have favorites in 
just about all of the last four decades.  My favorite seems to be 
the hard rock from the 80s, but I have a real taste for 70s 
music, and have become addicted to a great 70s radio station we 
have here.

That's probably more than anyone wants to know about me :), but 
there it is.  I realized when I read some of the posts today that 
I am guilty of  being one of the "lurkers" from time to time, and 
definitely haven't introduced myself.  This is a great list and 
I'm glad Ilana so kindly convinced me to join it!!

TTYL,
Candy


Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 09:58:07 -0800 (PST)
From: starsk
Subject: Re: [VP] and how did YOU get into slash?

>1-How did YOU get into slash?

I think the "susceptibility" to it was always there--even before 
I knew  why, I was riveted to the screen in moments of h/c, male 
bonding, etc.   Then I got into S&H fandom in 1995 via TNT and 
the BBS newsletter and  the Z3 mailing list, and met my best 
online buddy--you know who you are  <g>--who mentioned the slash 
idea to me.  I mulled it over, and the more  I thought about it, 
the more intrigued I was.  So she loaned me "Heart &  Soul 2".  
The rest, as they say, is history. LOL  I joined the lending  
library and devoured everything--I remember "Nightlight" as the 
first  thing I got from it--and that sealed my fate.

>2- Why did it appeal to you?  How do you deal with it?  What 
compels you
>to write it and read it?

A shrink could probably answer all these... LOL  I don't know.  
Maybe  it's two beautiful men for the price of one, so to speak.  
Also, I think  it's largely the relationships.  I'm not what 
could be considered a  "slash slut"--I won't read just any 
pairing.  I read Starsky and Hutch,  Jim and Blair, and I just 
wrote Draven and Albrecht of "The Crow:  Stairway to Heaven".  
But there has to be something in the relationship  that speaks to 
me, moves me.  Maybe because I like male protagonists  better 
than females when I'm reading or watching TV. Nothing  anti-
female, I guess for some reason I just like watching and reading  
about guys better (go figure!) LOL.  I also like slash in that it 
keeps  the partnership together permanently, whereas if you 
approach it from  the gen angle, that's pretty impossible, or at 
least very unlikely with  wives and families and other 
commitments.

I write it because I adore writing, and it's the best way to 
blend my two favorite things.  

>3- Are you in the closet about it?

Is there someone out there?  Hang on a minute.  I have to climb 
over these shoe boxes and then part the coats to get to the 
door...  That answer the question? LOL  

Great questions--interesting answers!

Candy :)

