Words on WIDOWER'S prequel | FOOTNOTES Page | Obituary Page | |
Initiated by Ethel Lindsay, 1972 Our host wrote: I sent copies of the last issue of BLETHERINGS [No. 4] to Chuck Harris and to Harry.Turner. To Chuck to see his reaction to seeing a long-defunct fanzine appear on his doorstep; and to Harry because the material had come from him. This brought forth some correspondence... [in Bletherings #5, 03/1972] Harry Turner: There's no escape from the past, is there? Here am I happily making up for all the lost time in pursuing a career as a painter of serious intent; and you send me these reminders of my more profligate years :.For the historical record, your statement that the material you have used in Bletherings 4 represents an unfinished Now and Then is not quite true, The cover by Deness Morton was intended for Astroneer which was the organ of the fan group, in which the leading lights were Dave Cohen, Eric Bentcliffe, Brian Varley, Sandy Sanderson et al. We met in the Waterloo Hotel, circa 1954, as Eric reports in The Awful Truth. The article by Brian Varley and the other Morton page were originally intended for the post-war Zenith, which I abandoned in the second issue as it seemed to be getting very "sercon" whereas my. tastes ran to the spontaneous and casual, as exemplified in N&T. So the Widowers' verses are really the only N&T material in this survival from the past! Yes, the unsigned verses were Eric's--and so are some of the signed ones for that matter. Having set the record straight, I hasten to say that it's nice to hear from you (albeit indirectly!) and to see that fandom still survives. And that FAPA is still functioning. I am mildly amazed that these things still happen. I know a few very young SF fans and still keep in touch with a few of the older gang. And how are you making out? Still at Courage House, I see...Your old and tired fan face...Harry. Then Harry wrote again (in response to info in Chuck's letter): Chuck with 3-year-old twins?' It's hard imagining these fans of yesteryear in their role as parents: All Chuck said about Eric Needham was true -- though he wasn't entirely 'under-rated': he had a fair correspondence from his fans considering the limited circles of fandom. It was a pity he couldn't find a better outlet for his comic genius than fanzines, but I think he was probably too impulsive and erratic a writer to have written on a commercial basis. The thing about the N&T period was that it was all spontaneous and grew naturally. Eric was a lonely creature -- he had personal problems that eventually piled up and were one reason for his rapid exit from Fandom -- and I like to think that he found comfort in his visits here when the kids were all young and there was plenty of life and activity to distract him from his preoccupations. In one sense it is true when he says that his N&T work was autobiographical -- even the wildest fantasies have originated from something that happened or something that was said. Eric had a childlike awareness -- he would pounce on an unconsidered remark and build a make-believe (but logically water-tight) world from it. He was self-educated: most of his extensive knowledge came from erratic reading during his RAF career -- which was why you would find him suprisingly knowledgeable about some esoteric topic and then suddenly ill-informed on some accepted mundane matter. And it wasn't all literary and philosophical knowledge he'd absorbed -- he had a phenomenal grasp of things mechanical and electronic, and a genius for building equipment of all sorts from junk parts. I first met him before the war at fannish gatherings; it was 1937 at the Leeds SFA that our paths first crossed; but I can't recall we had a great deal in common then. My main memory is of someone vaguely scruffy and inordinately shy. When our paths crossed again in post-war years, he'd changed considerably and we found a lot in common -- though he was still vaguely scruffy and still shy with strangers, but covered up by acting in some outrageous way.(I seem to recall your first meeting with him will bear this out!) The thing that I liked about him (though it could be uncomfortable on occasions) was his natural curiosity and forthright questions about any topic that interested him. He had a refreshing uninhibitedness that kept me mentally alert during the years when a comfortable family existence could have led to rapid bourgeois complacency! I certainly enjoyed his company. He was able to make easy contact with people through his articles and letters in a way he often found difficult in a personal confrontation. As Chuck says, he could be wildly generous -- and often would do his good deeds under a cloak of anonymity. Ah well, I hope he's found some happiness wherever he's gone. Gad. . I thought I'd lost the knack of writing long letters. See what an effect you're having on me. I think your fanzine brought back all the thoughts of Eric...Harry Our host added: Alas..there does not seem to be any revival of WIDOWERS verses due to my publishing them. The only one who produced some was Chuck. WIDOWERS verses by Chuck Harris He took the. loaves and fishes As shepherds watched their flocks by night compiler's note: here are the Widowers verses from Bletherings #4 as context. Zeus sat on Olympus high When Mason and Dixon drafted out The red men of the western plains Simon Legree, that terrible man The brides of Bluebeard, one by one Barnum & Bailey said with pride The LAUNDRY BOILERS verse in N&T #8 is credited to Pat Darrell compiler's note: A LoC to Waldo 7 (Eric Bentcliffe's perzine, Autumn 1983) Shakespeare took the critics aback The cave-man was shivering night after night Produced by the SEPTUAGENARIAN FANS ASSOCIATION™ |
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