Sunday, December 28, 2008

Rare SFWA FORUM NO. 34, 1974 Science Fiction Newsletter

Rare SFWA FORUM NO. 34, 1974 Science Fiction Newsletter - eBay (item 310112123890 end time Jan-02-09 18:11:17 PST)

This issue of SFWA Forum was published in Summer 1974 when Theodore Cogswell was editor. Offset-printed and bound with staples like a fanzine, it features a front cover by Dave Prosser and art by William Rotsler.

Contents:
  • Articles and Special Features
    • Editorial
    • Jack Dann's Wandering Stars: A Review, Yuri Prizel
    • Unto Us an Elwood Was Born, C.L. Grant
    • One Afternoon in Toronto, Jodi Offutt
    • In Cold Print: Writers and Underwriters, V.S. Navasky
    • The Notebooks of Mack Sikes, Part II, David Gerrold
    • Tips from the Treasurer, Part III, andrew j offutt
    • Secrets of the Secretary, Part I, Theodore R. Cogswell
  • The Mortal Storm (Letters)
  • The Back of the Book (Official Notices and Reports
Yuri Prizel's review of Wandering Stars starts out printed in an unreadable font--on purpose--and is translated on the following pages. C.L. Grant's piece interviews Roger Elwood. (One page is printed upside-down by accident.)

One Afternoon in Toronto is the story of a beer run to fuel a convention. A photo of nudists claims to be "Future of SFWA Panel." Victor Navasky's piece was reprinted from New York Times Book Review, 18 November 1973 with permission.

David Gerrold's humor piece is a take off on familiar titles, with synopses. Tips from the Treasurer was meant as helpful for cash-strapped writers and is now humorously far out of date with the changes in writing tools. Secrets of the Secretary is #1 in a Series of Tips for the Drinking Writer.

Letters include missives from: Poul Anderson, Harvey Bilker, Michael Bishop, Paul Bond, Ben Bova, F.M. Busby, Arthur Clarke, Miriam Allen Deford, Phyllis Eisenstein, T. R. Fehrenback, Los Fisher, Dick Geis, Glenn L. Gillettte, Joe Green, Harry Harrison, Robert Heinlein (another upside-down page), Phil Higgins, Virginia Kidd, Damon Knight, Sam J. Lundwall, Ruth Berman, George R. R. Martin, Larry Niven, William F. Orr, Rachel Payes, P. J. Plauger, Andrew Porter, Jerry Pournelle, Joanna Russ, Guy Snyder, John Steinbeck (reprinted letter to Paul Carter), James Tiptree, Jr., and Steven Utley. Phew!

In The Back of the Book, Frederik Pohl talks about what he found in the way of markets for stories in Eastern Europe. This is followed by club officer reports.

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Vintage REED'S ROCKET PECAN CRACKER Piston Nutcracker!

Vintage REED'S ROCKET PECAN CRACKER Piston Nutcracker! - eBay (item 310112122227 end time Jan-02-09 18:01:47 PST)

This metal piston-style nutcracker is embossed on the barrel, "Reed's Rocket Pecan Cracker, Pat. Pend." The screw bolt is adjustable for different size nuts. Lift the handle, insert nut between bolt and piston, depress the handle and Crunch!

There are remnants of pecan shell in the depressions, patina on all the metal parts and slight soiling and edge wear on the wooden base. The handle moves easily, good for cracking all the nuts you could ever need, not just pecans.

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