Westercon 54

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Note from the Chair
  
• From the Registrar
  
• Hotels
  
• Hotel Reservation Form
  
• Convention Hours
  
• Disability Concerns
  
• Convention Policies
  
• Programming
  
• Anime
  
• Art Show
  
• Children's Programming
  
• Child Care
  
• Club House
  
• Dances
  
• Dealers
  
• Endeavour Awards
  
• Filking
  
• Gaming
  
• Hospitality
  
• Locus Awards
  
• Masquerade
  
• Variety Show
  
• Restaurant Guide
  
• Souvenir Book
  
• Susan C. Petrey / Clarion Fund
  
• Site Selection
  
• Volunteers
  
• What's Up With Whose Line?
  
• Westercon Story Time
  
• Writers' Workshop
  
• Westercon Bylaws
  
• Committee List
  
• Membership List

OSFCI is the sponsor of OryCon, CON, Westercons 37, 43, 48, CascadeCon, Smofcon 8, Potlatchs 5 & 8, 1996 World Horror Convention, the Clayton Memorial Medical Fund, the Endeavour Award, the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund.

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

Dean Koenig

Hello! Welcome to Westercon 54! The convention is only a few months away, but preparations are coming along nicely and we should have a great convention! Golden Bough has signed on as our Friends of Filk special guest. For those of you who got to hear them at Orycon a few years back, you know what a treat it is to have a great band like this perform for us again. Their show will be Saturday night following the Masquerade. Check your souvenir book and pocket program for more details!

Terri Windling, our Editor Guest of Honor has regretfully cancelled her appearance at Westercon 54. Real life complications and publishing deadlines have made it difficult for her to attend at this time. We wish her the best of luck, and we hope to see her at a future Oregon convention.

There are still a lot of jobs for anyone that might want to volunteer. Westercon 54 operates on blood, sweat, and volunteers! In short, we can't do it without you! If you are interested in volunteering some of your time to the convention, drop a line to our e-mail address w54@spiritone.com. Thanks again, and I'll see you in July!

CHANGE IN GUEST OF HONOR LINE-UP

Due to family emergencies, Terri Windling will be unable to attend Westercon 54.

We are happy to announce the addition of Golden Bough as Filking Guests of Honor. Golden Bough (Margie Butler, Paul Espinoza and Sue Draheim) will be performing as the Special Guests of Friends of Filk in the Mount Saint Helens Ballroom (Lower Level of the Doubletree Jantzen Beach) Saturday night after the Masquerade. They are scheduled to begin at 8:30pm so keep your Masquerade seats, as you won't want to miss this world-class Celtic music trio! Don't forget to stop by the Friends of Filk table in the dealer's room to buy Golden Bough's music, and also check out Margie and Paul's individual performances of music inspired by or written by fantasy author Mercedes Lackey. While you're there, be sure to thank the volunteers at the table who help bring quality musicians like Golden Bough to SF/fantasy conventions in the Pacific Northwest!

FROM THE REGISTRAR

Linda Pilcher

Membership rates for Westercon 54:

Attending - $65 until 6/10/01, $75 at the door

Supporting - $20.00 anytime

Children - 6 to 12 half of current adult membership, 5 and under free (applies to child's age at time of convention, children must be accompanied by adult member)

Special offer: Purchase a full (adult) attending membership for a child, and receive free child care (space permitting)!

One-day memberships will be available at the door, but the rates haven't been set yet. Check our web page for updates.Remember--you can use our web page to purchase memberships over the Internet using PayPal!

The label on your progress report contains your name, membership number and status ('A' attending, 'S' supporting, 'C' child with child care or 'G' guest), badge name, and address. Please let us know if any of these are incorrect or have changed. We'd hate to lose you!

Memberships to Westercon 54 are not refundable, but they are transferrable. To transfer a membership, please let us know in advance (either by mail or e-mail), and we'll have the correct badge ready at the convention. Otherwise, bring a signed letter with you from the original purchaser of the membership.

Registration Times:
Thursday (July 5th) - 11AM to 11PM
Friday (July 6th) - 9AM to 11PM
Saturday (July 7th) - 9AM to 5PM
Sunday (July 8th) - 10AM to 2PM

Registration will be located in the lobby of the Doubletree Columbia River Hotel (same place it is found during OryCon). Registration (pre-reg badge pickup only) will also be open in the Columbia River hotel for a short while on Wednesday afternoon (July 4th)--check the web page for more details as they become available.

WESTERCON 54 HOTEL

Patty Wells, Melanie Schaber, Andrew Nisbet

There continues to be plenty of available rooms in both the Columbia River and the Jantzen Beach Doubletrees. While the Jantzen Beach is the party hotel, there is a block of non-party rooms in the Jantzen Beach, due to request. The Columbia River is Westercon's non-party hotel or "quiet hotel".

As stated before: the rate is $98 for one to four people (an additional person in the room is $15 extra - if you want a rollaway bed, you must request one). The convention rate is guaranteed for all rooms available even after the deadline has passed (June 16th, 2001). There's just no guarantee that there will be any rooms left at either hotel at that point -- so make those reservations in advance. As of this time there are many rooms available in both hotels, both in party and non-party blocks. However, some types of rooms fill quickly and it is to your benefit to book your room soon.

If you specifically request a river view room, you will be charged $15 extra. There have been a couple of instances where this charge has been added when a booking is placed in a river view room without request. Per our contract, river view rooms are by request only, and it is best that you double check your rate before getting off the phone. We have been able to solve any problems regarding mistaken rates or information on filled blocks. When calling the Doubletree, you will be making your reservations through a national number that services all the Doubletree Hotels in the United States. Most reservations are being processed correctly and with no problem.

PARTIES
If you plan to hold a party, you must reserve in the Party Hotel (the Jantzen Beach hotel) and specify that you will be holding a party. The hotel will be requiring a $100 damage/cleaning deposit for open parties. Since this started with OryCon, all deposits have been completely refunded, and the hotel has been very happy with us. Please note that this policy is being applied to all groups, not just our convention. Your open parties will need to be registered in the office, so we can coordinate with the hotel and help you get any extra trash bags and/or cleaning supplies from the hotel. We control the suite reservations and need to be contacted if you want one for a specific night, whether for a party or for the entire weekend. Craig Howlett will be assisting in arranging for the suite requests.

SUITES
Presidential suites (Orycon hospitality suite size) $350/night
Parlor suites (Orycon Fan Lounge or Tor party suite size) $250/night
Executives (smaller than the parlor suites) $150/night

Please feel free to contact us with your questions, special requirements, and if any problems arise. You can use the Westercon PO Box, the general e-mail address, or reach us directly at patty@teleport.com or d.schaber@home.com

HOW TO GET TO THE DOUBLETREE HOTELS

	By car: The hotels are located on Hayden Island in the Columbia River, about six miles north of downtown Portland on Interstate 5. Heading either north or south on I-5, take exit #308 (signs will say "Jantzen Beach Center" and "Hayden Island"). The Columbia River hotel is on the west side of the freeway, near the shopping center; the Jantzen Beach hotel is on the east side of the freeway, near the Safeway. Plenty of free parking is available.   By air: The hotels operate a free shuttle from Portland International Airport (PDX), departing at 10 and 40 minutes after the hour, from 5:40 AM to 11:10 PM. Doubletree runs two shuttles to different properties -- be sure to take the Jantzen Beach/Columbia River/Inn at the Quay shuttle and not the Lloyd Center shuttle. Be aware that the shuttles may be swamped on the first and last day of the convention. A taxi to the hotels from the airport costs about $15-18. Town cars are also available; they are supposedly fancier than taxis and cost more -- maybe a lot more (town car fares aren't regulated). If you rent a car at the airport, take I-205 North, following signs for Seattle; you will cross the Columbia River into the state of Washington. Then, take Route 14 West, traveling West for about 7 miles to I-5 (follow signs for Portland). Take I-5 South over the bridge to the Jantzen Beach exit (exit #308); follow the "by car" directions above from there.   By bus: The Greyhound terminal is downtown. To get from there to the convention you have two choices: public transportation (Tri-Met) -- catch the #5 bus at 5th and Everett, roughly three blocks southeast of the bus station, cost is $1.05 -- or taxi, cost is about $12-15.   By train: If you take the train to Portland you'll find yourself at the downtown terminal, which is right next to the Greyhound terminal -- follow the directions above. However, we suggest that you go to the Amtrak station in Vancouver, Washington rather than Portland. The Vancouver station is much closer to the hotels (and a cheaper cab ride!).

WESTERCON 54 HOTEL RESERVATION FORM

NAME _____________________________________________________

ADDRESS__________________________________________________

CITY/STATE ________________________________________________

ZIP/POSTAL CODE ____________

COUNTRY______________

ARRIVAL DATE ___________ DEPARTURE DATE__________

ARRIVAL TIME ________ (Arrivals after 6 pm must be guaranteed.)

CREDIT CARD INFORMATION [Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club]

CARD # _______________________________EXP. DATE _______

SIGNATURE ____________________________________________

The Westercon 54 room rate is $98 (plus 11.5% tax) for up to four people ($15 per additional person after those four, with a maximum of five people in a room due to fire code restriction).
PLEASE MARK YOUR CHOICES:

BEDS: [ ] ONE [ ] TWO [ ] ROLLAWAY ($15)
[ ] NON-SMOKING [ ] SMOKING
I PLAN TO HOLD A PARTY AT THE JB (CHECK HERE) __________
I WANT A PARTY WING ROOM BUT I WILL NOT HOLD A PARTY__________

Check in time is 3 pm. Rooms must be guaranteed to be held past 6 pm on arrival date. All unreserved rooms will be released on June 16, 2001. After that, rooms are subject to availability but remain at the $98 rate.

CONVENTION HOURS

Westercon 54 will begin at noon on Thursday, July 5 and end at 4pm on Sunday, July 8. As much as we'd like to have it otherwise, Westercon 54 will not be run on a 24-hour basis. Everything (programming, filking, gaming, hospitality and the dances) will shut down from 4am to 8am each morning. This allows everyone to find their rooms at least once a day (making the hotel happy), and gives the hotel and Westercon staff a chance to refresh things for the next day.

DISABILITY CONCERNS?

Page Fuller

I will do my best to make the concerns go away. We want everyone to enjoy the convention. Westercon in Portland will be in two hotels and for those with walking problems, we will have a shuttle system in place to handle ambulatory, wheelchair or mobie transportation between the two hotels. It will be just like back to school! We will have two small yellow school buses with wheelchair lifts going between the two hotels during these hours, with small changes to handle meal breaks. There will be no charge for the ride.

Thurs: two buses 11am-6pm; one bus 6pm to 11pm
Fri: two buses 9am-6pm; one bus 6pm to 11pm
Sat: two buses 9am-6pm; one bus 6pm to 11pm
Sun: two buses 9am-4pm

CONVENTION POLICIES

WEAPONS

Westercon 54 is a weapon-free convention. This means the carrying and wearing of weapons will not be permitted, except as part of a designated event, and then only during the event, or in transit to and from the event. Prior to any such designated event, the Special Events department must approve the use of a weapon as part of the event. Failure to do so is grounds for immediate expulsion from the convention.

In addition to the prohibitions in the Oregon Revised Statutes, the Convention Committee defines as weapons any object designed to cause bodily harm, or any replica of such an object and any other object the Committee determines to be dangerous. However the Committee reserves the right to amend this definition of a weapon, and the right to impound weapons for the duration of the convention.

Any weapons purchased in the Dealer's Room must be securely wrapped before they are taken out of the room.

The committee realizes that most people who would like to carry and wear weapons are sensible and careful individuals. However, because of the present liability laws, the risk of weapons causing accident or distress, and to preserve relationships with convention hotels we have had to adopt this policy. The safety of convention members has to be our overriding consideration.

SMOKING

Smoking is not allowed in any convention space during Westercon 54. Additionally, smoking has been banned in public work areas (including all restaurants) in Multnomah County. Smoking is still allowed in bars and private sleeping rooms.

ANIMALS

No animals are allowed on hotel property except ADA compliant working animals.

CHILDREN

Children must be accompanied by an adult in order to purchase a membership, and all children must be registered with the convention. Those five and under will still be admitted free to the convention and receive a hospital-type ID bracelet. At all times, these children must be under the supervision of an adult, or in child care. If a young child is found unattended, that child will be delivered to child care and the parents billed. Children six to twelve are admitted at half the adult price, and may operate independently as long as they cause no problems. However, if they are not capable of independence, then they must be under adult supervision or in child care. Regardless, all children under the age of 12 must be under direct adult supervision after 8pm. Additionally, no one under the age of 12 may work as a volunteer for more than four hours a day (six hours a day for ages 12 through 16.) Remember that child care for the entire weekend (on a space-available basis, of course) can be obtained by purchasing an adult membership for your child.

PROGRAMMING

Ruth Sachter

Since we're in the same two hotels, we're planning on the same format for programming as we used at our last Portland Westercon (Westercon 48 in 1995).

Program items will have 90 minute slots to allow for 60 to 75 minutes of content and time to walk (shuttle bus) from one hotel to the other hotel.

Here's who we've heard from as of press time (it will be out of date by the time you're reading this). This list will change as people's plans change - watch the webpage for updates. Both email and snail mail are fallible as am I, so if you should have been listed or not listed (or have another correction) please let me know. If you're interested in participating (or know someone who is) and haven't heard from us, it's not too late to get in touch.

If you're a member of a group that would like to schedule some programming space to hold a meeting, discussion, or other event at Westercon please let us know now. While we have much more flexibility than at our annual OryCons, space and time are still finite commodities.

Please send your ideas, suggestions, questions, corrections (but no spam), and offers of assistance to w54prog@spiritone.com or ruths@spiritone.com.

PROGRAMMING GUESTS:

ANIME

Jeff Peck

We're planning to have a great selection of anime for Westercon 54. Things are still very much in the formative stage at the moment, but if you have any requests or suggestions of anime titles you would like to see, please feel free to contact me! jeffnanne@earthlink.net

ART SHOW

Lacey Axmaker

Art Show is currently about half full. We're seeing lots of Orycon regulars and several new faces (new to us, anyway). The Westercon website (see below) is mostly current and updated. Other than that, it's pretty much business as usual for the Art Show. http://www.aracnet.com/~cptspith/artshow/wartshow.html.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING

Ariel Shattan

Children's Programming is shaping up nicely. It will run during the daytime hours for all four days of the convention. Our target age group is kids13 and younger. Most of this programming will be in the Columbia River Hotel on the lower level (around where Child Care will be). We have an open space that allows for physical activities like playground games and just plain running around. We are planning entry-level fantasy gaming so that kids can learn in a friendly environment. One room will be dedicated to general and specific crafts, arts, and assembly projects, including costume assembly, and building model rockets. Also, we'll be showcasing "Take it Apart", the popular activity that lets every kid be a force for chaos. Panels of interest to children and parents will also be offered. We are even negotiating for the return of Ms. Frizzle and her science lectures and demonstrations.

We are hoping that parents are willing to volunteer their time during the events they bring their children to. If you want to lead a children's programming event, suggest an event, or let me know what sort of thing your child enjoys, please send me email. I would also encourage young fans to lead or participate in one or more events. A quick note telling me what ages your children are would also be appreciated, so that the activities can reflect the needs of the kids attending. That email address: sa32@uswest.net.

A NOTE TO PARENTS: Children's Programming is not babysitting service. All Children's Programming events will require either a certain level of maturity, an ability to listen, and participate appropriately, or a parent must be in attendance with the child. Children who disrupt an event will, depending on age, be asked to leave or escorted to Child Care, and the parent will be responsible for fees incurred.

CHILD CARE

Anne Peck

We will have child care at Westercon 54. Negotiations are still in progress for finding a good, reliable nanny service. I still need to get some input for hours of operation, and soon! Currently, the planned hours for Child Care are are 9am-9pm. These hours are subject to change based on demand.

If people have suggestions for activities for children, I will gladly accept them. I will begin accepting time reservations sometime in May. The child care schedule should be worked out. An information packet will be available by e-mail in May. Things are constantly evolving as I talk to more people who will be attending, and of course I will be in contact with children's programming.

Anne Peck
jeffnanne@earthlink.net

CLUB HOUSE

Dick Pilz, Roz Malin, and Evan Pilz

Stand under the Interstate Bridge. Look east. Main Hospitality is in that hotel (the Jantzen Beach hotel). The Club House is in the other hotel (the Columbia River hotel).

When the Club House is open, we will be serving fine foods and beverages. There will be tastings of home brewed meads and ales. Anyone can come and snack on the food - however, you must be 21 years old to participate in the alcoholic tastings. I.D. will be checked!

We hope to open the Club House two to three hours after we are able to get into the room on Thursday. As yet, the actual opening time is uncertain. As in the past, the Club House will be closed during major events, such as Opening Ceremonies and the Locus Awards. We will have a schedule of operating hours posted.

Also, because we are the smaller of the two hospitality suites and not in the party hotel, we will not be staying open during the wee hours of the morning. We will be home cooking for the next day.

DANCES

Doug Bissell, Shawn Marier, Robert Verde

There will be many opportunities at Westercon 54 to dust off the old dancing shoes, shake a leg (or two), and otherwise indulge in displays of terpsichorean excess.

The footloose festivities begin Thursday evening with an invitation to the Swing Dance, featuring music both classic and retro-modern. Choice cuts from the big band era as well as newer hits from the nineties will propel you in the Lindy Hop, the Charleston, or perhaps a bit of Boogie Wookie!

Friday night brings it all home with Northwest Favorites, the best of the best, the Upper Left Coast con dances! Dance hits from OryCon, Norwescon, V-Con, Rustycon, and others too numerous to mention make the trip down memory lane a very pleasant experience!

Saturday night will crank into high gear at Con Rave, spinning those danceable trance, techno, and house beats to get you into a "Club 54" mood. Plus, it gives you the chance to break out those glow-sticks and pacifiers you've always wanted to show off...

See you on the dance floor!

DEALERS ROOM

Paul M. Wrigley

Westercon 54 promises to have the best selection of book dealers at a Westercon since the last Portland Westercon in 1995. To date the following have purchased tables:

In addition we will feature a fine selection of dealers in wares other than books:

Until a final layout of the room is designed, the Westercon Dealer Room is temporarily full, but I do expect we will be able to fit in more tables. If you are interested in being put on the waiting list should space become available, please contact me.

Paul M. Wrigley
wrigcros@teleport.com
(503) 281-9449

THE ENDEAVOUR AWARDS

We will announce the finalists for the third Endeavour Award at Westercon, in an event that we will invent well before the convention. We have 28 entries this year, up from 24 last year. Three of the books are single author collections of stories.

The winner of last year's award was Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear. [Yes, your memory is right. Greg also won the first award with Dinosaur Summer.] The award includes a $1,000 honorarium. The Endeavour Award honors a distinguished science fiction or fantasy book. To be eligible for the award, a work must be an original novel or single author collection of stories published, as either a hardcover or a paperback, for the first time in the English language during the calendar year preceding the giving of the award. The author(s) must have been living in the Pacific Northwest--Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, The Yukon, and British Columbia--when they wrote the majority of the work and when the book was accepted by the publisher. If books are first published outside of the United States or Canada and are not entered at that time, they may be entered when first published in the United States or Canada.

We are accepting entries for next year, so if you have a book out during 2001, please send it in. The entry form and the rules are available on our Web site, www.osfci.org/endeavour. Click on the link at the bottom of the page for the Entry Form.

For additional information, contact James Fiscus at fiscus@sff.net.

FILKING

Karen Rall

FOLK MUSIC PROGRAMMING has been a valuable part of Westercon for many years, and I am hoping that this coming summer we will be able to add to the collection of good memories. Invitations are currently being sent out to a variety of performers throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and even into the Midwest. I'm sure many of you have favorites I may not be aware of or don't have contact information for, so I would encourage you to write me about them. I am tentatively planning for about 6 hours of concerts and a similar number of panel discussions and workshops. The exact amount will depend upon the responses we get from the performers and from all of you, as well as the time available in the overall convention schedule. We will also have at least one Open Song Circle each evening, maybe two on Friday and Saturday, and hopefully a "Dead Guitar" gathering on Sunday afternoon. I usually run a "Moderated Chaos" format, meaning that anyone can jump in at any time on any topic, although I (or my designated moderator) will step in as needed to keep things balanced and give everyone a chance to participate. If the majority wants a different format, or we have two rooms, we can also do Bardic, Poker Chip, Song List, or something else.

I have run Folk Music Programming at several conventions in the last five years, as well as having been a participant at many others throughout the NW and a few in the Bay Area so I have a list of tried and true activities, but I'm always in the market for new ideas. Music Programming, even more than some other areas of a convention, is dependent upon the participation of its attendees to take place at all. So please let me know what you would like to see, and I'll do what I can to make it happen. I hope to have some more detailed information available in the next Progress Report, and I will also be sending out emails as plans come together, so let me know if you'd like to be included in that discussion. You can reach me at quarong@mindspring.com or at 253-639-6483 between 7-10pm and on weekends. Thank you for your input! I look forward to seeing you in July!

GAMING

Simone Cooper

GAME SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED!

In order to ensure the widest possible variety of games and to allow broad participation, we have decided to extend the event submission deadline to Monday, May 28. All events submitted by that time will be included in a game booklet and on our website at http://www.osfci.org/cgi-bin/gamereg.cgi. You can use it to submit role-playing, board, or card games.

If you would like to receive the game booklet by postal mail in advance of the convention, please e-mail Simone (address below) or write to:

GAMING at Westercon 54
PO Box 5901
Portland, OR 97228-5901

Just a few of the NEW things gaming at Westercon will feature this year include:

• a variety of space in both convention hotels for all kinds of role-playing and other gaming events.
  
• an advance booklet of events to help you plan your schedule
  
• staffed gaming registration and information area
  
• gaming tie-ins with other program areas
  
• Star Wars, Dune, Star Trek, Amber, Empire of the Petal Throne, Dungeons and Dragons, Lovecraft, Camarilla, and other movie and literature improv events, not to mention adventure in the worlds of space opera, superheroes, fantasy, and film-noir detectives.

NOTE: If you have submitted an event and not received confirmation from the gaming department, please contact Simone immediately! See you in July! simone@wyrdrune.com (503) 283-0542

HOSPITALITY

Food. Drink. Food. Cameradie. Food. Good fun. Oh, did we mention the food? As with OryCons and Westercons past, we will have an excellent Hospitality Suite, featuring breakfast fare in the morning, as well as cold and hot dishes at various times during the day... and of course, feel free to come in and grab a snack or refreshment in between your busy convention schedule! We look forward to seeing you there!

LOCUS AWARDS BANQUET

Liz Mortensen

In the Westercon tradition, we are proud to present the 2001 Locus Awards Banquet! Please plan to join our engaging Toastmaster Connie Willis on Friday evening in the Riverview Room (Columbia River Doubletree Hotel). The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cash bar, dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the awards presentation at 8:00 p.m.

The set menu will be as follows:

House Garden Salad with Peppercorn Dressing
Seared Peppered Salmon Filet with Oregon Cabernet Sauce
Blended Wild Rice Pilaf
Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Coffee, Tea, Iced Tea or Milk

Tickets will be $35. It is imperative that you purchase your tickets in advance, as the hotel requires us to let them know the number of guests we expect well before Westercon starts! You may purchase your tickets directly through the Westercon website at www.osfci.org/w2001/locusbanquet.html using Paypal, or you may mail a check to: Westercon 54, P.O. Box 5901, Portland, OR 97228-5901. Please make sure that you indicate the names for whom the tickets are for. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email our Banquet Coordinator, Liz Mortensen, at Lyzard13@aol.com.

MASQUERADE

Janet Borkowski

Are you ready for it? It's getting closer! Yes, that's right, it's almost time for the Westercon 54 Masquerade! Yes, the Masquerade, where all the fashion conscious robots, monsters, fairies and aliens strut their stuff!

The usual rules apply. No nudity, no explosions, no peanut butter, and nothing over 10 feet tall, please ( there is a limited height restriction in the room - from stage floor to the ceiling, it is approximately ten feet to the hanging chandeliers). There are a few other pesky rules, but you can learn about those when you register. If you are interested in preregistering for the Masquerade OR the Variety show, check out the lovely printable reply form at our website.http://www.osfci.org/w2001/masquerade.html. Or come register with us in the lobby of the Columbia River hotel at the Masquerade/ Variety Show table.

Come one,come all! It's better than Fashion Week in New York! After all, they only see the fashions for the next season -- we're seeing the fashions of the next Millennium!

VARIETY SHOW

Barbara Hoffert

The ribbons are here! The ribbons are here! Now all we need is people to give ribbons to!!! The Variety Show needs participants! We invite all you amateur magicians, jugglers, and baton twirlers to show off your skills. Filkers! Come sing for us! Dancers! Come dance for us! Comics! Make us laugh! Just keep in mind the impressional youngest members of fandom in our audience when planning your presentation. Let's not be too naughty now!

I almost forgot the best part! No judges! Oh, the power! Oh, the freedom! And dealers? We still need commercial breaks - so let us tell a captive audience all about you and your wares. Let us sell you! Well, you know what I mean. Really.

(503) 649-2744
barbarahoffert@home.com

RESTAURANT & VISITORS' GUIDE

John C. Bunnell

We who live in and around Portland know that Portland is chock-full of interesting and worthwhile places to eat and things to see. The goal of the Westercon 54 Restaurant & Visitors' Guide is to introduce some of the best of these restaurants and attractions to the many convention members who are coming from outside the area.

To that end, your friendly neighborhood editor is hereby inviting interested folk to contribute reviews, suggestions, and short articles from which the Guide can be compiled (thus saving said editor from the task of writing the whole guidebook himself).The initial plan calls for restaurant categories to include "Best of the Island", "Downtown Scene", "Wide World of Food", "Portland Legends", "Maxing the Expense Account", "Brewpubs and Brews" and "Budget Gourmet". (This list may be modified or rearranged along the way.)

I'd also like to see contributions and suggestions focusing on local attractions (museums, bookstores, parks, landmarks, shopping, etc.) and ideas for day trips (the beach, the Gorge, the Tualatin/Willamette wine country, Mt. Hood, etc.). With the con coming up in July, it's not too soon to write and turn in your contribution now so that Ye Editor has time to organize and compile the material into final form and get it printed. Submissions need not be lengthy; for single reviews, two or three paragraphs is fine, longer surveys will probably max out at a thousand words or so.

Send all contributions to the below e-address; I can handle most PC word processor formats (and plain text, of course). All contributors whose work is included in the final guidebook will be credited -- think of this as your chance at literary immortality!

JCBunnell@sff.net

SOUVENIR BOOK AD RATES AND DEADLINES

Megaera Jarvis

We now have ad rates and deadlines for the Westercon 54 Souvenir Book. We'd be happy to work with you or answer any questions you might have.

Ad prices are for black-and-white copy, interior pages.

Please inquire about rates for color ads, or inside front/back covers. The fan advertising rate applies to fan clubs, conventions (including Worldcon bids) and other fan activities. Any ad submitted under this rate must be from such an organization and can only be promoting or offering information about itself and/or its activities Ñ including fund raising, membership rates and information. Payment must be included with your ad.

The pro advertising rate applies to all other individuals, businesses and organizations.

All ads must be received by May 15, 2001. If you have questions or need more information, please contact me at mj@imagemarket.com

THE WRITER THAT NEVER WAS

The Susan C. Petrey Clarion Fund Auction

What if your favorite authors had never been given the opportunity to develop their talents? Maybe your contribution to the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Fund Auction will enable a future John Campbell winner to blossom at one of the Clarion Writers' Workshops. We need stuff, all kinds of stuff, to sell at the Petrey Auction to held at Westercon. We can sell just about anything. We love books, art, costumes and other items related to science fiction. We are not, however, limited to SF related material. Historically we've sold armadillo baskets, black velvet paintings, food baskets, jewelry, duck decoys, tea pots, homebrew, and just about anything else you can imagine.

If you have something to donate, just send it c/o Wrigley-Cross Books, 1809 N.E. 39th Ave., Portland, OR 97212 or contact Debbie at (503)281-9449 or wrigcros@teleport.com. The sooner we receive items, the better we can publicize the auction. All proceeds go to the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship fund and are tax deductible.

CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AUTHORS

The Susan C. Petrey Clarion Fund

Are you an author? Have you been wondering how you can support new writers? If so, here is an opportunity to help the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Fund give scholarships to struggling new writers, allowing them to attend one of the Clarion Writers' Workshops.

Let us auction off the right to become a character in your next book. In other words, you agree to use the winning bidder's name for a character in your book. It's easy, it's fun, and is guaranteed to be a successful addition to our Westercon auction. Interested? Contact Debbie at (503)281-9449 or at wrigcros@teleport.com.

VOLUNTEERS

Sean Prescott and Josh Moore

Blood. Sweat. Volunteers. Hey, you knew that was coming, didn't you? I mean, it wouldn't be a true convention without uttering that predictable yet oh-so-important plea. All conventions are successful due to the tireless efforts and sacrifices of volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering your time on site at the convention, please contact our Volunteer Coordinators.

sabbataholic@juno.com (Josh Moore)

WESTERCON SITE SELECTION

Mary Kay Kare

Enclosed with this mailing you should find your Site Selection Ballot. It will have the necessary instructions printed on it as well. The important things are: You must be a member of Westercon 54, either attending or supporting You must get the ballot, with fee, back to us by June 20 if you vote by mail. Only people may vote a choice; corporations, associations, and friend-of memberships which have not been transferred to a person, may only vote No Preference. You can also vote at the convention during posted Site Selection hours, or send your ballot with someone who is going to the convention if you aren't.

A bid has been filed to hold Westercon 56 (2003) at the SeaTac Doubletree, just south of Seattle. This insures that only northern zone (37 degrees N) bids will be listed on the ballot next summer.

You can find all the neepery in Section 3 of the Westercon bylaws at http://www.westercon.org. You can also contact me at marykay@kare.ws.

WESTERCON STORY TIME

Marc Wells

This year, Westercon is sponsoring "Story Time" for kids on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (and Sunday afternoon, if we don't finish on Saturday). The story will most likely be Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth. Get the kids ready for bed (and give yourself an hour or so break!). Contact Marc Wells if you have questions or comments.

WHAT'S UP WITH WHOSE LINE?

Marc Wells

Yes, there will be another frantic edition of "Whose Line is It, Anyway?" at Westercon 54. Most of the usual suspects will be there as well as some new faces and new ideas. Feel free to send ideas for situations ahead of time to the nominal MC, Marc Wells by e-mail or via the Westercon PO Box. And don't forget to bring that really interesting thing you found in the trash heap the other day for the props game.

WRITER'S WORKSHOP

Mary Rosenblum

This year the Westercon Writers Workshop will include a novel section, a short story section, and a youth section. Participants may submit to either the novel or the short story section, but not both. The youth section is open to any writer under the age of 18. You may submit either a novel synopsis and chapters, or a short story. Page limits are the same as for the adult sections.. You may not participate in both the youth and adult sections. All participants, adult and youth, will receive analysis and critiques from professional writers. You will also have the opportunity to critique the manuscripts submitted by the other participants in your section, and receive their critiques.

The postage-and-copy fee for the adult workshop is $10.00. The fee for the youth workshop is $5.00. Make checks payable to Westercon 54. Payment must accompany the manuscript and all participants must be registered members of Westercon 54.

The immutable deadline is May 21. Any manuscripts received after that date are not guaranteed inclusion in the workshop. No kidding! The short story section is limited to one manuscript of up to 30 pages or 7500 words.

The novel section requires a synopsis of your novel, along with the first chapter or two or three, up to 30 pages total for both parts. This is your opportunity to write the synopsis and opening that would sell your novel to an editor. Go for it!

We are not taking electronic submissions this year. Sorry. All manuscripts must be typed in a clear 12 point font, doubled spaced, with 1 inch margins. Use a page header on each page that includes your last name, a title keyword, and the page number. Include a separate and brief autobiographical note about your writing experience. Is this your first story attempt, or your fiftieth? Do you belong to a workshop? Are you a Clarion grad? Have you had something published? If you're in the youth section, how old are you? Also list your intended markets for your story or novel.

Send your fee and manuscript to:

Mary Rosenblum
Westercon 54 Writers Workshop
9100 SE 152nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97236-5708

Please feel free to contact me at mrosenbl@earthlink.net.