Legacy Interview with Diane Marchant

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Legacy Interview with Diane Marchant
Interviewer:	Legacy
Interviewee:	Diane Marchant
Date(s):	2006 (perhaps January)
Medium:	print, CD, later online
Fandom(s):	Star Trek TOS, slash
External Links:	In 2010, the interview was posted here
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

In 2006, Diane Marchant was interviewed for the 2007 zine Legacy.

A few months after this interview, Diane passed away.

See List of Star Trek Fan Interviews.

Diane Said

It all started with fans writing fans... (You know, when we were all desperate for more Trek, after they'd killed it off. And there was no inkling of such things as ST movies.) Fan stories were circulating all over the globe, then the fanzines started to appear. I was in contact with...Oh, so many wonderful, talented, free-thinking people....We were all one “family.” Numbered amongst those folk were “Stevie” and Carrie—the “Grup” girls. We'd happily been kicking around concepts, ideas, credos, beliefs, psychological/ emotional /spiritual/etc. insights and the like, whilst identifying much of what we breached on as simpatico with much of the driving force behind Star Trek. The main crew of the Enterprise. The way they related to each other.... How the characters seemed to grow and still maintain a constancy to the essence of the individual was unique...for they were “only” characters.... But each one was so “true” to itself, its “ship-mates,” and the ideals claimed. The interactions of the characters in the microcosm that was their “world”—the Enterprise—was a study in itself. I can recall bringing the girls’ attention to the constancy of the characters’ reactions to each other; even done down to those in the background of scenes. Always true to the moment or situation. Then we started pointing out situations in episodes. How they related to us, our beliefs, our world as we interpreted it, our hopes and fears for our world and all life upon it. That in IDIC there was the closest summation of how we'd lived our lives 'til then...and to be true to our essence, how we could do nought but continue to do so. Now, with joyous relief we'd found like souls. Thanks to the Great Bird & Star Trek. Open Hailing frequencies...

Now after that meander down memory lane... Back to Kirk and Spock! One would have to be wearing blinkers to miss their growing of two souls becoming as one. It was a beautiful coming together of two halves. The hand needed the fingers if it were to function as its maker and nature planned. They were what was needed for the other. They were a whole. Sharing/caring/relying/ trusting/cherishing/etc. Adding strength to strength, permitting respite, adding closeness, humour, respect and like. In short, each bolstering the other’s strengths—by their friendship, devotion, security, and the constancy of knowing—they are not alone. From our discussion of such things came a natural progression—as to whether—given the century, if not all “love” was acceptable as legitimate. If one considered the IDIC as an universally accepted ideal—then the answer must be an unequivocal: YES ! Well then, how would one go about introducing the subject to “today's” folk without being obvious? It couldn't be done, said the others. I don't know.... But one could give it the ol' college try.

Thinking the outcome would be staying between the three of us I decided to accept the challenge. Thus, “A Fragment Out Of Time.” Which lo and behold the girls thought was for publication.... Once the tooth-paste is out of the tube just try returning it. The girls had printed the little vignette before asking if I wished to use a nom-de-plume.

Then the letters started arriving.... Whee.... Phew!!!

Amongst which were two I'll never forget. Two ladies (Gerry Downes & Leslie Fish) actually “asking” my permission to use the hypothesis. Gosh, I was tickled. Even if, as far as I could see, it wasn't mine to give. The subject was a universal constant (not mine). It was there in the aired episodes. I just gave it a public voice of fandom. Really, I had nothing to do with the initial concept, as it was there unfolding on our screens as we watched our beloved Star Trek. Me, well—I just accepted a challenge and attempted to subtly present the idea deftly (with slight humorous overtones) as a scenario which most could find acceptable at that time.