Public Headache Dept
| Open Letter | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Public Headache Dept |
| From: | Sam Moskowitz / Bob Tucker |
| Addressed To: | Bob Tucker & the Los Angeles Science Fiction League; Sam Moskowitz and the LASFL |
| Date(s): | Published December 30, 1939 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Science Fiction |
| Topic: | The Great Exclusion Act and aftermath |
| External Links: | Hosted online by fanac.org |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Public Headache Dept was the title of an exchange published in Bob Tucker's Le Zombie in December of 1939. After the Great Exclusion Act in July, Sam Moskowitz had written an article called There ARE Other Sides explaining his side of the story. He wrote in to correct Tucker and the members of the LASFL about certain facts published in Le Zombie. Tucker admitted to one mistake, but countered that Moskowitz had also been misleading.
First Statement
The Nov. 5th issue of Fantasy News... [printed an article titled] (quote) NEW FANDOM CLEARED OF ALLEGED BARRING AT THE WORLD CONVENTION. (unquote)....and the article went on to tell how a Moskowitz article was read 'explaining all', and that "all fans contacted completely absolved NF of any blame in the manner." ...(1)- maybe I got my directions mixed and attended the wrong conference, or (2)- perhaps another conference was held on the bus back to New York and all this happened. Come, come, Fanny, only the Futurians are supposed to stretch things in "news" reports!Bob Tucker in Le Zombie, issue 18 page 2 (December 2 1939)
Excerpts
Fandom's number one headache, the First World Convention of last July and all its subsequent developments are still with us. This week came the latest stanza, to wit:Le Zombie issue 20, page 4 (December 30, 1939)
Sam Moskowitz wrote (parentheticals Tucker's):
In reference to the open letter sent out by the Los Angelers recently. You state that you were not contacted . Come, come, think back a little. Did I or did I not ask you at the convention what your opinion was now that you had read my article in the Collector ? I most certainly did and you replied that you could not vounchsafe (sic) no opinion as yet inasmuch as you hadn't read it. How about sending me a signed statement telling the truth. That you were contacted & that you had not read the article and had not as yet given an opinion. Why try to make liars out of us and become one yourself in the process? Incidentally, I already have signed statements from Reinsberg and Korshak saying they were contacted and that they were misled by the manner in which LASFL'ers asked questions.
Tucker said that he now remembered having been asked by Moskowitz and telling him that he hadn't read the article yet. He apologized to the LASFL for "steering them wrong IN DETAIL, BUT NOT IN PRINCIPAL!"
For, SaM states in the Nov. 5th issue of Fantasy News (at least, I am assuming SaM wrote the report): "The Science Fiction Collector, containing Moskowitz's sensational article "There ARE Other Sides" was read. All fans contacted completely absolved NF of any blame in the matter." Very well Sam. If I was one of the fans contacted, and I replied to you I hadn't yet read the article, how could I absolve anyone of any blame? Or Reinsberg? Or Korshak? Or anybody else that replied to the LASFL questionaire? You very clearly state that "all fans contacted completely absolved......" And when you say that the Collector was read, do you mean by individuals, or at the Conference, or the floor? The wording of the report leads the non-attendant to believe this last. So mull that over. I may be a liar, but I guess I am not alone.
"Meanwhile," Tucker concluded, "our giant headache rumbles on, with many fans showing no inclination to provide or take aspirins."