The Gathering Place

Zine
Title:	The Gathering Place
Publisher:	Perfect Pages, and Stephanie A. Wiltse
Editor(s):	Janis Allyn
Type:	newsletter
Date(s):	January 1991-?
Frequency:
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Beauty and the Beast (TV)
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

a flyer for the premiere issue

The Gathering Place is a Beauty and the Beast (TV) letterzine/newsletter published by Stephanie A. Wiltse and edited by Janis Allyn. It had the subtitle, "Where Kindred Souls Meet."

It was planned to be a monthly publication. There were at least four issues printed.

It was a sister zine to Wiltse's newsletter, Pipeline.

This zine was proposed as The Helper's Gazetteer.

See a List of Letterzines.

About the Title

In the last issue of Pipeline I put out a call for an interesting name for this new publication, promising a free subscription to the person who created the title I would select. It was great fun reading the creative suggestions which ranged from "TunnelTalk" , the most frequently suggested one, to "Pages of the Heart", which was by far the most romantic. The "Gathering Place" wasn't suggested precisely but so many of the names indicated a meeting or gathering or coming together of like spirits that when Jane Gable suggested "Where Kindred Souls Gather", I knew just what to choose. I had been looking for a short, one or two word title that would be easy to remember so I modified her suggestion a bit and created the "Gathering Place, where kindred souls meet." I hope you will be pleased with this, Jane! Thank you for the inspiration.

Proposal to Make This the Official Newsletter of Many Fan Clubs

In the February or March 1991 issue of "The Gathering Place," it appears that the editor (and/or Stephanie Wiltse) introduced a proposal that fan clubs discontinue their own individual newsletters and, (presumably for a fee), sign on to have "The Gathering Place" become their newsletter instead.

One unhappy fan wrote in the April 1991 issue:

I would be very unhappy if my fan clubs quit publishing their newsletter and signed for the package deal you mentioned... it would be a great disaster if the fan clubs spoke with one voice as it would if this plan went into effect.

I also don't want to see fan clubs speak with 'one voice'. We cannot learn or grow without diversity. I was suggesting that one cover newsletter could provide the foundation information that is being repeated in all the club newsletters and each club could insert their own additions before mailing it to their members. Newsletters take up so much time! It seems very inefficient for hundreds of club editors to be typing, editing and printing the same info, especially since it begins to change form as it passes from one mouth to another.

Descriptions

From the January 1991 issue of Pipeline:

The Helper's Gazetteer column of Pipeline was overflowing with fan news, announcement activities, and creativity and there was just no place to put it all, so it is now a separate newsletter. If you would like to get to know other fans, share your ideas or your artwork, or just keep up on what other fans and fan organizations are doing, then The Gathering Place is for you. It is designed to reflect the values and ideals of the tunnel world, to encourage fans to express those values in the rear world and to provide a place where, as our logo says," kindred souls meet". The next best thing in the world for fans, next to a new B&B episode is a new B&B friend. Come meet one...come be one!

From an ad in the April/May 1991 issue of Pipeline:

If Only the Tunnels Were Real!

How many times have you heard that one? Maybe we can't all go live in the tunnel world, but if you consider yourself to be an idealist, a "helper" or the sort of person who would love to pack your bags and move into the tunnels, then The Gathering Place is for you. This monthly newsletter began in January as a spin off of the Helper's Gazetteer section in Pipeline. Our goals were simple; to give fans an opportunity to share their creativity, report on their activities and get to know each other and the first two issues did just that, BUT The Gathering Place readers are encouraged to make suggestions and get involved in its growth so future issues will include some very creative ideas; craft projects, "chamber stories" and the collectible insert pages are just a few of the surprises you can expect.

If we cannot move into the tunnels, we can do the next best thing; we can bring the values of the tunnel world "above" into our world. Many fans and fan organizations are doing just that. Come see what they're up to; listen to their stories, be inspired by their creativity, make some new friends. We're building a very special family. Wouldn't you like to be part of it?

Also from the April/May 1991 issue of Pipeline:

Attention ARTISTS and WRITERS

The Gathering Place will be offering its readers a 'zine within a newsletter by printing collectible insert pages, each profiling one author or artist with samples of his/her work.

Your artwork, poem or sample chapters will be displayed on the front of the 8 1/2" x 11" page and a personal profile will appear on the back, including your product list and business address. This is a unique opportunity to promote your creativity since your "ad" will become a permanent part of each readers collection. AND it's absolutely FREE.

If you are a fan fiction writer and find it difficult to create an ad that makes your style stand out in the crowd, consider writing a short story that we can print in serial form. Your other work will be promoted in every issue in which an episode appears. Yes, this is FREE also.

Why FREE? Because the Gathering Place is designed to help fans share something of themselves with each other. Come join the family!

Unknown Issue

• a third season episode guide by Barbara Rodriquez

Issue 1 (January 1991)

The Gathering Place 1 was published in January 1991 and contains 6 pages.

cover of issue #1

At times, it reads a bit like women's magazines in the 1940s.

Some of the content is duplicated from Pipeline: "Letters addressed to Pipeline that Steff would have included in the Helper's Gazetteer section will be included in the Gathering Place while readers adjust to the new two-publication format."

• where the title came from
• Narcissa's Corner, problematically named after the character Narcissa (a column that contains fans' experiences with the supernatural, ESP, and such)
• a request for art, a plug for Beth Blighton's art
• a short testimonial by the fan Dianne Allen
• a bit about roses and meeting an old friend by Inez Paskal
• a fundraiser for a woman with cancer
• poetry by Eleanor Clark ("Thank You") and Doris Jean Sizemore ("The Dream Lives On")
• bits about fans mapping the tunnels, their needlework projects
• the editor wants more information about a woman in England who came out of a coma by listening to audio cassettes of Beauty and the Beast (TV)
• a long letter from the editor, remarking on an open letter by Sally Newman, about the fighting factions in fandom, and can't we all just get along?? -- the editor says she will not continue the disputes in this newsletter and will only give space to those who promote peace... but this newsletter does indeed continue to publish fractious letters in this issue
• a long letter from a fan about being called "Beasties" and a complaint about "The Gathering Place" being a marketing shill, with a reply by the editor of "The Gathering Place": Janis Allyn - see We have long ago rejected to being called "Beasties"...
• a letter from a fan who accuses the editor, Janis Allyn of cashing in on fandom with this publication, and the print size of Pipeline giving her a headache
• Of Cabbages and Kings, an open letter by Sally Newman

From a fan named Mary Jane B.:

Dear Janis, ... My friends and I are curious -- are you a fan of Beauty and the Beast or just doing this in an effort to reestablish yourself? Your section in Pipeline didn't make it clear.... I hope your printing size will be readable. I stopped getting Pipeline when it gave me a raging headache to read it.

Yes I’m a fan but I almost feel like I have to apologize for being such a new one since so many of you have been actively loyal for such a long time. My interest is mainly in the ideals of B&B since I tend to be a very idealistic person (both feet firmly planted in mid air.) Do you remember the episode Remember Love when Vincent sees what the world would be like without him? Catherine says, “We’re all on the same journey. We create that journey for each other.” It’s so easy in this enormous and complicated world to feel very small and wonder if we make a difference, if it even matters that we exist. I've wondered that more than once. The tunnel dwellers had each other, a family to remind them that they did matter. They were of like mind, living their lives according to a shared value system and that system appeals to B&B lovers. I would like to encourage its existence “above” in this world. That’s why I didn’t want this newsletter to just be a Helpers Gazetteer spin off. That would have been easier but it wouldn't have been me. It wouldn’t have given me a way to “create the journey” for anyone else.

I am doing this to “re-establish myself” but not in the way you meant it. I freelance for printers and typesetting houses, mostly, and in time I will make enough contacts here to feed myself again but “making a living” isn’t enough. I want to make a life. And this time that life will be created according to my own values, not my parent’s, not my husbands, MINE! So in that way, I am reestablishing myself, yes, but I have no illusions about this project supporting me. Printing and postage costs will be eating up my piggy bank. But furniture for the living room can wait. It would benefit no one but me and lose its appeal in a few weeks anyway. This newsletter is a lot more fun and it doesn't have to be dusted!

No, my print size will never be as small as Pipeline, mostly because my eyesight isn't as sharp as Steff's. I can't proof read type that tiny!

From the editor, Janis Allyn:

Welcome to the first issue of The Gathering Place. Premier issues are exciting, so full of promise and possibility. There are as many directions this publication can take as there are people who will read it and the readers will be the ones who map out its future. This issue is intended to put the ball in your hands, to give you an outline of where we might possibly journey together and to take the first baby steps toward making that journey possible.

Pipeline simply cannot handle all the personal communication that comes its way and to let it go unacknowledged and unshared is unthinkable so we have begun by cleaning out Stephanie’s files. (Was that a sigh of relief from across the hall?) I had thought that was all I could accomplish with the first issue until the day I was ready to go to print and a letter came from Sherry King.

She included a newspaper article about a woman from Virginia who must raise $96,000 before the end of January or lose her place in a chemotherapy program that she cannot live without. Her story is every woman's nightmare. She is 33, married nine years, very pretty, and has two young sons but in '88 she discovered she had breast cancer. It disappeared after chemo and radiation but the cancer has returned and is now invading her liver and bones. The doctors tell her that her chances are good if she receives treatment but her insurance company has stopped making payments because they consider the procedure she requires to be "investigational." As I began to rewrite this column so that our family of helpers would have a chance to contribute, I realized that I couldn’t be sure you would receive this in time to make her deadline. I had a basket of dollar bills in front of me. They came from those of you who responded to my article in Pipeline and paid for this sample issue.

I thought I knew where you would want those dollars to go, so a contribution has been sent from all of us, the first joint effort of the Gathering Place helpers. Not a bad beginning for our little family! If you would like to help this woman, you can send contributions to [redacted] "If enough money is not raised in time to help her, the money collected will go into a fund to help other breast cancer victims who may find themselves in this dire situation," according to the Botetourt County News.

I would also like to thank all of you who sent such warm, friendly, encouraging letters with your request for this issue. I appreciated the support. I have a poster in my kitchen that reads, “To have joy one must share it; happiness was born a twin.” None of us came into this world to be alone, although it does seem that way when we’re isolated from others who share our interests or an understanding of our values and ideals. One letter said, "sometimes one's own family doesn’t understand what you're about. It takes a second family outside of your own to understand you. That's what B&B is, another family to turn to when you need a friend to talk or just to know there is a gathering of friends out there for you." I thought this sentiment was especially appropriate since I had chosen the Gathering Place as our title.

B&B represents a set of values that are not commonly found in our society today but those values are alive in the hearts of B&B fans and as long as we put them into action, the tunnel world is not just a fantasy, it is a counter-cultural reality. This newsletter is intended to be your “Helpers Gazetteer" but there will be an underlying theme to it; the theme of family, a connecting of like spirits, a coming home to share the joy.

I hope you enjoy this issue and I hope after reading it you will write to let me know what you think. The second best thing in the world for fans next to a new B&B episode is a new B&B friend.

Come meet one, come be one!

Issue 3 (March 1991)

• likely the first part of a round robin story
• "Chronicles," the second (?) part of a third-season novel (includes Diana Bennett) by Barbara Rodriguez and June Whalen-Gonzalez
• illustrations of Sue Abbott's needlework designs

Issue 4 (April 1991)

The Gathering Place 4 was published in April 1991 and contains 10 pages.

cover of issue #4

The editor states that the readership of this issue has "expanded drastically." This is due to increased by the addition of the Directory subscribers.

The editor states that there will be no more installments after this one of the novel by Barbara T. Rodriguez and June Whalen-Gonzalez due to space considerations.

• Love Letters, a description by a fan of going to a theater production at the Canon Theater Beverly Hills, July 30, where Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton read love letters to each other
• a plug for the upcoming fannish hotline, Dial-a-Beast
• a plug for Nan Dibble's hotline, Helper's Central Hotline
• an ad to buy via direct-mail a mass-produced for-profit 1992 Beauty and the Beast calendar offered by Antioch Publishing Company
• various requests for charity money donations
• info from the editor about how to have one's fan club listed in this publication
• Kimberly Hartman and Mark Hartman "have a garage full of B&B memorbilia that needst to find a good home.... If you or your club would like to help them dig out and sort through their 'meaningful piles', you may find a wealth of B&B history, nostalgia and collectors items. These treasures were all saved with the idea that "someday this stuff is going to be useful to someone." If you live near the Hartmans and would like to be that someone, please write to TGP and print the word "ARCHIVE" on our envelope. The Hartman's mall is being forwarded to TGP from their PO Box..."
• second part of a round robin story, this one by Joanl Gilkerson
• zine reviews by Nan Dibble (all three zines get four out of five stars)
  • Storms, see that page
  • Images #2, see that page
  • Between Two Worlds #3, see that page
• a request for fans to update Helpers Network Directory
• a letter of comment from a fan unhappy with some letters of comment in the previous issue, ones which she felt denigrated the first two seasons of the show
• a letter of comment recounting some of the many opinions she has heard about the third season, Linda Hamilton, and the future Beauty and the Beast Film
• a fan complains about the editor's suggestion that "The Gathering Place" replace fan club's independent newsletters with this one; the editor adds her opinion
• an ad for The TunnelWorld Map Set
• The Gathering Place Yellow Pages (fan club info)
• "The Search," another installment of a story in the Chronicles Series by Barbara T. Rodriguez and June Whalen-Gonzalez
• a bio for the fan, Ruth Merry
• a plug for a calendar of hunky men created by Robert Gutke

Not the subway!

If you were irritated by strange banging sounds in your hotel while attending South of Oz, you might feel better knowing it was just the Chesapeake Helper's Society. They had created two tapes of sound effects to enhance their Tunnel set which

both failed them. When everyone else was getting spruced up for the banquet, five of their members were in the bathroom trying to create a convincing subway train sound so they could remake their tape. In case you ever find yourself in this predicament, you will be happy to hear that a cooler full of half-melted ice and coke bottles rapidly sliding back and forth on a counter top will do the job.

A way to get in touch with another fan without their address revealed:

Do any TGP writers make you want to "reach out and touch someone"? If so, take advantage of our forwarding service. Put your letter in a stamped envelope, then put that envelope inside one addressed to TGP. Identify the person you would like your letter mailed to by the issue, page and article you saw their name in, and we will hunt through our "meaningful piles" of correspondence to locate their address and forward your letter to them. There is a $2 charge for this service.

A request to keep in touch regarding your fan club:

Phone Home!

Fan clubs who relied on the Helpers Network Directory to spread the word of their existence have been waiting a year for the next directory to come out and in that time, information has changed about club locations and contact people. To update this information quickly, Nan Dibble has begun a program called, "Phone Home".

If you have recently formed a club or if your club information has changed since the last directory, please call Helpers Network Central at (513) 951- 3317 and leave the following information at the end of the hotline message: 1. Name and location of your group, 2. Name, address and phone number of your contact person, 3. Number of people in contact with your group.

This information will be referred to by Nan when fans call seeking their local club and it will be passed to TGP to keep our Yellow Pages up to date.

So if you don’t want to lose touch with your B&B 'family of fans... PHONE HOME!

About the play:

As the play ended, most satisfactory, it was again heartwarming to have Linda and Ron come to the front of the stage holding hands, and then turn to each other to join in a big bearhug. I can't say enough about how well the play was written, we were able to follow the ages of the characters by their vocabulary and speaking style, and how well the actors portrayed the depth of feelings for each. I would recommend to anyone this play, but for us, to see it with Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, was such an added sweet boon, it made me hunger for more in the hopes of perhaps seeing them together in the feature B&B movie after all (it is, after all's said and done, a fantasy story, and anything is possible, isn't it?) I will remember this experience as one of the many highlights in my life.

About the fannish hotline, Dial-a-Beast:

'The Voice" may soon be back, but don’t bother hanging around your TV waiting for it; go wait by the phone! According to a public relations firm promoting this new project, Ron Perlman is about to once again bring B&B fans the gentle voice of Vincent on a special 900 number. He will be reading, as only he can, from letters to Catherine and entries in his journal and may also be reflecting on episodes just shown. It is possible that Executive Producer Ron Koslow will be writing some of the 'script' for these segments so start saving your pennies; you'll need them for your phone bill!

Some comments about show seasons and warring:

This LOC concerns the statement Barbara Rodriguez and June Whalen-Gonzalez made in the last issue of TGP that the first two seasons of B&B were predictable and tedious. The last thing I want to do is add to the fires of dissension that continue to blaze in this fandom but when I see the first two seasons of B&B reduced to a basic formula, it is too much, even for me. If that is all the two authors saw then they missed the entire point of the series, which fear, is what the majority of viewers did.

[...]

Although I do not wish to get in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd season debate and have avoided it so far, I must say the 3rd season was more predictable to me. Vincent sees bad guy, Vincent kills bad guy. Snow and In the Forest of the Night are prime examples of needless violence. In these two episodes V was made to seem no more than a killing machine. It was the same old good guy, bad guy repackaged and made to slightly resemble B&B. However, I am not saying the 3rd season was worthless. We got a fabulous new character in Diana Bennett (which in no way lessened my grief at losing Catherine) and Ron Perlman should have won an Emmy for his portrayal of the bereaved Vincent. I missed the romance, music, and poetry too much to find the series enjoyable but the cinematography was up to its usual standards. This was still a visually beautiful show.

B&B was about love, caring, commitment and most of all respect for those who are different from ourselves. These ideals were present in every episode. If you refuse to see the worth of two-thirds of the episodes, you have missed out on the meaning of this unique and beautiful series. Although I am a classic fan, I have never sent a hate letter, made a nasty phone call or comment to another fan. I do not dislike people who enjoyed 3rd season. I just do not want to see the first two seasons portrayed as worthless. I appeal to all of you as fans of B&B, let us continue to defend B&B and stop tearing it apart.