The K/S Press/Issues 131-140

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The K/S Press 131 (August 2007)

The K/S Press 132 (September 2007)

  • contains 42 pages
  • has LoCs for fiction: And Yet Afraid, An Eye for an Eye, Attraction, If Freedom Fall?, Going Through the Motions, In the Temple, Madman of Lesath II, People Like Us, Trial Run, Sacrifices and other fanworks in the zines As I Do Thee #11, Legacy #1, #3, Legends #2, #4, T'hy'la #27, Nor No Man Ever Loved, see those pages
  • about the article in Legacy called "The Sound and the Fury: The First Panel Discussion About K/S", a fan thanks K.S. Langley: "Kudos to K.S. Langley for having the foresight to record it all those years ago, and save the tape!"
  • there is an extremely extensive and detailed report of a panel at Shore Leave about slash. It talks of Fanlib, slashing characters on current television shows, how TPTB were getting more savvy about slash and marketing, about how as savvy as producers and writers get they still don't understand, and how slash is changing the way storytelling is done in the mundane world, among many, many other things
  • a fan responds to The Legacy of K/S in Letterzines, an article from Legacy:
    While I appreciate all the work that went into reproducing the letterzine squabbles of those early days, I find it makes me quite uncomfortable to read them. I’m happy I came along a little later when we no longer had to debate K/S but just settle in and enjoy it. All the K/S controversy recounted in Legacy makes me kind of sick to my stomach. I'm glad I missed all that tripe and discovered K/S at a time it was probably as accepted as it will ever be.

  • another fan comments on the Legacy article about the history of letterzines -- she includes a quote an early example:
    ...zines [were] "obsessed with the latest popular sentimental fad in vice [listing then rape and homosexuality. Rape, porn, gradation, perversion, vice]" This is how some perceived K/S in its infancy. What these particular letters/essays are saying to me is how narrow-minded/prejudiced, these people were, and how fearful they were to open themselves to something new or different. I can’t imagine how difficult it was to write and/or draw in those times, in the face of such hostility. It was just the dawning of K/S, and if not for the strength and conviction of those who liked and believed in it enough to stand up for it, K/S might not have survived, never mind flourished for decades. A HUGE Thank-You to all those strong, persistent, stubborn women who kept at it despite all that opposition. Those of us who came into it later never had to fight those battles because you did it for us. While we’re still a long way from total acceptance, things have come a long way indeed.

  • a fan is interested in how Star Trek is viewed in the bigger world:
    If you have had time to come up for air from reading the 5 volumes of Legacy, you might have diverted your attention to the internet, where many have re/discovered K/S. In Legacy 3, Lyrastar writes about how Trek has been handled by Wikipedia. I remember how surprised and excited I was a year ago to find slash referenced there, and pleased to see they got their facts straight on its origin. I believe that Wikipedia has had definite Trek undertones—often I have searched for something and come across a loose reference to Star Trek, which some loyal fan had to add! For example, at one time there was a link from Leonardo da Vinci to the Voyager episode where a holo version acted as Leonardo was Janeway's mentor (I noticed that reference has now been deleted). I am interested in ST's effect on culture and would like to know if other fans have come across such things.

The K/S Press 133 (October 2007)

The K/S Press 134 (November 2007)

  • contains 40 pages
  • this issue has a con report for KiSmet, see that page
  • has LoCs for the fiction: Joined-Up Thinking, Standing Down, Love's Obsession, Incident in Sickbay, Protector of Logic, Madman of Lesath II, No Price Too High, People Like Us, Divisions, The Angry Heart, Research, Equal Opportunity, Kiss of Life, see those pages
  • fans are beginning to talk about Star Trek: AOS:
    I'm really looking forward to this movie, for a number of reasons. 1) A new, fresh look at Star Trek from someone other that Rick (Antichrist) Berman! Anything has got to be better. 2) My favorite ages for Kirk and Spock is when they were younger. 3) The casting of Zachary Quinto as Spock looks to be very promising. He looks like a Vulcan and has everyone seen that YouTube clip from some previous series where he's in a sauna and he and another man kiss? 4) The actor cast as Kirk looks darling, but I don't know about his acting abilities. But he's got to have something because this is a major role in a major film. 5) The actor cast as Scotty is so great! He's the actor/director/writer of "Shaun Of The Dead", a British film that I thought was terrific. 6) I'm not sure what the timeline will be, but I love the idea of the whole crew when they were young. 7) I love, love the idea of seeing a young Kirk and Spock meeting and getting to know each other. There's GOT to be some K/S elements in there...I hope! 8) J.J. Abrams is an excellent film maker and director.

  • a fan writes of the pleasure gen zines can be:
    Recently I had the opportunity to pick up a few Gen zines and found one real gem. It doesn't even resemble K/S, so I don't think it is appropriate to LOC it, but I had to mention there is some great writing out there that doesn't involve K/S but does involve Kirk and Spock. I know some of you don't want to bother with it unless it is K/S and that's fine. But I fell in love with Kirk and Spock and with Star Trek in its original form so I can completely enjoy a well-written story that doesn't show me what happens in their quarters or behind the scenes. The novel that got and held my attention this past month is Conduct Unbecoming by Michele Arvisu. I knew the name and suspected it would have something to offer. It could be likened to an unfilled Star Trek episode shown in at least two or three consecutive installments. It's very original and involved layers and layers of plot. Like the original series, it gave me moments that made me think, "Aha!" I believe Ms. Arvisu was hinting at something besides friendship could come of this relationship, but she was extremely subtle. Anyway, it was a nice read -- comparable to any mainstream novel I'd select from the bookstore or library.

The K/S Press 135 (December 2007)

The K/S Press 136 (January 2008)

  • this fan has made a discovery:
    Romantic Friendship, it seems, has been around since the days of fainting couches. A bit of research reveals it can as easily occur between two women as two men. But naturally, here in K/S Land one of those combinations has many more possible and promising consequences. You see, it involves love that goes beyond garden-variety friendship and finds expression in physical form, but short of sexual expression. Wikipedia says: The term romantic friendship refers to a very close but non-sexual relationship between friends, often involving a degree of physical closeness beyond that common in modern Western societies, for example holding hands, cuddling, sharing a bed, as well as open expressions of love for one another.... When I learned of this concept, I was (and still am) mightily intrigued! This stems from the fact that my favorite facet of the K/S relationship is what might be considered the romantic aspect, the need to be close, to touch, the feeling of emptiness one feels when the other is not there. It warms my heart when they hold each other close, when they perform all the little intimate (but not necessarily sexual) gestures like brushing fingers over a cheek or the tip of an ear or brushing back an unruly lock of hair. I love when they feel they have permission to do those things without guilt or expectation of more. I can easily imagine what we saw on screen in TOS naturally evolving into Romantic Friendship.... It seems very logical to make the assumption that the camaraderie Kirk and Spock so obviously enjoy would grow naturally into something once called Romantic Friendship. So many of the stories classified as pre-K/S would fit the parameters of RF to a "T." Even moments in the episodes, such as the way Kirk drapes his arm over Spock's shoulders in front of the entire bridge crew, how they hopelessly tease each other with their eyes and their body language, all those times when a touch lingers a bit longer than necessary. I love the whole idea that there is a level of relationship that nestles comfortably between friendship and sexual intimacy. There are times in K/S that I feel the jump from friends to lovers is far too abrupt. In those instances I tend to feel something is missing, and I'm left thinking Kirk and Spock should have had a courtship, yet that is so traditionally male/female, it's a difficult notion for many to accept. But now, armed with this not-so-new idea, I see a middle ground where they can admit their love for each other and are allowed a means to express it without crossing the line into physical intimacy. It is a transitional space where they have the freedom to take each other's hand just to experience the touch, where they can wrap eager arms around each other for the pure comfort and joy of it. Where even their minds may touch. There are no taboos here, no boundaries being over-stepped, no pressure to proceed immediately to a sexual encounter. Reading this, you may believe I'm against K/S. No way! I simply love the idea of romance in the lives of Kirk and Spock and am happy to have found it has its place not only in history, but very possibly in the future.

The K/S Press 137 (February 2008)

  • a fan writes a long essay comparing Kirk and Khan:
    Gorgeous. Smart. Strong. Charming. Sounds like a great recipe for a hero, right? Well, it could be. It could also be a recipe for a very dangerous villain􏱖the charismatic sort of villain who can convince normally reasonable people to do terrible things -- a villain like Khan, for example. James T. Kirk is also gorgeous, smart, strong, and charming. But unlike Khan, Kirk is, indeed, a hero. Why should the same list of ingredients lead to such very different results? Some might say that the difference between these two men is that Kirk wants to do good, whereas Khan wants to do evil. But Khan wouldn't see it that way. Like many other tyrants before him, he would say that his goal was to build a better world (or galaxy or universe).

  • a fan thanks another for a con report:
    Reading Gallimaufry's report on KiSMET 2007 was great fun! ... Her writing style and sense of humor is delightful and made me smile a lot. Got a laugh or two out of me, too! What a fun group of ladies it must have been who planned and produced this weekend and then went on to participate and enjoy it as much as anyone. All the little details about preparation were a joy to read, especially when spiced with humor as they were: lists and more lists, computer glitches and struggling with Photoshop 􏱕 all things I can relate to. It was interesting to me that most of the KiSMET ladies are very discreet about their obsession, as I share that aspect of K/S in my life here in the States. I hope that if the time ever comes when someone cautions me about getting too close to something called K/S, I can act as astonished as Gallimaufry!

The K/S Press 138 (March 2008)

  • contains 32 pages
  • has LoCs for the fiction: Transgressions of the Heart, "Saying Goodbye (Star Trek: TOS story by Carolyn Spencer)", Attraction, The Shadows Between Us, Lost, Bonds of Love and Hate, see those pages
  • this issue has an episode commentary for "The Deadly Years"
  • a fan is not a big fan of the episode "Mirror, Mirror":
    Liz opens her commentary about Mirror, Mirror by saying she doesn't like it as much as other people do. Count me on her side. I have never cared much for this episode at all, and after watching it no less than three times yesterday to try to find something positive, I'm afraid I still have it toward the bottom of my list. While I love the look of Kirk in that gold bolero, I don't like the bearded Spock at all. To me, Spock has an almost beautiful face when lighted just right and the facial hair ruins it for me.

The K/S Press 139 (April 2008)

* a fan gets philosophical and writes of feedback:

Can K/S exist in a state of isolation from outside influences? If I write K/S and no one reads it but me, what have I accomplished? If I write K/S and no one lets me know they've read it or whether they liked it, is that any different? If I create pictures of Kirk and Spock that have not been seen on the small or large screen, but are a product of my imagination, what's the point except possibly to amuse myself? And how long might I continue this solitary amusement before seeking something more stimulating? The answer is, probably not very long. I know this because for a little while early in my K/S discovery era, I was not in touch with anyone anywhere with whom I could discuss what I'd read. No one with whom I could point out delicious details or question the logic of certain technicalities, no one with whom I could share my excitement, my thrill of discovery, my love for Kirk and Spock that was growing with an intensity I never could have imagined before K/S. The only answer was to purchase another zine and to live in my state of isolation with my enthusiasm churning violently in my head and my heart with no means of escape. Then I realized in the back of some of these zines were letters from other readers who --oh my gosh -- were just as passionate as I! There were other people out there who liked the stories I liked, and some who were less complimentary. But the vacuum had been breached and my passion flew wild and free! I wrote a letter or two of my own, allowing all those imprisoned thoughts to show themselves on paper. Letterzines, or at least my awareness of them, came next. Much later, I found the internet and a new avenue of expression for fans of K/S. Now things began to make sense -- I was so excited to learn that others felt as I did and had similar tales of discovery to tell.... I know how much easier it is to read a K/S story or zine, to enjoy the amazing talents of our writers and artists, and then dash off to run an errand or fix a meal or watch a movie and forget the writer or artist is out there struggling in a vacuum. I'll be totally honest; sometimes I almost resent having to interrupt my state of euphoria after a good K/S read to sit down at the computer and try to find words that are adequate to describe that euphoria. And sometimes I don't do it. Sometimes I go on to those chores or those other entertainments without more than a second thought about the person existing in that state of isolation from outside influences. Folks, writing is a huge, labor intensive, time-gobbling job. These folks who write K/S for us don't get a dime. They give their time, their patience, their sweat and tears so we can read a new adventure of two men who happen to be our heroes and who happen to deeply love each other. There's no publisher's check in the mail, no royalties to get the authors through their old age. The only paycheck these incredibly gifted and generous people receive is our feedback. Same goes for artists.

The K/S Press 140 (May 2008)

  • a fan describes how she spent K/S Day:
    Woke up, put on my black tee with Jim and Spock's faces on it. Made an 18 inch sheet cake. Figured that'd be long enough. Frosted it with light gold frosting. Decorated it with long, thick swirly penises; one pink with one ridge about 13 inches, another about 15 inches, light green with two ridges. Was thinking Gayle F here. Shaped some plump frosting balls to match, slapped them on at bases of penises, figured that would do as I am a frosting maniac. Cut me a big slab, half the pink penis, half the green one, their rounded ends of course. Ate it slowly with a cup of mint green tea. Ahhh, splendelicious. House was quiet. I was alone. I was glad. Munched and sipped as long as I wanted to. Read stories I liked in T'hy'la 27. Finished, took a couple of Tums. Went to den, lounged around and watched 2 K/S songtapes. Then watched an episode of TOS. Beauty and love personified right before my glazed eyes. Back to the siren call of the balls left in the kitchen, stuck finger in and ate lots. Needed more Tums. Those suckers--or maybe suckees--were getting to me. Took Tums to bed with me. Dreamed of Ivy's CGIs and Shelley's hot art. Also some dancing penises seen at some convention long ago. KS day never so satisfying or fulfilling. Next day had a bellyache. Saw I'd gained five pounds. Was worth it. Am thinking of not confining celebration to only one day of year.

  • a fan asks others to send more letters to The K/S Press, as LoCs for the past few years have become fewer and fewer and fewer:
    I would also like to comment on Ivy's Roundtable contribution last month. It's pretty obvious that if Ivy and a just a very few other people stopped sending their locs and comments to KSP each month, there wouldn't be much of a newsletter left. Please, my K/S sisters, I so long to hear from more of you. The purpose of the newsletter is to forge those connections between us that we so rarely find. I know you're out there; I hear from you when you borrow zines from the library. A few lines about one of those stories to the KSP would be lovely to read.

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