On Tue, Mar 27, 2001 at 02:33:30PM +0100, Tavia wrote:
Fiona, quoting me:
To my mind, fans are much more interesting than guests,
Hm, I find them both interesting but in different ways.
I would go further and say that, in my opinion, guests can make fan-run panels/workshops function less well.
[example snipped]
It depends on the panel/workshop, and the guests. If you can get a guest to participate in a workshop about their area of expertise, then it can be a fascinating and thrilling experience. Writers workshops with professional writers, and acting workshops with professional actors (or indeed, swordfighting workshops with professional swordmasters, to borrow an example from another fandom) can be just *brilliant*. Some of my favourite con experiences were such workshops -- writing workshop with Bjo Trimble at Eccentricon, acting workshop with Brian Croucher at Eccentricon, acting workshop with Gareth Thomas and Steven Grief at Deliverance...
Another thing I think impacts on the fannish experience is that new fen are more likely to be interested in the actors, simply because that *is* what brought them into the fandom in the first place -- seeing those people playing those parts in the show. But when you've been going to cons for fifteen years like I have (golly, that long!) then (a) one has likely already met the actors one is most interested in meeting (b) one is less awed by the prospect of meeting actors in general, because of all the practice one has already gotten. It's only logical that this should happen -- but to take this as a sign of "maturity" or to denigrate those who find meeting the actors a thrill, is completely unfair.
Kathryn Andersen -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "I left my world to wander in this endless midnight sky; for space is just a starry night where no suns ever rise." -- Dayna's song (Blake's 7: Sarcophagus [C9])