Two Worthy Causes
Fit the First:
Claire Cooney (csecooney ), amazingly talented winner of this year's long-form Rhysling for "The Sea-King's Second Bride," wants, nay, needs to to go to New York to see the performance of her play, "Selkie." Accordingly she's fundraising, and offers the following:
Here's what I can offer you.
After the first $100, I will put up my play "Selkie" for all of you to read or rip apart, as it pleases you.
At $200, I will write a reflection on how reading Ibsen's Lady from the Sea provoked me into writing Selkie in the first place. This means I will probably have reread Ibsen's Lady from the Sea. All right. Go on. Twist my arm.
At $300, I will write a song called "Selkie." I do not know what it will be about, except the obvious. I will find some musician of my acquaintance to set it to music. Probably my brother Remi. WHY NOT?
For the last $50, I have asked my brother Declan, who raps, to create a Selkie rap. He said his spirit is willing but that "these things take some time." I told him he had a month. Tee-hee. Artists LIKE to work under pressure. SURELY!
Fit the Second:
The World SF Travel Fund is a venture set up "to enable one international person involved in science fiction, fantasy or horror to travel to a major genre event." This year's goal, if enough funds are raised, is to send Charles Tan (charlesatan), who among other sterling qualities has become an invaluable clearing house of information in the genre community, to the 2011 World Fantasy Convention in San Diego.
And now, a rhyme:
Claire to New York, and Charles to S.D.
This is the favor we're begging of thee,
A dollar, pound sterling, a deutsche mark or two,
Surely the Sea-King will smile upon you.