>I'd like to know who came up with the idea that the authors, who >are usually women, must be lesbians? What a bizarre thought! > > Sue Good Point! It was this in that newspaper article that I wanted to question originally, before I got caught on my scholarly digression. No attack at all on M. Bunster here (I thank him for bringing this interesting topic up!), just (if anyone in particular) the newspaper: It seems that the mention of these women's sexuality was an attempt at marginalization--as if lesbianism is in any way marginal or even unusual! These assumptions are more than the normal play of identity politics. It strikes me that this sort of tacit association of sexual practices with these fan writings is an attempt to slot the whole phonomenon as merely some strange, and slightly distasteful, erotic game--thus avoiding the more in-your-face political implications of this conscious "fixing" of Star Trek (by altering and highlighting the unquestioned heterosexism implicit in the series). In short, fan writing is a complex practice, not only worthy of serious attention by the thoughtful, but--importantly--they are fun to read. Here at Williams College, I have a few of these (slash) zines lying around my room. Often people will walk in and pick one up and start reading. Never has anyone derided a magazine as pornography (making the issue of the authors' sexualities somewhat irrelevant)--usually they are impressed by the stories and style and ask to borrow them... sorry for the length of this post... Elrod Ax. a.k.a. Jeremiah (Jem) Borenstein Chaim Axelrod AOL Elrod Ax / JeremiahA2 GEnie JAxelrod2 USMail Jem Axelrod 63 North St. Williamstown MA 01267 U.S.A. MaBell 413 458.9508