On the day we honor America’s laborers, we’re taking a break. It’s hard work mounting a convention (or planning one in the middle of a pandemic), so the PulpFest organizing committee is happy to announce the addition of a new committee member as well as two new writers for the PulpFest website.
Please welcome Sara Light-Waller to the PulpFest organizing committee. Sara is already a familiar name to readers of the PulpFest website, but she is also a professional journalist and illustrator with over thirty years of experience. An accomplished new pulp fiction author/illustrator with two books out and more on the way, Sara is the winner of the 2020 Cosmos Prize for her illustrated short story, “Battle at Neptune.” A huge pulp fan, Sara is especially fond of science fiction pulps. The extent of her pulp fandom can best be measured by the oversized rendition of Frank R. Paul’s AMAZING STORIES cover that she painted on her garage. We are proud to have Sara join the PulpFest organizing committee and continue contributing to the PulpFest website.
Laurie Powers is the granddaughter of pulp author Paul S. Powers, Laurie was introduced to the pulp community in 2007 through the publication of PULP WRITER: TWENTY YEARS IN THE AMERICAN GRUB STREET, her grandfather’s memoir of writing for the pulps, especially WILD WEST WEEKLY. She has also edited several collections of her grandfather’s work in various genres, releasing a number of previously unpublished stories. In 2013, she helped to arrange the donation of her grandfather’s personal papers as well as more than 400 pulp magazines featuring his work to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at Ohio State University in Columbus. She is the author of QUEEN OF THE PULPS: THE REIGN OF DAISY BACON AND LOVE STORY MAGAZINE, which was published by McFarland Books in 2019. At PulpFest 2016, Laurie presented “100 Years of the Specialty Pulp — LOVE STORY MAGAZINE and the Romance Pulp Phenomenon,” and was awarded the Munsey Award the same year. We are happy to announce Laurie will now be a regular contributor to the PulpFest website.
Christopher Ryan is an award-winning journalist and columnist in the Bronx and Manhattan, he also earned honors for playwriting, screenwriting, and acting. Chris is also the co-founder (as writer and performer) of a comedy troupe. He co-wrote a one-man show and performs stand-up comedy. For over three decades, Chris has been a close collaborator of author Alex Simmons. The two discuss all things creative on their TELL THE DAMN STORY podcast. An accomplished independent author and publisher with over a dozen books to his name. Most of Chris’ work is focused on detectives Mallory and Gunner in a modern urban interpretation of Dante’s “The Divine Comedy.” We are proud to announce Chris will now be a regular contributor to the PulpFest website.
If you are interested in volunteering for PulpFest, please click the “contact” button on our homepage and let us know how you can help. Thanks.
(The centennial of the ratification of the 19th amendment that granted women the right to vote took place on August 18, 2020. So let’s celebrate this Labor Day with a look at Ray Bradbury’s and James B. Settles’ fantasy version of an underwater Rosie the Riveter, featured on the cover for the December 1944 issue of Ziff-Davis’ AMAZING STORIES.
Bradbury’s cover story, “Undersea Guardians” is a short horror story about merpeople who protect American ships from Axis submarines during the Second World War. Ziff-Davis editor, Ray Palmer, was known for publishing patriotic fiction in both AMAZING STORIES and FANTASTIC ADVENTURES during the American involvement in World War II.)
