JOHN KEEL NOT AN AUTHORITY ON ANYTHING

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The New York Fortean Society was one of John’s more quixotic projects.  Having already written a booklet on “How to Start a Club,” he naturally followed his own instructions.  He published a newsletter (10 issues), printed membership cards, and mailed out flyers for meetings.  It lasted until 1994, but his health and money problems made it hard for him to keep it going; there were sometimes months between meetings and mailings.  He seemed to have fun with it, though; I think he enjoyed the company.

Meetings were usually held on Saturday afternoons at the TRS Suite on E. 30th St.  Afterwards, everyone went to a deli around the corner, Miss Kay’s, for food and talk.  John also organized field trips (to the Nicholas Roerich Museum, for example), picnics, lunches, and holiday parties.  The parties, to his perverse satisfaction, were usually somewhat of a fiasco.

Here, from the first newsletter, is a list of the “Executive Committee” and charter members.

Patrick Huyghe’s name is smeared by the poor printing; my excuses, Pat.  Here, by the way, is what the membership cards looked like.  Classy!

Many Fortean researchers were only too happy to speak to John’s group, and to unwind afterwards at Miss Kay’s.  If anyone’s curious, I’ve listed all of the meetings here. (more…)

John had somewhat of a career crisis in the 1980s.  UFOs were no longer a profitable subject; and the men’s adventure magazines he had written for throughout much of his career had folded.  He turned to writing novels and plays, only to meet rejection from agents and producers.  Partially to keep himself busy, and partially to generate a bit of money, he started putting out ad sheets and self-published booklets.  Here’s one of them, an eight-page pamphlet called “How to Start a Club,” from 1984.  I’m sorry about the holes; John kept his file copy in a binder.

Shortly after this, he took his own advice, and founded the New York Fortean Society.  It wasn’t exactly the cash cow that he planned, but it was fun while it lasted…

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