JOHN KEEL NOT AN AUTHORITY ON ANYTHING

The NYFS Christmas party was held shortly after the seventh meeting, on December 17, 1988, at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant in NYC.  John had only a few remarks to make, but did offer a memorable toast to Charles Fort.

The seventh meeting of the NYFS took place on November 19, 1988.  John had a few announcements about upcoming events, and introduced Henry Belk.  The talk on mystery helicopters, by the way, was by Dennis Stillings; Whitley Strieber replaced Robert Anton Wilson for the May 20 meeting.  As a bonus, here’s a picture of Keel and Belk, taken in Charlotte, N.C., in 1989.

John Keel died three years ago, on July 3, 2009.  Here’s to your memory, John.

John summed up his dissatisfaction with ufology in this four-page letter.

Theo Paijmans passed along another of John Keel’s articles for the North American Newspaper Alliance.  This one appeared in the Kingston Gleaner, 1/28/68; it summarizes the many UFO reports from the preceding year.

If you want your first book reviewed properly, do the job yourself.  Or, even better, delegate one of your pseudonyms.  John’s favorite alter ego, Randolph Halsey-Quince, turned in this mostly positive review of Jadoo.  I don’t know if it was ever published.

The sixth newsletter features Mike Lindner’s summation of the first anniversary meeting, including Phyllis Benjamin’s acceptance of the first Falling Frog Award, and a couple of newspaper clippings.

The NYFS held its sixth meeting on September 17, 1988; it was the first anniversary of the society.  John discussed the finances, plugged upcoming events, talked about a UFO sighting in Connecticut, and presented the first Falling Frog Award (to Phyllis Benjamin).  He also delivered a talk on extraterrestrials (not included in these remarks…)

John proposed a sequel to Jadoo; apparently, nobody was interested.  Maybe it’s just as well: it sounds dangerous.

The following letter appeared in Gray Barker’s Newsletter #5, March 1976.  John is rather rough on Jacques Vallee, but has many interesting things to say about the state of ufology.  I’ve included the preceding letter, since Ray Palmer’s thoughts on Fred Crisman may interest many of you.  I haven’t seen Gene Duplantier’s portrait of John; but if I find it, I’ll add it here.