FICTIONAL CHARACTERS FOR REAL LIFE
SOCIAL CHANGE MEETING
May 1, 2008
PRESENT: Tiger Lily [Peter Pan], Dorothy of Kansas [Wizard of Oz], Bill the Cat [Bloom County], Dr. Manette [Tale of Two Cities], Prince Andrei [War and Peace], St. Christopher, Old Dog Tray, Foghorn Leghorn, GI Joe, Wendy Darling
ABSENT: Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. at the EAP World Headquarters Little Conference Room. Biscuits and sherry were provided by EAP publisher Tod Davies. Thank you, Tod.
BUDGET
Budget Committee at present is still only Bill the Cat. Bill pointed out again that there is no budget. Motion was made to just take this as a given and skip the budget report next month. Motion passed, 9 to 1, Foghorn Leghorn disagreeing.
MINUTES
It was M/S/P (Tiger Lily/Old Dog Tray) to approve the minutes of the April meeting as distributed.
TREASURER'S REPORT
See Budget report. Same thing happened with the Treasurer’s Report.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Wendy stated that the agreement had been to focus this meeting on how best to change the stories of Western culture that have led to its present imbalance, inequities, and general wrongheadedness. She asked that she be allowed to make a suggestion. General murmur of agreement. She then read aloud a letter to the Ask Wendy Column from Mr. Peabody and his Boy Sherman, commenting that it seemed clear that the first order of business should be for EAP to declare its principles in this matter. “Too many people and characters seem to think this is just another space for them to sound off about their own trivial little issues, instead of realizing that those trivial issues mean something in the larger context.” GI Joe asked if it was possible to give an example. Wendy thought a moment and then offered: “A good example is Alice in Wonderland. Here she wrote to us to complain about Lewis Carroll putting her in all those insane situations, instead of realizing that there was a meaning in the fact that a highly rational mathematician from Oxford made a little girl – who is just about the most unimportant social unit from an Oxford point of view – the heroine of one impossible adventure after another. If instead of complaining, Alice would decide to join us here to figure out what that means and how we can use what it means to move stories forward to make the world a better place, THAT would be an example of realizing how your trivial issues mean something in a larger context.”
GI Joe was silent for a moment, then said, “I still don’t get it.” Wonder Woman said she wasn’t surprised – Wendy always has a tendency to overintellectualize. Wendy admitted this, and apologized, but said that was the best she could do for now. Wonder Woman asked if it was all right with Wendy if she tried to recap what she had said. Wendy agreed.
Wonder Woman then said, “She means we’ve all got more important things to do than just complain about our own problems unless we see that our problems mean something has got to change.” GI Joe said he understood that, thank you. Tiger Lily asked so what do we do about it? Dorothy of Kansas said that she thought we should start with ourselves: “Since there’s no place like home.” Bill the Cat vigorously agreed. St. Christopher observed that it seemed to him that since our home at present is Exterminating Angel Press, that Exterminating Angel Press was where changing the stories had to begin. Dr. Manette proposed a vote. Motion passed, 9 to 0, Foghorn Leghorn abstaining (or snoring, it was hard to tell which).
Wonder Woman moved that each member should bring the points they thought most important to be addressed to the next meeting, to be incorporated into a document calling for the changes on EAP that the group thinks necessary. This document to be sent to Tod Davies, publisher of EAP, to be published on the site, and to be used as a new start for the venture in general.
Motion passed 9 to 0, Foghorn Leghorn waking too late to vote.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business. Everyone was too excited about the above to do anything but break into small groups and plan their points. Wendy served sherry early.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be 6 pm, 1 June, in the Little Conference Room. Meeting was adjourned officially at 7, though all but Foghorn Leghorn remained in deep discussion until the janitor arrived to say the building was closing up at midnight.
Respectfully submitted,
Dorothy of Kansas
Group Secretary
(for this month's ASK WENDY advice column…)