May 10, 1982: The Club No Longer Exists (San Francisco Suicide Club)
To SFSC members,
The Suicide Club as it once was no longer exists. The original intent of SFSC was to create situations where members would experience things they hadn't experienced before; to allow members to create a fantasy with the help of from five to fifty others. Anyone could create an event; everyone was encouraged to. Limits of all kinds were tested: creative absurdity—clown parades, pie fights, staged street theater; explorations:of old abandoned buildings, breweries, sewers, ships; and literal physical danger. Participation—whether in creating
an event, or helping someone else create one by participating, was what made It work. Whether something was "fun" or "entertaining" was not the issue, but rather how far you were willing to expand yourself in one sense or another.
This is no longer the case. Over the.past several months, events and their creation have been left to a small core of people, most of whom have been all but exhausted by the effort. Events are increasingly gauged by their ability to entertain. The majority of members appear to be exceedingly voyeuristic at best, appearing mostly for an event that is "fun", quite safe, and not very messy.
The heart has, however slowly, been cut, drawn and quartered out of the Suicide Club. It's time to give the Suicide Club a decent suicide and a proper burial .
THEREFORE: Since SFSC has no leaders and no methods for making decisions, I propose a meeting/breakfast at my house on Sunday, May 16, at 11:00 am, to debate/pro- pose/celebrate/weep over the end of the Suicide Club. Bring breakfast.
AS AN ALTERNATIVE to what we have now, I suggest this: that one person (most likely me) be in charge of the mailing list, which is kept updated. Anyone (barring sex offenders and gangsters) can have access to it, and anyone who wants to can have their name put on the list. (If you don't come to events, don't count on being sent anything, toots). There would be no charge for anything, and event-leaders could recoup their mailing costs by collecting at the event,
THERE HAS BEEN. TALK of a final, big-bash suicide event. Interested parties should speak with other interested parties.
FINALLY, for those of you who were wondering, there were no events submitted this month. This will probably be the last cummunique of the San Francisco Suicide Club.
See you on Sunday.
Jean Mcshofsky, Treasurer 180 - Ninth Avenue
SF 751-3570