
Kay Kelly
I live in Albany, New York, and I'm in my mid-sixties-- happily single, just as happily retired. I earned a Master's degree many years ago, but never used it professionally. I wound up being trapped in work that I hated; but I was able to retire at 55, and my retirement years have been the happiest of my life.
I first discovered organized fandom through Dark Shadows, when fans were trying to save the revival series that aired briefly in 1991. My first online fan interest was Highlander: The Series. I've written a great deal of fan fiction in both those universes.
(I consider myself a "fair-to-middling" fan writer.)
I had subscribed to HBO for years, but looked at it so seldom that I wouldn't have heard of Carnivale prior to its premiere if it hadn't been advertised on other networks. And the ads told us so little about it that I'm surprised I gave it a try. I found the first two episodes so confusing that I decided to stop watching it! But after I'd skipped the Sunday night broadcast of "Tipton," I realized I actually did need to know what came next. I caught a rebroadcast of "Tipton," and was thoroughly hooked from then on.
I love discussing the show online, and I've sent scads of letters and e-mails (in the course of which I had a battle with our local TV columnist). I also love showing off my Save Carnivale gear...and can't wait to wear it to CarnyCon.
But my main fan activity is still the writing of fan fiction. I know from past experience that it's a good way to keep interest in a show alive while there are no new episodes. I seem at this point to be the most prolific Carnivale fan writer (31 pieces of varying lengths at Gay Paree). But that's partly because I tend to write short fics, and never add chapters beyond what I've originally posted. All my early fics have been rendered alternate-universe as more canon has been established...and I'm eager for my new ones to meet the same fate!
I forgot to mention that my pen name at Gay Paree and elsewhere is Wilusa! I read somewhere that that's the oldest known form of the place name "Ilios"--ancient Troy. And I was born and raised in Troy, New York. |