By Ian Randal Strock: Sheila Williams (and Tina Lee) hired me to be the editorial assistant at Asimov’s (and Analog) sf magazines, way back when, giving me my first job in science fiction, the one that served as the foundation for everything else I’ve done in publishing. They made me promise to stay at least one year (both of my predecessors had left after less than six months each). I was there for six years, and left only because it looked like neither they nor the editors (Stanley Schmidt and Gardner Dozois) were ever going to leave, retire, or otherwise give me a chance to move up (the editorial staffs for each magazine were the editor, the managing editor, and me, though later on they added another assistant-level position). David was the technical guru in that same small, family-esque office (actually, that’s how Sheila and David met).

One of my biggest disappointments was that two years after I left to start Artemis Magazine, Tina left. I might have been the managing editor of Analog back then. My other big disappointment is that, after all this time, and so many successes, I STILL haven’t been able to sell a story to Asimov’s (though I keep trying).

At any rate, though I haven’t worked for the magazines in a long time, I still feel a sense familial connection to both the magazines and especially my four bosses from way back then.

I’ve visited Sheila during her rehabilitation (though not nearly as much as I should have) and felt powerless to do anything to help. With sharing this plea for financial assistance, I hope to be doing at least a very small thing to help two wonderful people (and their remarkable daughters) who are important to me, and to the science fiction field I love. I hope you’ll be able to help, too.

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