As an original and founding member of the Fat Folksingers Of America, I must say that I resemble that remark!!

I carried the membership card for many years---with it's lovely drawing by Molly Swisher on the front of Wimpy about to down a huge burger that he was holding in front of his mouth. The motto, "I may be fat, but I'm not stupid" in Italian --- was boldly emblazoned across the top of the card.

To join, as an initiation, one had to go up to Odetta and inform her that she was a member!!!! Somehow, we were ALL allowed to join the group without having told her that austere fact. Nobody ever had the balls to do it even though we ALL did actually have balls. (As a result, no women were ever in the group that I can remember!??)

I seem to think this grand fraternity started at the Stevens Point, Wisconsin gathering of folksingers a few decades ago where we began another folk organization called HEY RUBE - a union of like-minded folkies trying to maximize our incomes while not selling out.

What dreamers we were!!! And, as Robert Frost once said, "THAT HASA MASDE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!!"

Art Thieme