Health & Safety Update

We continue to monitor our health and safety measures based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other government organizations, and our health and safety task force. In line with these health and safety measures, effectively immediately we are providing this guidance regarding the use of face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All staff, program staff, visitors, and members are asked to wear a face covering when attending indoor activities sponsored by The Friendship Circle regardless of vaccination status. For all outdoor events, we will continue to require unvaccinated individuals to wear a face covering. At this time, we are not asking for proof of vaccination and signage will be placed on the front and back doors as a reminder. Physical distancing indoors is still in effect with physical distancing measures implemented. Please contact Sara Pelikan Cato at [email protected] or 412-224-4440 x101 with any questions or concerns. We will continue to monitor and evaluate current guidance and recommendations and provide updates as needed via email and on our website. On behalf of the staff, we look forward to seeing you soon and thank you for your continued support of The Friendship Circle and for making this community a safe and positive place for us all.

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Recent blog posts

Part 6: History of Fan Fiction Conclusion

What’s so important about the history of fan fiction, you may ask? Aside from possibly helping you on Jeopardy, it makes the concept seem less trivial. If fan fiction as we know it had first come to be in, say, the late 1990s instead of the 1960s, would you really look at it the same? No, and that’s just in… Read More

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Part 5: ‘Creators’ Involvement’

In my last post, I talked about how fan fiction is something you may hear about without actively searching for it—although frankly speaking, it’s more likely to be discussed on the Internet than in, say, a college cafeteria)—including a mention of creators’ opinions. While some creators are supportive of derivative works based on their stories and/or characters, there are some… Read More

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Part 4: Fan Fiction in Popular Culture

It’s far from uncommon to see pop culture being referenced in everyday life, and especially common to see it referenced in other works (for instance, Marty McFly refers to Darth Vader at one point in Back to the Future). As such, it shouldn’t be surprising that the concept of fan fiction has been mentioned in ‘official’ fiction. Perhaps the most… Read More

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