What Minute Were You Born What Minute Were You ...
What Minute Were You Born?
After one of his newsletters, I determined Nick Guarino was a crook, fraud, blowhard and anything in between ("Mr. Dow 1000," 8/6). I called for a refund and was told to write a letter for the request of refund. I did that and followed up with another call. I have never received the refund. Once he gets your money, that's all she wrote, a one-way street to Mr. Guarino.
Jack Ludwick, Tyler, Texas
Be Like Mike
Signorile: I read your columns often and I love your work. I particularly want to compliment you on "Straights and Sinners" ("The Gist," 8/6). It is a fine piece. I am very grateful that you have the courage to tell the truth. I shudder to think I might be one of the mind-numbed masses if it weren't for writers like you breaking real news. Thank you very much for fighting the Karl Rove/Bush Administration Propaganda Machine. These guys are getting away with murder, literally. They must be stopped. I fear if Bush steals a second term we are in for some very scary times.
Linda Ross, Chicago
Smith: Wrong and Gratuitous!
MUGGER: The Mike Barnicle quote is completely gratuitous and you know it (MUGGER, 8/6). If Catholics wish to follow the authentic teachings of the Church, they need to know what those teachings are. The Vatican document does nothing more than remind the faithful of the Church's teachings. Quite frankly, it is the hypocrisy of many Catholic politicians who trade on the name "Catholic" to get votes that's worthy of criticism.
You usually have a more refined critical eye on issues like this. John Paul II has Parkinson's disease, as you well know. I have an unhappy mental picture of you thumbing your nose and blowing raspberries. This whole portion of your editorial has an unpleasantly juvenile tone that is usually absent from your writing. If you're quoting Barnicle, I can only wonder if Breslin can be far behind. Sorry, Russ. Two thumbs down on this one.
R. Harold McCard Jr., New Orleans
See You in Court
Matt Taibbi displays a greater than usual sense of self-importance (no easy feat there) in arguing that his work, as well as the work of his colleagues at New York Press and others throughout the publishing industry, is entitled to rent-free sales space on the sidewalks of the city ("Rack Attack," 7/30). He also displays embarrassing ignorance of Constitutional law in raising the rally cry of all who insist that they are entitled to blast their voice to the ears of all by invoking the First Amendment. The sidewalks of our city are public property, not the private sales avenues of New York Press or any other business. On the other hand, if Taibbi wishes to fight on my behalf in my attempts to open an office (rent-free of course) in the middle of Strawberry Fields, I will welcome his support.
Mike Rothstein, Manhattan
We Rest Our Case
The New York State Supreme Court?as opposed to federal judges?has found that street peddling anything you make yourself is covered as free speech ("Rack Attack," 7/30). It should be easy to appeal that standalone newspaper boxes should thus be protected as free speech. Newspapers are what free speech is about in its most original meaning. And the power to regulate is the power to destroy.
Denis Drew, Chicago
Zaitchik: Deep and Sensitive!
Alexander Zaitchik's article "When Love Comes to Town" (7/23) was a great read! I especially liked the phrase "Romanz with Attitude." In addition, I learned something: I didn't realize that romance writing is so exclusively Anglo-Saxon. Thanks for covering the RWA conference and my chosen genre with depth and sensitive humor.
Nancy Herkness, Author of A Bridge To Love, Glen Ridge, NJ
Sorry, We Meant "Hardcore"
I am writing in regard to the article on the RWA Convention ("When Love Comes to Town," 7/23) and romance novels in general. I'm certain, by now, you've received enough protests to fill a file cabinet. As well you should have. However, my objections are probably not the same as most of the others you've received.
My only real objection as far as the author's portrayal of the romance genre was his referral to romances as "softcore porn." Other fiction genres contain graphic sex scenes. The sex scenes in other genres often do little or nothing to move the story forward, and are therefore used as little more than a way to shock the reader or give them a quick thrill. Yet I do not hear anyone referring to these books as "softcore pornography."
Like other fiction genres, romances do not always have sex. By contrast, some romance novels contain "love scenes" (as opposed to "sex scenes"), that work to move the story forward in some way, and that also focus on the emotions, the hearts and minds of the characters involved.
Why is it non-romance readers?and some journalists?feel compelled to single out romance and label it "softcore porn?" The use of such terminology is bad form, because it misleads your readership, as well as plays into all the false stereotypes of romance novels.
In reality, even those romances that contain love scenes are hardly "all about" love scenes. In a 100,000-word novel, perhaps 3-6000 words are devoted to love scenes. That certainly leaves a whole lot of wordcount that must be filled by what? Action, adventure, plot, storyline, perhaps?
All in all, I think the author of the article did a very good job. I believe he really tried to be fair to the genre and the ladies who read and write romance. I did like that he used smart quotes from romance authors and several good facts. However, the author tended to paint romance authors and romance readers as grannies, old- fashioned or Earthmothers. Perhaps he could have read a few romance novels himself so he would know they are a far cry from even "softcore porn" (the number of men who read and write romance novels is growing) and the reading of these books would have given him even more insight into the minds of the women who write them and read them.
An author and a contributor were listed for this article. I would like to extend a challenge to both of these men. I would like to give them each three to five romance novels in different romance subgenres. Then I'd like them to write about romance novels again to see how their views of the genre have changed. If these gentlemen would be willing to accept the challenge, I'll promote the challenge on the Romance Club, one of the largest and most visited sites for romance readers on the internet.
Laura Mills-Alcott, Author of The Briar and the Rose, Niles, OH
Yes, "Special" Sparks
Loved the Sparks interview ("Lively Sparks," 7/23). I hope the people of America finally realize how special Ron and Russ are. If they were British, they'd be treated like national treasures (we always give them a reception like they are our own anyway?grown men actually shed tears of joy at their London gig earlier this year). They have influenced so many bands over the years, and to produce their finest work 30 years into their careers is truly incredible.
Andy Hutchinson, Nottingham, England
Architectural Digest?
Taibbi: Great piece! I'm a journalist and a mother, and I loved the story from both perspectives ("Cage Match," 8/6). My daughter is only three-and-a-half, and last year a friend told her she was fat. That night my daughter refused to eat dinner. This, despite the fact that my husband and I never discuss weight or beauty issues in front of her, and we keep all mags with beauty ads in the bedroom. She's free to look at the New York Times, Architectural Digest and the Economist while she is in the living room. Thank you for writing such a pointed story. Just wish it could be on the front page of the New York Times.
Jaimie Seaton, Stanford, CT
Catholic Catharsis
I was appalled at your reference to the Pope and his stance on homosexuality within the context of marriage (MUGGER, 8/6). Sixty-four million and counting cannot be discarded that easily. So those nominal Catholics who don't wish to follow the Magisterium of the Church and who are in public life, let them make their views known as such.
Being faithful to our church has already cost us any hope of judicial appointments. Your problem with us is that I will die someday, now much sooner than later?I'm 70?but I know the views that I consistently and persistently represent on abortion and homosexuality will be taken up by like-minded others and that the percentage of Catholics will continue to grow in the U.S. So at some point in the future we will be able to dominate the direction of the public culture. Think about that for a while!
John Hodgkinson, Palm Springs, CA