TO THE EDITOR: A creditor of mine who lives in Seattle recently e-mailed to my attention Sandeep Kaushik's recent piece entitled "Have a Drink Seattle, You Need It!" [Jan 15]. I live in Boston, a godforsaken little third-rate provincial burg in the Northeast. I commend the universal theme of Mr. Kaushik's essay, given that Beantown is also a haven for the self-medicating, but I am compelled to register two objections: (1) Stop bitching about your drizzle, Seattle. The Red Sox Nation is currently wrapped in the cold embrace of a lingering Arctic air mass that drives the wind-chill adjusted daytime temperature to 20 below zero; (2) if Mr. Kaushik requires inclement weather to justify taking the cure, then his imagination is limited and his summers must, presumably, be dull. It's always 5:00 somewhere, my brother.
Steve K.
FROM THE IN-BOX OF DAVID SCHMADER
DEAR DAVE: Last month when Theatre Babylon was rehearsing The Countess at Union Garage, A Theater Under the Influence held auditions for Blasted--to be directed by Matt Fontaine, Tamara Paris' boyfriend--in the front space. During one of our breaks, my cousin and I were standing out in the corridor of the theater talking about the work of the actors when Tamara came charging past us and went into one of the bathrooms. As we attempted to resume our conversation, she burst into song. Loudly. And off-key. My cousin shot me a look, which I interpreted as, "What kind of weirdo seeks to call attention to the fact that she's peeing by singing loudly in a bathroom?" When my cousin and I spoke some time later it turned out that I had read his look correctly. I answered him: "The sort of weirdo who believes that even her time in the bathroom should not go unnoticed to the world outside. A person who believes that, should she spend too much time out of the perception of other human beings, she might simply disappear." These sad people, who need the attention of others to feel they exist, are legion. But few of them are given the chance to appear in print on a regular basis.
Please don't send Tamara to see any more of our shows. She never talks about the work, just herself. And I'm tired of giving her an excuse to continue to justify her existence.
Thanks,
John Longenbaugh
Artistic Director
Theatre Babylon
TAMARA PARIS RESPONDS: Dear Dave: Will you please tell Mr. Longenbaugh that if he thinks what he overheard was off-key, he should hear me when I'm pooping. Thanks, Tamara.
FRIZZELLE'S ONLY FAN
TO CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE: I think you are doing a great job as the books editor. You often write about authors I like, or about authors who are at least interesting: Martin Amis, Lydia Davis, Michael Chabon, Sylvia Plath, etc. I wish that I could be the books intern, only I have already skinned my knees on intern life, or whatever, and also I have a big important job as a receptionist now.
However, I have been looking for a while for explanations about the hype surrounding such books as The Corrections, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, even A Confederacy of Dunces. I, for one, do not like these books, and I don't understand why so many people do. Figure it out, and publish your findings, if you please.
Lisa Sibbet
POSTERS
DEAR AMY JENNIGES: In response to your article on the posters being put up in Seattle ["Agitprop," Jan 22], I was wondering if there's any way this group would be able to supply us Bellinghamsters with copies. I would really like to put some up here (and elsewhere, but we'll start here for now). This style of protest intrigues me and I am hoping that it will restart the antiwar protests I became accustomed to in Bellingham last year.
Sarah
AMY JENNIGES RESPONDS: Sarah, you weren't the only one who wanted copies of the posters. So we tossed 'em up on our website to download, with the blessing of the designers. Head to www.the-stranger.com/specials/warposters/ and start printing.
YOU PEOPLE SUCK!
TO THE EDITOR: I find it absolutely infuriating that news sources, including The Stranger, have ignored the new Watergate. Of all the major publications in the country, only the Boston Globe has printed any news regarding the infiltration by Senate Republicans into the classified files of Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The information gleaned from these stolen files was leaked to newspaperman Robert Novak (who is also being investigated in the CIA leak scandal surrounding Valerie Plame Wilson) among others, and used to scuttle Democrats' attempts to block Bush's conservative judicial appointees. It is an outrage that the American public has not been told about this violation. It casts serious doubt on the objectivity and fairness of news media that Howard Dean's Iowa "scream" speech has garnered such attention, and yet no attention is given to Republican Senate staffers committing serious espionage against their Democratic counterparts. In 1973, this type of affair forced Richard Nixon to resign as president. Today, news media across the country ignore it. Sounds like the "liberal media" has taken a sharp right turn. Shame on all of you.
