JEN GRAVES: Just a quick note to say that your review ["Heavy Like a Living Thing," Feb 1] is excellent: written much in the style of Weschler himself. It is one of my favorite books, too. Others by Weschler fit in the "favorite book category" as he writes in ways that make you realize that art and life are one. Having a small bookstore in Seattle, I keep copies of Seeing Is Forgetting prominently displayed so people will inquire.
Beth
INK STAINSEDITOR: I am a staffer for the City Collegian. I just read Angela Valdez's article,"White on Black" [Feb 8], and feel compelled to respond. If students or faculty don't like what they read in the Collegian, there's an obvious avenue open for them to change that: write something else. Any student or faculty member may submit an article to the paper for any section. In fact, the newspaper's staff has continually recruited, invited, and outright begged other students to submit work. There is also an open position for multicultural editor. It has been unfilled for at least the last two quarters. No one has applied for it. I wonder if anyone will, even after this. It's much easier to rant into a microphone than to write an article or take on an editorship, after all. I am extremely aggravated by people who complain of not having a voice, when they've merely chosen not to use it, and who then demand that other voices be silenced. Lee's opinion, stated on the opinion page, was possibly misguided, unpopular, and ignorant. It is also protected by the First Amendment. Remember the First Amendment? "Racism" is an ugly word used to describe an ugly behavior. But you know what? So is the word "censorship."
Lauren Waddell (AKA Ms. Scarlet)
PRAISE FOR ALL PURPOSECHOW EDITOR: I am writing in response to "Don't Go There: Into the Gentrified Wilds of the Central District" by Thadius Van Landingham III [Feb 1]: All Purpose Pizza is in the heart of the CD, delivers all over the surrounding area, from Madison Park to Columbia City, and into Capitol Hill as well... and you don't have to do any pleading or begging! The pizza is absolutely FANTASTIC; they have a red-wine sauce that is just heavenly! They also have great soups, salads, hot sandwiches, and pastas they will tote out to your place on a moment's notice. The owners actually work there, so the food and the service are great every night... and they do lunch, too!
JLA
CHOW EDITOR DAVID SCHMADER RESPONDS: Yes, this was a stupid mistake. In this week's Chow Bio, I beg for All Purpose Pizza's forgiveness. See page 73.
LET'S GET REALTO THE EDITOR: Eli Sanders might as well just advocate a mandate that people with HIV have it tattooed on their foreheads, since he seems to have absolutely no regard for privacy. In his latest article ["Crystal Mess," Feb 8], he encourages people to feel shame and then goes back to advocating serosorting.
There is still a lot of prejudice and stigma attached to HIV. They can lose their jobs if the wrong person finds out, or be treated unfairly in their jobs, and attempting to prove it in a lawsuit can be tricky and expensive. So serosorting leaves a lot of HIV+ men very vulnerable. At the same time, most poz guys would prefer to date other poz guys, so it's a very uncomfortable conundrum for them that doesn't really get noticed by folks like Sanders, who demand to know everyone's status, and live in some bullshit fantasy that those who disclose will be respected.
Gay men in general tend to look for reasons to hate and disrespect and exploit each other to begin with. I know many poz guys who have complained of indiscretions after they disclosed, as they felt was their duty. As a result, there's a lot of smoldering anger in HIV+ men.
In terms of dating, when exactly is an HIV+ person supposed to disclose his status? First date? Second? Before clothes come off? Poz men aren't all that thrilled to announce it to anyone who walks up and says hello... but then, the longer they wait, the more awkward it gets. Disclosures in online chat rooms and via messaging are often met with astonishing rudeness. It's so easy for HIV- people to casually insist that HIV+ people disclose their status, just as it's so easy to lie to them, dismiss them, and then warn their friends about them, after they do so. Mr. Sanders needs to pull his head out of his ass and address this reality.
Anonymous
DIS ON DINESHThanks for running Bruce Bawer's remarkable critique of Dinesh D'Souza's The Enemy at Home [Feb 8]. He assails D'Souza's radical, right-wing views from smack-dab in the center, expressing the kind of American values I personally share. The right wing has gone so far over the edge that it's come full circle to embrace the very people that it has continuously condemned the left for appeasing. Interesting, thought-provoking, enjoyable piece. Please publish more fromMr. Bawer.
Mike Hacker
