Dining on Doctorow
Andrew Varnon's "Book of Doctorow" (April 3, 2008) fails to answer the question he raises: Why [did renowned author E. L. Doctorow agree to appear at] Western New England College?
I appealed to Doctorow on behalf of WNEC (and not Smith or Amherst) precisely because I know that he takes an interest in young writers and new writing programs. I told him about WNEC's student population as it had been described to me: these are children of third- and fourth-generation immigrants, parents who have "made good" in America, who are now looking to provide their offspring with a deeper cultural education than they've perhaps had. This is the "American" story that persuaded E. L. Doctorow to lecture at WNEC.
Also, I have never lunched with Professor Meeropol, nor did I dine with Doctorow the next day.
Pearl Abraham
Assistant Professor
WNEC
Editor's response: In her final sentence, Pearl Abraham refers to information that appeared in quotations in Varnon's story. Upon careful review of Varnon's notes of his interview with Abraham, we are confident that he reported accurately what Abraham said.
Neo-burlesque Is Faux Feminism
Women, particularly young women, are being sold pseudo- empowerment, phony liberation and a false sense of rebellion ("She's Got Legs," April 10, 2008).
In this day and age of Girls Gone Wild, porn star mania, and Bling Bling barbie, neo-burlesque is as cookie-cutter as it gets. In this pornified social culture, sexism and the sexual use of women have become the normative for "sexy" and "empowered." Neo-burlesque doesn't challenge male power; it just caters to it.
Girls and women deserve more than this brand of faux feminism in which girls' and women's desired self-conception is exactly where patriarchy wants it to be: enjoying/practicing/and reinforcing the sexual objectification and consumption of their bodies.
Garine Roubinian
via email
