This Week: An NYU student gets a new understanding of Condi Rice; Armond White gets a few licks; sounds like love for Mark Blankenship’s advice column “Sounds Like a Plan”; and a reader discovers Paul Krassner’s writing in our archives and has a few choice words.
Sistah Soul
I would like to commend Jamaal Young for his article, “My Sistah in the Struggle” (Nov. 12-18). I could really relate to the article: Jamaal explained Condoleezza Rice from the perspective of a young and progressive Democrat. He clarified the context of how she rose in the Republican party—something I never quite understood. The article also offered great ideas of how the Republicans could live and learn from their mistakes, which I think should be heard by influential conservative members (the “My Bad” tour especially, haha). Great article!
—Crystal Boyd, NYU Undergrad
Serial Mistake
Armond White makes a common mistake [in his review of Quantum of Solace] (“Rough Trade,” Nov. 12-18): The James Bond films are a movie series, not a “movie serial.” Movie serials were usually 15-minute films shown over a number of weeks the viewer would have to keep coming back to for the whole story.
—Patrick Lozito, Brooklyn
Soul Kissed
Are you kidding me? You actually let Armond White write about Soul Man (“Our Soul Man,” Nov. 12-18) as if it were a respected film and has anything to do with Barack Obama’s candidacy or election? I know people seem to love to hate the guy, but this almost goes without saying: He’s an idiot. I’ve (begrudgingly) watched that movie dozens of times when it was re-run on cable, but I can never take it seriously. It’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever been subjected to (let’s not discuss why I go through the misery, it’s just one of those things). Anyway, Armond, I hope you enjoyed your little mental masturbation because that’s exactly what it was. Shame, shame.
—Tony Kranzt, NY
Blast from the Past
Paul Krassner’s autobiographical column (from Aug. 19, 2003) seemed to contain more than a few anecdotes seemingly designed to enhance his stature (warning: writers may be smaller than they appear)... As a subscriber to The Realist in the early ’60s, my recollection of the “One Nation Under God” poster was a bearded deity on top of the Statue of Liberty...but Alzheimers and Jack Daniel’s do funny things to one’s mind.
—Lionel Libson, Camden, Maine
