Letters to the Editor
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A Cursory Smackdown
"why is everyone so angry at the writer? it is well-written. say what you want about the topic but don't assume you know her whole life story from a short essay."
It looks well written because you never graduated second grade. See how relativity works?
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Hey, Sloane, I liked it
Maybe it's because I've written my own "drivel" or maybe it's because I had no idea this was a genre, but I enjoyed this enough to forward it. Well written, kept me going, liked the insights. Believe me, I can be plenty harsh about stories of unreflective entitled people, but this didn't ring any of those bells. I just related. I never found one-night stands as straightforward as a lot of other letter writers, and I'm a forty-something gay man, so I take the "just do it" comments with a grain of salt. Or envy, not quite sure. But, Sloane, you obviously struck a nerve, so good on ya.
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I liked it too
I thought it kind of sweet and playful.
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sympathy
Amidst all the anger with this article, I'm glad to hear a woman is actually frustrated with her sexual experiences, and about a one-night stand nonetheless. I don't have that particular desire, though multiple incidents of casual sex with the same partner would be nice. Throwing all that emotion into seems tiring at times.
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Where's the video when you really need it?
What struck me is that she doesn't do it. She never has the fling. She's a GOOD GIRL! Just like a pretty girl with a name like Sloane Crosley is supposed to be.
Now imagine if she had shown up as the subject of a piece in one of the NY papers. Good Girl decides she's not a one-night-stander. How insulted would Broadsheet be?
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Jejune
Plz tell me Ms. Darling contracted some hideous fucking disease and died howling.
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What if she were ugly?
Nobody has mentioned/seemed to notice this angle: the author's photo accompanies the article - and she appears to be at least reasonably physically attractive.
Hence, the selling point of her book would be that a pretty girl has a hard time going about a one-night stand...
But what if her photo wasn't included? OR, what if her photo did appear - and she was quite lacking in the beauty department?
How would it influence you - or other potential readers out there? Would her tales have any worth if the answer she sought turned out to be a white elephant in the room? (I.e. - You fail at picking up men for one-nighters because you are not pretty.)
IMO, it would've be a more interesting excerpt WITHOUT her photo being present...
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The writer is great
Like others said, give her a column on Salon.
Better her than the all too cynical chumps who just tire me out with their weary done-it-all-now-I-can-die-at-age-25 bullshit.
She is a sweet talent. Writing about coming of age is fun to read.
Too much cynicism and bitterness among the young today. Nice to read someone being above board and innocent for once rather than the MUCH MORE COMMON stories about someone being under the table, drowning in his or her own vomit.
This girl is a CLASS ACT. The ones pissing and moaning about her can go scratch.
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It Could Only Be Well Sold..
"So stop reading if you don't like it. It's a nice story, well told."
Can I sell you my upcoming book, The Litterbox Equation. It contains cutting edge adventure that involves my ex leaving her cat at my place that only relieves itself in exclusive litterboxes sold in Beverly Hills. Highlights include me visiting several exclusive pets stores, each featuring a swearing parrot at the entrance, my cars' automatic window getting stuck as it rains, the cat continuing to defiantly crap on the carpet when the bathroom isn't color coordinated - I devote 100 pages to this particular part as I can't decide whether to recolor the bathroom than find another litterbox.
Ir $24.95.
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I'm Not That Innocent!
"This girl is a CLASS ACT. The ones pissing and moaning about her can go scratch."
Does anyone here find it remotely 'classy' when a sexually stunted female dons the tacky and repulsive affects of a prostitute to 'figure out' how to experience her own sexuality.
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"The Litterbox Equasion"
Sounds like a great read! I LOVE cats! When can I buy it? ;)
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She can't overcome her niceness
She's just one of those girls who can't be sexy no matter how hard she tries. I agree with everyone who said she is unreflective. She wrote this story as if it was some sitcom where unlikely and hiarious circumstances keep preventing her from accomplishing her goal. Really its her inability to do something of which society may disapprove. She's not one of those people who can ignore that. But there's no inkling that she realizes that. That lack of insight made the story very frustrating to read because what she thought was going on is obvioulsy not what was going on.
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Take Crosely…please.
Am I being mean for not caring about the sexual (almost) adventures of a 29 year old? I offer no offense to folks in their 20’s, as some have great stories to tell, but this hardly qualifies.
I’m all for coming of age accounts that have insight and charm, but these qualities are lacking in her piece.
Though I was intrigued by the title, the article didn’t engage me. The excerpt reads as stock material from some crummy canceled sitcom--all formula and laugh tracks. How blaringly original that she traversed Europe while in college, spent time at an Ivy League school, and has conventional looks.
How about something juicy next time from a woman or a man who hasn't lead a formulaic life and who knows how to seal the deal?
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i wish it was salon 1999
with Amy Reiter's gossip column and Blue Glow.
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My periodic reminder
Every time I get a healthy dose of Glenn Greenwald and "How the World Works" and start considering subscribing to Salon again they publish something by Camille Paglia, or a piece of poorly written, substance-free fluff like this, and I am reminded why I don't.
Our perky protagonist, stunned into immobility at the suggestion that perhaps a one-night stand isn't obligatory..."Tontstant Weader fwowed up."
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Tideswimmer
Brilliant.
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really, really, really bad.
please, if you haven't lived, don't write!
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frankbquotes
Nailed it. This excerpt is awful for all the reasons frankb says. I read the whole thing fighting the idea that it all happened over the course of her freshman year, because I just couldn't imagine a young woman not being able to have casual sex, despite trying, over a period of years. It isn't coming of age if you are of age and then well past and you still haven't matured.