Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
Read other letters about this article
If we leave Iraq, do we lose for good?
Readers weigh in: Bush loyalists, gun lovers, Bach and Bowie fans, soldiers and a poignant letter from the widow of an American lost in Iraq.
By Camille Paglia [2007-07-11]

  • Fake letters from scarecrows

    In an attempt to be fair I skimmed CP's latest, but the letter format is doubly annoying.

    First, they seem fabricated or (at best) heavily rewritten by the author. Second, they offer distorted strawman versions of current debates which enable Paglia's rambling.

    At this point, Paglia is self parody. The only way she could become moreso is if Salon used the Onion gag "Ask a [fill in the blank]" where the responses have nothing to do with the letter.

    For example:

    Dear Camille Paglia,

    My husband and I have a poly relationship, but recently one of his co-workers, a deeply troubled 19 year old, has been making aggressively unwanted advances. She seems to be having issues. Should I offer counseling or just tell her to bug off?

    Sincerely,

    Mother Hen

    Dear Mother Hen,

    I can't tell you how many confessional letters I've received like yours since I arrived on the scene with my first book in 1990. Not much will change until the oppressors (my baby boom generation of trend-chasing p.c. faculty) retire over the next 10 to 15 years. Then perhaps young people can begin to breathe free and reclaim their own originality. Meanwhile, congratulations on finding your niche.

    Sincerely,

    Camille Paglia

    -- softdog
    [Read softdog's other letters]
    Wednesday, July 11, 2007 09:14 AM
Read other letters about this article

Letters Help