Letters to the Editor – The New York Times
NICOLAUS MILLS
BRONXVILLE, N.Y.
The writer is chairman of the department of literature at Sarah Lawrence College.
Continue reading the main story
⬥
‘Divided We Stand’
To the Editor:
In recent years, dozens of limitations on abortion rights were passed by a majority of states, while Planned Parenthood was severely attacked. Unfortunately, Gillian Thomas’s review of Marjorie J. Spruill’s “Divided We Stand: The Battle Over Women’s Rights and Family Values That Polarized American Politics” (March 12) gives no context for the successful rightist war on women. That context is the sharp decrease in democratic traits. In 1980, there were 13 billionaires in the United States; in 2016, there were 540. In 1965, the income ratio of C.E.O.s of the top 350 firms to that of their workers was 20 to one. By 2014, it had mushroomed to 296 to one. Nearly one-third of workers were unionized in the 1960s, but only some 10 percent are so today.
The attack on democracy was led by the rule of money, the war on labor unions, voter suppression — and the war on women. The most democratic countries (the Nordic ones), in contrast, had the strongest labor unions and the best women’s rights. Democracy, but not oligarchy, needs strong women’s rights.
ROGER CARASSO
SANTA FE, N.M.
The writer is a professor emeritus of political science at California State University, Northridge.
⬥
Dane Ways
To the Editor:
Thanks to Judith Newman for a great column (Help Desk, Feb. 26). I am not alone in my obsession with lighting; having a guest bed; drinking tea and coffee at certain times during the day; and always having soft covers and sweaters around. I might have to move to Denmark. Fortunately, I got old and don’t have to work anymore, so I can indulge in my hygge needs most of the time. As you can imagine, I don’t get much else done.
Continue reading the main story
CYNTHIA CADDELL
COLLINGSWOOD, N.J.
⬥
After The Royals
To the Editor:
In his review of “Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 — A World on the Edge,” by Helen Rappaport (Feb. 26), Owen Matthews goes in a few lines from Alexander Kerensky to the efforts to “prevent the Bolshevik Revolution.” Kerensky was a leader of the February 1917 revolution, becoming the chairman of the Socialist provisional government of Russia. The Bolshevik Revolution ousted him in October (November, New Style) 1917, resulting in a Communist government under Vladimir Lenin. The review is not inaccurate, but how many readers today know that Lenin overthrew a democratic government, not that of imperial Russia?
JEROME F. WEBER
UTICA, N.Y.
⬥
A Proust Solution
To the Editor:
Lisa Brown’s graphic rendition of how to read Proust (Sketchbook, March 5) is hilarious.
Continue reading the main story
It took me six months and every ounce of determination I could locate, borrow or steal to get through his prose. It was tantamount to slogging through a brier patch in a submarine.
If anyone really wants to find out how to fill a whole page with one sentence, Proust is the master, but I highly recommend Brown’s method, especially No. 5, “Stop caring about Proust.”
N. CANAAN
BEACON, N.Y.
⬥
The Book Review wants to hear from readers. Letters for publication should include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Please address them to books@nytimes or to The Editor, The New York Times Book Review, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018. Comments may also be posted on the Book Review’s Facebook page .
Continue reading the main story
Letters may be edited for length and clarity. We regret that we are unable to acknowledge letters.
Information about subscriptions and submitting books for review may be found here .
Continue reading the main story
The post Letters to the Editor – The New York Times appeared first on Art of Conversation.
