THE LIST
lETTERS
Inspirals scratched
Wake up pop kids. Not only did you print the review ofthe Inspiral Carpets' "This Is How It Feels‘ single ages after it was released. you actually gave it a good review. Inexplicable. As iflistening to the banal lyrics wasn‘t bad enough, twice out of the last three Top ofthe Pops we‘ve had to look at the guy with his daft Cistercian haircut. It's about time your publication launched a campaign against such mawkish. monkish types instead of encouraging them.
Kevin Alexander
Balcarres Street
Edinburgh.
Funny folk It was good to see neglected genius Michael Marra getting some coverage in last issue‘s List. albeit not at any great length. A couple of questions. though. Why. when Marra is quoted as saying. regarding his new record. ‘Maybe this will stop people labelling me under Folk. It‘s very much a rock-sounding album’. is there a big heading at the top ofthe article saying (yes. you‘ve guessed) FOLK? His music isn‘t easily pigeon-holed. so why bother trying? Secondly. the album is called ‘the punningly titled (,‘andy Philosophy‘. I once almost finished The Wee Stinker crossword in the Herald. but can‘t for the life of me see what the pun is here. Please explain. James Hamilton Ardgay Street
Glasgow. JOSE BUERVII ’
Try .saying it without the ‘i' in philosophy. You're right. it wasn't worth thinking aboutfor that long. As etmtpensatitm. you win the prize for this issue 's best letter — a bottle of Jose ('uervo tequila.
ln joke
What a good job that The List employs Mark Fisher and not Robert Somerville (Letters List 117) to write about cabaret. If Somcrville had his way. he‘d keep us all indoors to watch clapped-out old comedians on the telly. Give me live stand-up any day.
By the way. isn‘t it time The List published a major reappraisal of Wendy Craig? Robert Somerville could be just the man to write it.
Joe O‘Neill Millcroft Road Cumbernauld.
Exclusion zone
So ( ilasgoyy marks its ci\ :c pride at being recognised as a centre of culture by building a museum in the foundations of (‘entral Station. Good! The museum celebrates the
' v 3.5
We welcome correspondence on any aspect of The List. The best letter next issue will win a trendy, one-size-fits-all Jose Cuervo tequila T-shirt. Letters, which may be edited for publication, should be sent to The List,
Old Athenaeum Theatre, 179 Buchanan Street, Glasgow Gl 2JZ, or 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 lTE by 13 April.
history of the city and its people. Even better!
A whole series of talks. theatre performances. book events and workshops have been scheduled. There‘s something on almost every day to involve the public in this monument to a city of the people. Great!
But what‘s this? Admission charges? Four quidjust to get into the place during the day! Okay. it's cheaper at night. but then you miss all the fun! The museum turns out to be yet another example of the Festivals Unit excluding Glasgow‘s less prosperous citizens from events supposedly mounted for their benefit.
And what do they call it? Glasgow‘s Glasgow.
Aye. that’ll be right. Don‘t they mean London‘s Glasgow? Or, more specifically. Saatchi‘s Glasgow? Hugh O‘Donnell Shields Road Glasgow.
Oh dear. [never thought I'd have much sympathy with Michael
F orsyth. but your letter managed it. Do you really think everything should be free? Perhaps the council should take selected paintings from K elvin grove on tours of the peripheral estates for those art-lovers who just can 't afford the bus fares?
g. \ lAI'Il not [>in 1\
It 's all a question of what you choose to spend your money on .' Premier Division football costs £4 these days. and ordinary punters seem to be able to afford that.
Pedantry again
Please note:
1. Your photographs often straddle two pages, spoiling potential pin-ups for the kitchen table.
2. Your classified ads sprawl in bits across columns. making it difficult (for the nervous novice) to match CVs with box numbers. If this is done for paper conservation. this could be further improved by placing classified ads topically in the many gaps amidst articles. photos. captions etc elsewhere in the magazine. thus i) maximising paper usage. ii) making readers work a bit in their (safe) quest for an ad. iii) packaging ads up individually giving not-so-good resumes a chance.
An anonymous List fan.
Glasgow.
Quote, unquote
With regard to the entry under my name in the survey ofart pundits‘ views of Steven Campbell‘s new work at the Third Eye. Glasgow (List 1 16). I would like The List to retract the statement attributed to me.
I have had to write to Andrew Nairn to reiterate my general view that the masculinist nature of Glasgow‘s culture is. to a great extent. popularised by mainstream art criticism and ‘popular‘ journalism. and that creating an adversarial position between individual artists. art critics and art administrators perpetuates the divisive categorisation ofculture in the city.
The List is not especially guilty. in my view. of misrepresentation of culture. although in this instance my statements. in the context ofthe generally positive remarks of the other ‘pundits‘. are clearly also inappropriate for the following reasons: 1 . This is not a quote of anything said or written for The List. 2. The statement misrepresents my views. 3. I was not notified that my views would appear in this issue. 4. I am one of a number ofwomen coordinating Women In Profile visual arts projects and initiatives. My conversation with The List journalist re Steven Campbell‘s past work was conducted between individuals and not as representatives of the respective organisations with which we are connected. 5. By implication. the diverse views of the membership of Women In Profile have been homogenised and misrepresented. (The article suggests that I speak for all members in my wholly negative. dare I say. stereotyped. comments on a ‘Glasgow Boy‘). 6. l have not yet seen Steven Campbell‘s new work at the Third Eye. The article suggests I have. and that these were the comments I felt to be appropriate.
The List consistently includes coverage ofwomen artists' work. and can be seen to be supportive of women‘s work. not merely in the favourable ratio of women journalists involved in its production. I hope that any future coverage of my views or the views of other women involved in Women In Profile will demonstrate more positively our considered views on our position and work. not merely as adversarial to particular galleries or individuals.
Adele Patrick
Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow.
There is the strong wh i_ ffo f disingenuin about A dele Patrick 's letter. f we have Inisrepresentetl her then we apologise; it is not and never will be The List's policy to interview people without their being aware that they might be quoted. I l o wever. we deny that Women In Profile has been ‘homogenised and misrepresented '. We merely stated that Ms Patrick is their Visual Art ( ‘o-ortlinator which is a fact. like it or not. Nor does the article suggest she had seen Steven Campbell 's new work. We asked for views of the man and his work. not for the predictions ofcrystal ball-gazers.
88'I‘he List 6- 1‘) April 1991)
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