LETTERS
Gay cure
I would imagine that. like most people. I buy The List mainly to see what‘s on at the pictures, although the television listings are useful for those of us who don't buy a newspaper every day. But. as a pseudo-intellectual fopling. I was ‘offended‘ by your giving Stephanie Billen’s interview with Su ‘Poor Cow‘ Pollard a two-page spread (are you deliberately trying to drive away readers with 221s or Firsts?). And how can her husband be a ‘former homosexual"? Do you mean he‘s now ‘cured‘?
I see that Mainstream continue to flood the market with effluent; I refer specifically to Graeme Souness' A Manager's Diary. He may use the F word as much as Kclman. but he‘s hardly in the same literary league. is he? Recently someone quoted in your magazine described ‘The Late Show‘ on BBC2 as ‘inaccessible'. Incredible! This programme is consistently entertaining and informative. and Sarah Dunant is an angel ofart. as good as Tracey McLeod is bad (but not as bad as Kirst ‘Bools in the
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The best letter next issue will win a Jose Cuervo tequila T-shirt, one size fits all. Letters, which may be edited for publication, should be sent to The List, Old Athenaeum Theatre, 179 Buchanan Street, Glasgow G1 212, or 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE not later than 30 April.
MOIRA NICOI.
Mouth‘ Wark).
Re Glasgow's crOwning as European Capital ofCulture . . . It‘s a bit pathetic the way Glaswegians have responded with gushing gratitude to this artificial honour. The Parisians completely ignored the designation, presumably because they have a solid sense of identity and self-esteem without it. I was in the Big G (my home town) last weekend. when I had another look at Glasgow Cathedral. It‘s embarrassingly small and could literally fit in the transept of Milan Cathedral (Milan. like Edinburgh. being a truly great European city of culture). Will Pat Lally go the satne way as Savonarola or Mussolini when the populace of the peripheral housing schemes finally figure out that the Festivals Unit is a marketing monster gone mad? Finally. I see Glasgow's new opera house is nearly finished. As Neo-(‘eaucescu ' architecture goes. it‘s quite nice. David M. Bennie Haddington Place Edinburgh.
Great stuff. [)0 you want your own column? Despite losing brownie points for daring to criticise Tracey McLeod, you win the prizefor this issue's best letter — a Jose ( ‘ueri'o tequila T—shirt. Asforyourfirst question. presumably Su 's charms
are such that her husband turned hetero the instant he clapped eyes on her.
Very’umble
A humble suggestion. ‘inspired‘ by your clubs preview last issue: either tell your small but imperfectly informed army of reporters not to use the phrase ‘new age' at all; or instruct them that. ifused. it must be subjected to severe scorn. If. as the clubs fashion article said. what is vital is ‘the inner self as opposed to outer appearance'. why do all these floral pattern leftovers from the 1960s cost so much? So ‘past materialism has been replaced by the spiritual attitudes of the new age‘? Even ifwe accept that the beatific. if slightly vacant. expressions ofsome trendy clubbers is caused by genuine spirituality rather than major hallucinogenics. what about all the wee casuals who wear more or less the same sports-type clothes? Nothing very spiritual about being assaulted by those freckle-faced. ginger-haired. Irn Bru drinking types. is there?
Dean Milligan
'I‘hirlestane Road
Edinburgh.
Target practice
As your Behind the Scenes feature has been running for some time now. I thought you might like to replace it With a series called Easy Targets, in
which every issue you could take the piss out ofone of these daft new trends or cults like aromatherapy or crystallography. or get hold of an astrologer and ask them why if they‘re so all-seeing they never predict ‘you are going to die today' when each day some of their readers will do just that. Ifyou can‘t think up enough ideas yourselves. I suggest you get hold of any catalogue from Thorsons the book publishers.
John Davies
Otago Street
Glasgow.
Crocodile Tears
Strewth! What are you pommie bastards whinging on about? Prisner doesn‘t get close to sentiment! Yeah. right, me and my gran weep openly every episode. I do mainly cos she‘s finished the Posters and she does cos she‘s so bloody moved by the whole thing. So take it back or I‘ll set VinegarTits on yer.
Aussie in exile.
Glasgow.
Flt’s that?
Could someone please explain to me why there is an increasing number of references to things Aberdonian in The List? Every issue we get some mention ofwhat people from Aberdeen are up to. but — correct me if I’m wrong— I thought it was meant to be a magazine about what people in Glasgow and Edinburgh are up to. Please explain.
Jane Howden
Springfield Road
Bishopbriggs.
A 11 these references were put in by a journalist from Torry who we tried out on probation. Hefailed. He 's gone away now. It won 't happen again.
Forlorn hope
I do hope that the tedious debate about how the year ofculture is a total rip-off will not be revived in The List. The letter last issue complaining about hay ing to pay to get into Glasgow‘s Glasgow was a casein point. and I‘m glad that you took it to task in your reply. I wouldn‘t mind if the debate had ever got to a serious level. or if it was about specific. artistic issues. But all that ever seems to happen is that some people. usually fairly affluent themselves. moan about how much things cost. and how the poor proletariat feel alienated by opera. Please make this the last mention of said debate in your magazine.
Anne Miller
Easter Road
Edinburgh.
88 The List 20 April — 3 May 1990
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