Well, I’ll be danged, Scene. Goodness knows, I’ve written you enough hate mail in the past that I have to be fair and take notice when you actually do something different—like publishing “A List” (Dec. 12) that actually appears to be right-wing in its satire rather than left. Or publishing the excellent recent article in which authorities from either side of the fence collaborated to discuss the role of money in improving education (“Another Dime, Another Dummy,” Nov. 28). Of course, you may get in trouble with new Nashville neighbor Al (“weird things happening in the media”) Gore. But, hey, I liked it.
Mary M. Stolzenbach
1603 Rosewood Drive, Brentwood
Sarcastic...like us
Imagine. Our “alternative” newsweekly runs a Rush Limbaugh-esque harangue against the Imagine No Handguns benefit (“A List,” Dec. 12). How imaginative. But why stop there? Imagine John Ashcroft (that staunch defender of civil liberties) winning his crusade to rewrite the Constitution to conform to what your anonymous author would like it to be. Imagine a slew of Bush-Ashcroft judicial appointees reversing what the courts have overwhelmingly held: that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to be armed only in service to a state-organized militia. Imagine more Mark David Chapmans and John Hinckleys with guns. Imagine a world where gun control advocates actually say things like “the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center believe that a safer America can be achieved without banning all guns.” (Oh wait: That one’s true.) Imagine an NRA benefit featuring Sting crooning, “I want my AK-47.” Imagine President Charlton Heston. I imagine I’ll be asking for a bulletproof vest this Christmas.
Bill Flowerree
WFlowerree@aol.com (Nashville)
We wrote some real stories, you know
The response to the Imagine No Handguns benefit in the Dec. 12 issue was priceless (“A List”). Of all the pro and con arguments I’ve ever heard on the gun control issue, that was the most succinct. There are extremists on both sides of the issue. Your paper never ceases to amaze me. Just when I’m about to write you off as a bunch of left-wing liberals who can’t park their bicycles straight, you print a response to a bunch of anti-gun nuts that’s perfect. Thanks.
LLoyd Williams
williamslloyd@msn.com (Nashville)
Imagine that
How about we add to the list.... Imagine getting paid to write tripe such as the current “A List” column (Dec. 12). Apparently, only people of the author’s choosing (i.e. non-liberals) are allowed to exercise their rights of free speech, which is what the people at 12th & Porter were doing when they held the Imagine No Handguns benefit. Imagine dropping the List author from the payroll. It’s the inherent nature of “peaceniks” to forgive hatemongers such as the anonymous author, but that does get tiresome after a while.
Richard Eaton
Richard.Eaton@HCAhealthcare.com (Nashville)
Ramblings
A flood of memories came back as I read your cover story on the Exit/In (“In Through the Out Door,” Dec. 5). I worked for, and became a reporter for, Billboard magazine during the late ’70s and early ’80s, which introduced me to that whole scene. It was an amazing time and something I’ll always be glad I experienced. (Does anybody remember Jack? He managed the club for a while.) I was there the night the Police played. Even though the Exit was a listening room, that night everybody was standing in their chairs—it rocked! And I don’t know if Owsley would remember this, but I was in his office at the Exit when we heard that John Lennon had been shot.
But the greatest omission to the story, in my opinion, was Hugh Bennett. He was a fixture there and ran the sound and stage for most of the Exit’s heyday, as I recall. As the story indicated, for some reason there are some foggy recollections. But I’m pretty darn sure about this: There was a time when there was no such thing as writers’ nights in Nashville. Hugh Bennett started writers’ nights at the Exit. It was the first time that the “headliner” was a string of writers, known or unknown, who got up and sang three songs each. Those were also some of the best shows during that time. And it started a phenomenon that has taken on a life of it own in Nashville. I’ll admit to having some foggy recollections myself, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Pat Halper
pathalper@comcast.net (Nashville)
Not bored, just brilliant
Jim Ridley used to pride himself on proving how smart he was by championing obscure art and foreign films. That’s why I’ve been disappointed with his recent capsule reviews, such as the one for Lord of the Rings. Apparently, Ridley now prides himself on being a stand-up comedian. It’s a shame that he can’t take pride in doing a simple task like critiquing a movie. If you’re that bored with your job already, just write a book.
Justen Cimino
ruberecords@earthlink.net (Nashville)
Corrections
Last week’s cover story said WWTN 99.7-FM was No. 1 among adult listeners and tied for No. 1 among all listeners in the latest “ratings book.” In fact, those numbers were based on the month of October alone. The latest published Arbitron “ratings book” from the summer shows that WTN was actually eighth in the overall ratings. Rival WLAC 1510-AM was 10th in these ratings. But it placed second in the 3 p.m.-to-7 p.m. slot, while WTN was 10th in the same time period. WLAC was also first among adult men during the late afternoon hours (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) in the summer book. WTN was third.
Also, last week’s “A War of Words” reported that Vanderbilt officials announced the renaming of Confederate Memorial Hall in May. It was actually in the fall.
