Bargain Hunting
Jardine Libaire’s piece on living in New York with just a crumpled Hamilton for a week was sublime [“Sales & Bargains 2006: New York on $10 a Day,” January 23–30].
—Rebecca Thomas, Manhattan
When i read “Sales & Bargains 2006: Head-to-Head: Loehmann’s vs. Daffy’s,” I wondered when the writer had actually visited Daffy’s. Surely they missed our DKNY boots from $149.99 and our Cynthia Rowley spring shoes and sandals at $99.99. As the buyer of the ladies’ shoe department, I invite your readers to take another look.
—Elida C. Behar, Secaucus, N.J.
I will definitely hold on to “The Ultimate Guide to Sales & Bargains 2006.” However, I was disappointed to see the analysis of Loehmann’s, Daffy’s, and Woodbury Common. Although these stores claim to offer great savings, in reality most of their designer merchandise is manufactured specifically for sale at off-price stores. Only occasionally do they sell manufacturers’ “overruns” or merchandise that did not sell in the department stores.
—Sylvia Zuckerman, New City, N.Y.
John Huey
Kurt Andersen’s profile of John Huey [“The Imperial City: The Good Old Boy of Time Inc.,” January 23–30] reminded me of something that a well-known former Time and Life staffer and friend of Henry Luce once said. After hearing one too many references to what “Luce would have done,” especially by editors who had never met the man, he quipped, “His friends called him Harry, and he would have fired them all.”
—Adrienne Aurichio, New Milford, Conn.
Vera Wang
Memo to vera wang: Don’t bite the hand that fed you [“Vera Wang’s Second Honeymoon,” by Amy Larocca, January 23–30]. The shopper giveth, and the shopper can taketh away.
—Susan Hoffmann, North Haven, Conn.
Craigslist
Everyone seems to be wild for Craigslist [“A Guy Named Craig,” by Philip Weiss, January 16], and that’s great. But there is one problem with keeping it “real,” as one user is quoted as having implored Craig Newmark to do. It’s people. I too have used Craigslist; it’s how I found my apartment. However, there’s plenty of opportunity for flakes when it’s all free. The anonymous e-mail addresses the list offers aggravate the lack of accountability. Yes, Craigslist does “connect people to make our lives better.” But it tolerates a breakdown of common courtesy and seriousness in the process.
—Nik Trendowski, Washington, D.C.
The Public
Thank you for the terrific photo of For Dear Life and your piece about the Public’s 50th anniversary [“Intelligencer: The Public’s Domain,” by Alicia Zuckerman, January 23–30]. If Joe Papp still walked among us, I know he’d be writing to you on my behalf asking if you didn’t wonder whether someone actually wrote that play. Sadly, he’s not around to stand up for me, but I hear his voice urging me on. I love the Public Theater. I’ve had multiple plays produced there, and, I hope, more to come. I know my mentors would want you to know the name of anyone who wrote a play they nurtured. In this case, it’s mine.
—Susan Miller, Manhattan
The Strokes
As a music lover with pretty good taste, I read Jay McInerney’s “Group Therapy” [January 16] with great interest. I was excited for my first glimpse of the Strokes on Saturday Night Live’s January 21 show. But if the Strokes are ambitious and impressive, then Ashlee Simpson is Barbra Streisand. Maybe I don’t have the ear of an 11-year-old, but God help us if this is the future of music.
—Valerie Levy, Rainbow Springs, Fla.
Radicchio
I’m trying to calibrate Adam Platt’s taste to my own, and I need help. In his review of Falai [“Food: Uptown Transfer,” January 16], when he said that the grilled radicchio tasted like grilled radicchio, was that meant as praise or was it an ironic put-down?
—David Lerner, Manhattan