A Lucky Joe

Plus: Smouldering Inside, Flunking English, Museum Stakes

Comments (0) Thursday, Feb 14 2002

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Karen Laake
Seabrook

Simply Apologize

Character flaws:So Shar-Day Campbell was punished for "talking in class" ["Foul Out," by Wendy Grossman, January 31].

Instead of merely apologizing to the teacher, Ms. Shar-Day took it to her parents, the state representative and the NAACP. Also involved were two attorneys, the principal, the associate superintendent, the coach and God only knows who else. All of these people! What a waste.

She has learned from her parents that if you holler loud enough, you may get imagined injustices corrected to your satisfaction. Wrong in this instance. Athletes need more than ability -- they also need to project character. The example shown by Shar-Day lacks character.

George Slaughter
Houston

Mothballed

Tired phrases: Please notify Andy Klein that many, many writers borrow gimmicks, wordplay and style from other authors, but lifting a classic New York Times movie review style is not wise ["Moth-Eaten," January 24]. His whole: "No, wait. That wasn't The Mothman Prophecies. That was A Beautiful Mind." Clever. And it would be even more clever if it hadn't been done in 145 million reviews by the Times. If you're going to rip off style, go for something more obscure like The Huntsville Item or The Baytown Sun.

B. Jackson
Houston