How fascinating is our persistent desire to uncover who was first to arrive on our continent (“The First Americans,” Society, April 26)! As a scientific debate, and a study of applied archeology and anthropology, it’s a subject quite unlike any other. To have longstanding beliefs upset by hard evidence is unsettling for most people, who generally believe that once a theory is learned, it becomes hard fact. What I find disturbing in your article is the underlying theme that the new findings are stirring up political passions. I cannot fathom how the existence of a population predating the North American Indian tribes in any way threatens their position in history. Stephen F. Czetty New Milford, N.J.
I was interviewed for “The First Americans” and know your reporter was aware that Joseph M. McAvoy of the Nottaway River Survey first found and carbon-dated the earliest pre-Clovis components at the Cactus Hill archeological site in Virginia. I would never take credit for someone else’s work, but since my name is the only one attached to the Cactus Hill site in your story, readers could conclude that our group made the pioneering discoveries there. In fact, we only confirmed what McAvoy discovered. Michael F. Johnson Falls Church, Va.
Goodbye, Gretzky I must thank you for your article on Wayne Gretzky (“The Ice Man Goeth,” Society, April 26). As a 15-year-old female and former hockey player, I have always looked up to Gretzky for both his skill and his presence. Hockey would not be half as popular in the United States were it not for him. When he is on the ice, he doesn’t think about himself, but rather about his team. Nothing shows this better than his final game. Giving up an opportunity to score his last goal, he unselfishly passed the puck and took the assist instead. While other sports have been halting play for strikes, money disputes and bad behavior, Wayne Gretzky has helped the National Hockey League skate above the skirmishers with class. Thank you, Wayne, for everything you have done throughout your career. Dara Lindenbaum Port Washington, N.Y.
Judi, Judi, Judi! Jack Kroll’s insightful review of Dame Judi Dench’s body of work was right on, but he omitted one venue by which most of us Americans know her and think of her as a friend (“Nothing Like the Dame,” Arts &E, April 26). It’s a public-television series that many of us watch faithfully: the lovely and nostalgic “As Time Goes By,” about a couple who rediscover and marry each other in middle age. Marjorie F. Farris Richmond, Ky.
Writing for Your Health I read your article about the medical benefits of keeping a journal (“Pen, Paper, Power!” Focus on Your Health, April 26) with great interest, and I would like to thank the American Medical Association for discovering something that I have known for a very long time. At 73, I believe I owe my health and sanity to writing every day for nearly 20 years. (Trained as an artist, I have also painted my feelings, which has been very therapeutic.) I have thrown out possibly 1,000 or more pages of musings on self-discovery, poems and, thank heaven, an unpublished manuscript. Retired and living alone most of the time, I find that such writing for myself is my joy, my delight and even my purpose in life. Writing works, and I hope others will discover, as I have, this inexpensive way of becoming healthy. Torre P. Taggart Ojai, Calif.
What Price Barbra? Your May 3 Newsmakers item, “Barbra’s Y2K millions,” said Barbra Streisand was greedy for “reportedly” negotiating to charge as much as $1 million for a pair of VIP tickets to see her at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve. There never was any reality to this absurd allegation. The only ticket prices negotiated were those finally posted ($500 to $2,500 per ticket). The public obviously thought they were fair, since the concert virtually sold out in a few hours, establishing a Ticketmaster record in the process. Don Welsh, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas, Nev.
A Reader’s Help for Frankey
Frankey Moss Jr., 8, who lives with his single mom and sister on Chicago’s West Side, prayed he’d be a winner in a national scholarship lottery for inner-city kids. Carolyn Loudenslager, 23, of Nashville, Tenn., read about Frankey’s hopes in NEWSWEEK (April 26)–and when she learned he hadn’t been lucky, she decided to help out. Loudenslager has pledged $1,700 for each of the next four years toward his tuition–so long as he maintains at least a C average. “Nothing is more important than an excellent education,” she told NEWSWEEK’s Steve Rhodes last week. Frankey will attend Providence-St. Mel, a private school, this fall.
