"Star Wars" widows
BY CYNTHIA DURCANIN
(05/19/99)
I read your article on "Star Wars" widows after my fianci sent it to me
with the heading, "Aren't you glad I'm not that bad?" Well, he is! Yesterday I sat in a movie theater and watched a
grown man cry at the scrolling text before us. But I
was the one who went and got the tickets at 9:00 a.m. I figure it is more than payment for hours of holding bags
in department stores, going through the monthly "I don't know why I am
crying" thing, helping with housework, looking at curtains and dishes and rugs and
pretending to care, and mostly for just accepting me for who I am.
So what if he knows all the words to the movie. I dare one female
out there to tell me she doesn't know the exact floor plan of her
favorite store. I say, let them be weird about "Star Wars."
-- Joey Valdes
Durcanin's article conspicuously omits mention of a
sympathetic group of anti-groupies: "Star Wars" widowERs. It seems
that some sort of support group is clearly called for. I'll send my
"Star Wars" widower over and everyone can sit around, eat cucumber sandwiches, hang Yoda in effigy and groan about how tired they are of sitting through rewinds of the scene where Luke destroys the Death Star.
-- Jennifer W. Mathews
Durcanin writes, "Take, for instance, the guys who traveled to Tunisia just to see props from old sets." Although he is not named, my husband, Gus Lopez, is almost
certainly one of "the guys" to whom Durcanin refers, since at present, few
Americans have not only made the journey to North Africa expressly to see
old movie sets, but also made a point of publicizing their travels, as we
have.
I'm a bit puzzled about how Durcanin came to the conclusion that Gus'
journeys have poisoned our relationship, turning me into a lonely and
bereft "Star Wars" widow. I actually accompanied my husband on our first
trip to Tunisia. I have traveled probably more than many other people,
both with and without my husband, yet I can honestly say the Tunisia trip
probably ranks second only to my honeymoon as a sentimental favorite. And as for being "crushed" by my spouse's obsession, it's quite possible that I've been having too much fun to notice.
Unlike the unfortunate couples mentioned in Durcanin's article, "Star Wars"
hasn't formed a wedge between my husband and me. On the contrary, some of
our most memorable experiences as a couple have involved "Star Wars," and
the friends we've made through my husband's "obsession." I could point to dozens of non-"Star
Wars"-fan friends who have been through painful divorces, just as I could
mention two members of our local "Star Wars" collecting club who got married
just last weekend. Do I consider myself a "Star Wars widow?" Not at all. In fact, I am proud of that fact that my spouse has the freedom to fully express his wonderful obsession within the
bounds of our relationship, and I consider myself lucky that my husband
has the generosity of spirit to share his passion for "Star Wars" with his
best friend in the galaxy: me.
-- Pamela K. Green
A good war?
BY TAMARA STRAUS
(05/19/99)
The position attributed to Physicians for Human Rights in "A good war," that we have "endorsed" the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia "in the hope that it would lead to a diplomatic resolution" is erroneous. We have never called for bombing and never have urged military action as a bargaining tool.
Our stance has always been based on the need to protect civilians from
pervasive and systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity. In
January, after many months of investigation in Kosovo, we urged that,
given level of atrocities committed by Milosevic's forces against Kosovar
Albanian civilians, a ground force was essential to protect civilians
from further gross abuses of human rights. In our letter to President
Clinton we explained that a bombing campaign in lieu of a protection
force would not provide such protection to civilians and indeed might
open civilians to reprisals. On April 2, after the bombing was under way
and evidence of murders, expulsions, rapes and other atrocities was
accumulating, we joined other organizations in a statement saying that
bombing alone could not prevent genocide and once again called for a
ground force to protect civilians. In the absence of such a force, the
atrocities have continued.
-- Leonard S. Rubenstein
Executive director
Physicians for Human Rights
The phantom manuscript
BY WES TOOKE
(05/20/99)
I perused with interest the review of the long-awaited "Ulysses" prequel.
It was a relief to learn that this much-hyped volume is no "Scarlett" but
the genuine Joyce. I feared that he might have grown soft in his old age,
relying on past glory and computer animation, but I read on, eager for
details.
Then your author reported, "... a pair of literature professors from Yale are
camping on the sidewalk with only a case of fine Scotch to protect them from
the elements."
Alas, at that moment I lost all faith. Dressing up like Luke Skywalker is
one thing, but when a Yale professor cannot obtain a single case of good
Irish whiskey in Manhattan (a truly happy meal that would be), then we must
all abandon hope.
-- Dorothy J. Hickson
"No boundaries" for Barry's libido
BY THOMAS SCOVILLE
(05/19/99)
Please kill Silicon Follies. It hasn't the slightest relation to
what's happening out here. No one in Silicon Valley ever
calls their boss "Mr.," and there are few if any 21-story buildings in
the valley.
-- Sarah Harlin
Santa Clara, Calif.
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