When Charlie Parker Dropped Trou

Last week's cover story, “Everybody Got Naked With Charlie “Bird” Parker at the Wildest Party in L.A. History,” by Chris Walker, was a smash with readers. Scott Hajek summarizes the reaction: “Sex, drugs, art, fame, mystery and obscure L.A. history all rolled into one? Now that is what I want in a cover story! Great job!”

Lest you think we're making things up, Hajek doesn't stop there. He continues, “But Henry Rollins' column about the time he met some rude teenagers was as mind-numbing as ever.“

People.

We get that some of you don't like Henry Rollins. But many other people who read this paper worship him. And every time one of you haters takes a shot, we feel honor-bound to let the non-haters have their say, too. And so it goes, ad infinitum. (We're still getting letters from people stunned by the July 3 pronouncement in this very column that Rollins is “pedestrian.”)

Perhaps those of you who loathe Rollins' column might just read something else?

Letters About Letters

Speaking of letters about letters, Tom W. was perturbed by a letter in last week's Comments, responding to Hayley Fox's July 4 cover story, “Taking Down Armenian Power, California's Modern Mafia.” He writes, “I'm a reporter in London. I read L.A. Weekly quite a lot, as it has great features. I just wanted to get in touch, as there was a comment this week that I was a little concerned by: “Flim-flammers, stolen BMWs and credit card fraud? Armenians are basically the same as Roma gypsies.'

“The way I read the above seemed out of line to both Armenians and Roma gypsies — bearing in mind that both peoples were persecuted in genocides in the first half of the last century. I really enjoy L.A. Weekly's features — which are awesome and not something you regularly get as a reader in the U.K. But comments such as the one published are baldly prejudicial — and please bear in mind that Roma gypsies continue to face significant persecution in parts of Europe.“

Congratulations

Film Critic Amy Nicholson was a big winner at the Association of Alternative Newsmedia awards last weekend. Nicholson took top place for arts criticism, and then, with Darrick Rainey, Rashmi Kumar and photographer Kyle Munk, won first place in the multimedia category for her “Mumblegore” story last October.

Columnist Gendy Alimurung was honored with third place for her body of work in the same contest — and also recently finished second in the contest run by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Congratulations, ladies!

You Write, We Read

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