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To the Editor:
As a frequent contributor to the South Philly Review letters page, I was dismayed to read the letter by Charlene Mockewich (“Reviewing the Review,” July 2) complaining that the page has become “dull and uninteresting.” I have personally received encouraging feedback from friends, but welcome responses from those who disagree with me.
Certainly, the editors at the SPR read and consider all letters that arrive for publication. The quality of the letters page depends therefore on the quality of the letters submitted. Ms. Mockewich might try thinking of a topic that interests her and submitting her own thoughts, in her best writing style.
Meanwhile, I am very sorry to hear that Tom Cardella, whose columns have inspired many of my letters, is out on sick leave. Get well soon, Tom. We miss you!
Gloria C. Endres
South Philadelphia
To the Editor:
In response to Charlene Mockewich who questioned what has happened to the Review, I am one of the many people who write in quite often, and I felt the need to defend the integrity of our neighborhood paper. It has been a source of catching up with local news and current events for many years. Good, bad or indifferent, it has always been very much a part of our city’s culture. Letters to the Editor is a venue for everyday people, not professional writers, to use to voice their opinions, tell a story or talk about life events as they see them. I believe that the changes you were referring to is not the fault of the paper itself but rather the lack of contribution and encouragement from some readers who criticize while making no effort to create change.
With writers and editors having the burden of competing with online reporting and advertising, it certainly needs all the support it could get! Some people write in because they are trying to keep a dying art alive, fearing that newspapers and books may some day soon become obsolete. I would love to read something unique and exciting that you may have to say, and hopefully you could bring some creativity back to this paper that you seem to think is lost. You have every right to state your opinion, as diversity is what sets us apart from everyone else and makes us unique individuals.
I hope that you enjoyed this response, and I look forward to reading one of your interesting stories in Letters to the Editor in the future.
Debra Russino
South Philadelphia
Send a letter to the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification purposes.
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