The compass doesn't matter: I wish to respond to comments made in the cover story [D.J. Wilson, "Parochial Concerns," January 15]. While I believe the overall article is a fair assessment of the current challenges facing city parishes, my parish and I were unfairly characterized in statements supposedly made by [the Reverend Kenneth] Brown. When our parish school was faced with the painful but necessary choice to close our doors after the 2001-02 school year, I personally contacted all of our neighboring parishes to determine which schools might be able to accommodate our students. When I contacted St. Margaret of Scotland, Brown was away for several months.... The temporary administrator of St. Margaret told me he did not feel he could make any decisions about admitting our students until Brown returned. By the time Brown returned, our parishioners had to make their choices for the future education of their children based on the parishes which were willing to take on our students. In actuality, some of our students do attend school east of Kingshighway now (e.g., Resurrection School). The most important consideration our parishioners made was what was best for their children, not which side of Kingshighway they were on!
Reverend Jim Grady
Pastor, Holy Innocents Church
St. Louis
She sees empty pews: Great article. No bias, no Catholic-slamming. I felt like I really learned about both sides of the issue. You presented both sides of a valid argument. Your article was right on the mark about the population. Although I'm not sure I'm considered North County (north of the airport is North County to me), I see it in church every week -- where are the young people? For the most part, [mine is] an older parish -- retired with no children. The population is migrating west -- look at the growth in Troy and Wright City, not just West County.
Sharon
via the Internet
Whack Back
Bend the brain a bit: Dennis Brown's review of Frayn's Copenhagen ["Snob Hit," January 15] could be titled "Anti-Intellectual Hit." I saw the recent PBS production and that at the Rep and enjoyed both, finding the play intriguing and, emotionally, as well as intellectually, satisfying. The concepts and language in the "trialogue" should be comprehensible to any layperson who has bothered to keep up with scientific ideas through popular-science books and magazines, in talk shows such as Science Friday on National Public Radio or through any number of PBS shows. Surely this is not too much to ask in an affluent society with a diversity of media and a relatively high level of literacy ... I felt the performances were an example of exceptional ensemble acting. Besides learning a great deal of difficult material, they obviously made the effort to understand it and the personal and social significance of the ideas presented. I recommend that Brown stretch his mind a little -- even, perhaps, do some background research before reviewing a play such as Copenhagen, which, while lacking the immediate gratification found in most TV and film productions, rewards the mind and spirit deeply. If this makes me a snob, so be it: Then I will make a counterclaim of reverse snobbery.
Joyce Aschenbrenner
St. Louis
Better than a sleeping pill: Thank you for your review. I walked out of Copenhagen totally bored and confused. The people I went with thought it was good and "interesting." A friend who I called to discuss the play was furious when I told him the play bored me. How could I possibly feel that way? I have e-mailed your review to all of them. I feel vindicated. Thanks again for your honesty.
Alan Fiddleman
via the Internet
Subatomic beauty: Copenhagen is a profoundly challenging, allegorical, beautiful, haunting work of art, where the characters represent particles and nuclei and unpredictable behaviors; it's sheer visual and verbal poetry, and I didn't find it difficult at all to follow the science and history and philosophy. From pure scientific discussion to questions about morality and responsibility and truth, Copenhagen works as art, and you missed it, quite completely. If you don't care for challenging theater, there's always the Muny or the St. Charles Family Arena.
William Sanford
via the Internet
