TRYING TIMES

Where along the way (or when) did the Los Angeles Times decide it was no longer the newspaper for all the people of Southern California? Why did it decide to cater to the special-interest groups, the moneyed and business class, the trendy and/or movie and rock music crowd?

First of all, you abandoned your beautiful and comprehensive Home magazine section, a joy to behold and informative. Instead you foisted on us your new magazine, which in the first few issues promised to be of wide interest, but it quickly degenerated.

Your Book Review section is a disaster. It is heavy on esoteric philosophical works and about current political figures, replete with literary/poetic discussions, but woefully short of solid reviews on substantial nonfiction works . . . history, travel, biography, good fiction, etc. I may have to subscribe to the New York Times Sunday edition just to get their excellent book review section.

As for Calendar, the less said the better. Endless, repetitive pieces about media sensations, long discussions of some flash-in-the-pan rock musician, photos of the latest sartorial oddity of an overrated pop star . . . journalism of the worst sort (not even yellow, more like purple).

I don’t expect to see this letter in print but at least I got it off my chest. What a pity The Times is now the only major newspaper in the area (how I miss the old Daily News).

FREYDA D. SULLIVAN

Apple Valley