Festival Facts

Regarding “The Long, Lyrical Road to Visibility,” Lynell George’s article on the “Women’s Voices” component of the Los Angeles Festival (Aug. 15):

Poet Terry Wolverton states incorrectly that “there are very few literary journals here in L.A.”

On the contrary, many women have produced excellent literary magazines here: Joan Jobe Smith, Marilyn Johnson and Barbara Hauk, editors of Pearl; Helen Friedland, editor of Poetry/LA; Aleida Rodriguez and Jacqueline de Angelis, editors of Rara Avis; Carrie Etter, editor of Out Loud, and Margot Bernardo, Jennifer Tener and I, who edited Electrum.

My list is only partial; a full list would be much, much longer. Los Angeles women have published small presses as well as critical writing. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Festival ignores Los Angeles women editors, critics and publishers. I think the best way the festival could give recognition to women’s voices here is not to ignore the women who have worked valiantly to put publications and critical writing into the world, but to feature them.

JULIA STEIN

Los Angeles

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For years I have wondered what became of Eugene Jackson, your L.A. Festival cover subject (Aug. 15), whom I was classmates with at Los Angeles Polytechnic High School in 1934-35.

He was not only an actor, he was practically the entire high school band!

JOHN B. SHINN

Newbury Park