SCRIPT APPROVAL

Great piece by Malina Sarah Saval, where she so brilliantly defines the precarious slope that is the habitat of Hollywood scriptwriters (“Glory! Fame! Heartbreak!,” July 26).

Truth is, the more brilliant a writer, the less chance he or she has of communicating with executives who can barely read, let alone write. This is why they must hire “readers” who, invariably, are people still living at home with their parents.

No surprise that Hollywood turns out so many bad movies--what is surprising is that any well-written script survives!

Meanwhile, Calendar should immediately hire Saval. She is the best writer you have published in a long time.

COLIN DANGAARD

Malibu

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This is what I have to say to Malina Sarah Saval: Give ME a “break”! She is 25 years old. Many of us screenwriters have toiled far longer than her measly year out of grad school. Even those of us who have, periodically, been gainfully employed (produced, even!) in our trade of choice have had to maintain a day job to FEED OUR FAMILIES, not to buy a couch or spend $2,000 in therapy.

Sure, we complain. We just have the good sense to do it in private.

JANNA KING KALICHMAN

Pacific Palisades

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As a hot old screenwriter (exactly twice her age), I was both outraged and strangely comforted by Saval’s nightmare excursion to the inner circle. More accurately, a close-up view of that charmed enclosure. For writers, admission to the inner circle can only be paid for with box-office receipts.

Saval obviously has guts, tenacity and talent. In a very short time, those qualities have taken her as far and as fast as it gets. The rest, as she may now know, is out of her hands. Still, she is fortunate to have these insights so early on in her career. From now on, it’s eyes wide open.

MICHAEL VALENTE

San Clemente

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NOT HIP TO THE HOP

Re “Can’t Keep It Down” (by Marc Weingarten and Soren Baker, July 26)--very appropriate. Picture me with my finger down my throat.

In college, we speculated about what our kids would do to drive us nuts. Rap is definitely it.

JIM KETCHAM

Malibu