A Puzzle Happily Solved

I grew up reading the L.A. Times, and I’ve always saved the magazine for when I can sit and savor it, especially the crossword puzzle. Up until a few months ago, the location of the puzzle was always opposite the inside back cover. One Sunday, it was not. I was dismayed. How could The Times break up my routine? But then I began reading the essays that have taken the position of my beloved crossword. To my surprise, the essays are now another reason why I look forward to reading the magazine. They’re a quick read on one page, but the size does not prevent the writer from communicating insightful, sometimes touching stories.

“Beauty and My Beast” (by Allison Johnson, Aug. 1) serves as a reminder to all mothers of the beauty within their children. “Soul Shopping” (by Hillary Johnson, Aug. 15) gives us shopaholics a deeper understanding of our obsession by implying that shopping is a form of self-discovery. The constant trying on of outfits is a means of finding the true “me,” and the shoes I bought with no matching outfit are just symbols of who I want to be.

Jingle Doan

Fullerton