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He knew Pryor back when he was ‘Richie’

As a person who knew Richie Pryor (I still refer to him as “Richie”) since he started out in comedy, I wanted to compliment Geoff Boucher on the wonderfully written, incisive and honest article [“Taking Him Seriously,” Feb. 21]. I loved reading it. I feel Marlon Wayons is a great choice.

I also worked with Richie on a movie and was one of the producers of “Man on the Moon” (I was Andy Kaufman’s manager). According to just about every comedian that I know, Richard Pryor was the greatest of them all.

George Shapiro

Beverly Hills

Domingo is good for the world

Regarding the piece on Plácido Domingo [“Plácido Domingo’s Juggling Act,” Feb. 21]:

We in Los Angeles and in all of the world should be everlastingly grateful that Plácido Domingo exists and stretches to greatness always. Our world would be infinitely better, kinder, fairer and wiser if politicians cared for their values and constituents as much as Plácido does.

I only wish that Plácido would stretch a little more -- maybe run for governor of California or better still president -- except that he’s not U.S. born. At least he understands what greatness is and should accomplish.

May great people like Plácido continue to stretch! Our world relies on them.

Raulee Marcus

Hermosa Beach

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The issue for L.A. Opera is not should Domingo step down, but where would the company be without him? In a way, he is too closely identified with the company.

His donation and personal commitment in 1984 during the L.A. Olympic Arts Festival helped provide seed money and leadership to establish the company. He has been personally and financially generous ever since. His artistic contributions, star power and leadership have helped the company grow into a world-class organization. To be healthy and robust, the company must be strong without him.

Hopefully, Domingo will gradually step aside, offering his personal and artistic presence when a new generation assumes leadership, as it must in the not too distant future.

Anne V. Howell

Engineering needs liberal arts

In her review, [“Engineering Solutions to the World’s Problems,” Feb. 21] Susan Salter Reynolds makes the questionable claim: “Contrary to both the humanities and the sciences, engineering involves making and designing and building.”

As a liberal arts person, I make, design and build every day: lectures for my classes, articles and books, exercises in critical thinking. A major theme of my research and of my courses on the history of technology is that engineers may have know-how, but they often lack know-why.

It is the liberal arts that teaches students the know-why, not engineering. So while the “techies” are out designing and building things, simply because they can, those trained in the humanities are reminding them that just because they can do something doesn’t mean they should. Without the critical thinking of the liberal arts, the world would be a much more dangerous place.

Andrew Jenks

Jenks is an associate professor, department of history, California State University, Long Beach.

E-readers aren’t killing books

I often think that whoever writes Underrated/ Overrated is a doofus, but last week’s column [Feb. 21] inspired me to write. I am a retired librarian, and hardly a techie. But people who think that iPad/Kindle are “killing the printed word” are not paying attention.

I have never seen an iPad, but the first time I saw a Kindle and realized that it doesn’t look like a screen and can store 300 books, I was an instant convert.

Why should what the words are printed on make a difference to the reader?

By the way, I agreed with the column about Hugo Weaving and the Winter Olympics, so the writer isn’t a complete doofus.

Virginia

Elwood-Akers