Flavorful: Bravo! I commend the Dallas Observer's coverage on the personal and professional odyssey of Monica Greene, a truly exceptional human being ("Monica at 10," by Mark Stuertz, November 20). Her example of quite sincere service and flavorful contributions to the Dallas culinary scene places her fondly in the hearts of so many. Her voice in this piece makes her a role model for anyone who struggles with sexual identity and to the community at large that does not fully understand the transgendered. Kudos to Monica at 10. She is a luminary for us all.
Gregory Pynes
Dallas
Beating adversity: Quite a story of this transsexual and her/his change of life and overcoming adversity. She has proven that the product she puts out in restaurants is great. I tip my hat to her for being so open about her past and going forward with her challenging future. Good for you, Monica. Thanks again for a great article.
Jay Bacque
Grand Prairie
Courageous: I just finished reading this courageous article of Monica (Eduardo) Greene's fulfilling her life. It's a real-life script of a novel I recently read, Trans-Sister Radio, an excellent story of a transgendered man. The similarities are striking. Thank you for being one of the best papers in Texas! I miss Laura Miller's writing.
Betsy Stell
Arlington
Flipped Off
Make-it-rich schemes: Sounds like the Danny Faulkner-Lake Ray Hubbard condo scam all over again ("Flipped Out," by Thomas Korosec, November 20)! Faulkner, while definitely not the brains of the operations, had mortgage brokers, appraisers and banks networking to flip entire condo complexes over and over and over again on the same day. Many former professional athletes from the Dallas Cowboys signed on for the deal and got $42,000 for signing their names. It's not surprising to find former players looking for quick make-it-rich schemes to support the former lifestyle that they were so accustomed to. Look at Nate Newton!
Richard S. Pollak
Dallas
Stroked to Death
Sour milk: When I was at a magazine stand yesterday I could not help but notice that The Strokes were on half the magazine covers. To say they are overhyped is like saying the Edge has a somewhat repetitious playlist. Even the Observer is stroking The Strokes ("Under Control," by Zac Crain, November 6). It's like music journalists have found the Second Coming.
While I do appreciate their jittery brand of romantically frustrated NYC post-punk minimalism, are they The Band That Will Save Rock as they are touted? I doubt it. And one has to wonder, in times when The Who, Zeppelin and Iggy Pop tunes are used in car commercials and your parents collect the Sex Pistols and Sabbath on special-edition DVDs, is rock really worth saving?
Rock is now as safe as milk. And like milk, it sours after it sits around too long.
Jeff Downing
Via e-mail
Postcard From Montana
You lose: A couple of weeks ago, in a review of the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas' production of my play The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild, reviewer Elaine Liner made the strange comment: "I'd bet money Owens entered it in Project Greenlight." ("Painful With Drawl," November 6.) I'm not sure if that was meant to be a criticism of the play or if Ms. Liner just has a personal problem with dramatists who try to cross over into Hollywood. (If the latter is true, then she must surely despise almost every playwright working in the American theater today.) Either way, I just thought I'd write to let Ms. Liner know that she'd lose the bet. I have never entered Tulsa Lovechild, or any of my plays, for that matter, in Project Greenlight.
As Ms. Liner herself noted in the review, I live in Bozeman, Montana (where I haven't had a television for five years, by the way). If she'd care to make good on her boast, she can feel free to send me a check for the lost bet at any time.
Greg Owens
Bozeman, Montana
Accursed Columnist
Juvenile: When your life has run its course (or is that coarse?), will there be anyone to say that the world was richer for your having lived...or will they secretly delight that another vulgar cretin has thankfully returned to the humus?
Your articles are increasingly juvenile ("Curse of Youth," by Eric Celeste, November 20). But there's still hope you can finally get your life together and make a real contribution.
Arthur Williamson
Johannesburg, South Africa
Nicely said: Great piece. I have never had the urge to write a journalist and compliment them on their work before, but this was very nicely said.
Garrett
Dallas
Voice of youth: Dude, you rock. What a great column.
Scott Collins
The Hollywood Reporter
Los Angeles, California
Cheap Jab
Nasher's budget: Christine Biederman writes: "...despite the lavishness of materials and the expensive engineering details of the building's see-through canopy, one gets the notion that the project did not enjoy an unlimited budget." ("The Man and the Monument," October 30.) If the materials are lavish, and the architect and landscaper well-known and expensive to commission, where exactly does one get the notion that the project cut corners? The immaturity of the fauna (which isn't all that immature from what I'm told and in any event will grow) doesn't qualify.
Jackson Williams
Austin