Letters: Oct. 5, 1983

(9 of 12)
citizen turned around from looking at my picture and said, "I did not realize you were Jewish." "I am not," I said, "but Our Blessed Lord is—I hope I've caught a little of the contagion."

BRENDAN BEHAN Dublin

1960 There was a slight error, which concerns my African name, and if I may, I would like to spell it correctly for you:

Zenzile Makeba Qgwashu Nguvama Yiketheli Nxgowa Bantana Balomzi Xa Ufun Ubajabulisa Ubaphekeli Mbiza Yotshwala Sithi Xa Saku Qgiba Ukutja Sithathe Izitsha Sizi Khabe Singama Lawu Singama Qgwashu Singama Nqamla Nqgithi.

A child takes the first name of all his male ancestors. Often following the first name is a descriptive word or two, telling about the character of the person, making a true African name somewhat like a story.

MIRIAM MAKEBA New York City

Freely translated, the descriptive word or two in Miriam Makeba's name say: "There is a saying that after dinner, the Xosa kick the dishes."—ED.

1961 I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU ARE STILL BATTING 1.000 REGARDING ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING ME. AS USUAL YOUR INFORMATION STINKS. I NEED A HOUSE AND A NIGHTCLUB IN PALM BEACH LIKE YOU NEED A TUMOR.

FRANK SINATRA Beverly Hills

1962 Poem to the Book Review at TIME:

You will keep hiring picadors from the back row and pic the bull back far back along his spine you will slam sandbags to the kidneys and pass a wine poisoned on the vine you will saw the horns off and murmur the bulls are ah the bulls are not what once they were The corrida will end with Russians in the plaza Swine, some of you will say what did we wrong? And go forth to kiss the conquerors

NORMAN MAILER New York City

1963 Concerning the term "monk barbecue show," Viet Nam is a strange country where people often commit spectacular suicides before the gates of people whom they wish to curse. I find that custom barbaric. My aim was to try to stop the spreading of bad examples by ridiculing grotesque customs.

If sometimes I have to step in the fray, becoming a target of most cruel blows, it is not at all by natural taste, but because someone must finally make up his mind to take a position.

MADAME NGO DINH NHU Saigon

1964 You make a most unfair and incorrect reference to us in your story on Beverly Hills. We did not provide "sleds and skis for a couple of hundred friends." It was a long, hard, slogging job of several weeks' organization for a Christmas Snow Party for Mrs. Abe Leah's charity for needy actors.

Every item, including the artificial snow, was donated. On the day of the party a freak storm washed out everything in a few hours. With the assistance of the studios and some good friends, Mrs. Rathbone in a few hours reorganized her party inside the Beverly Hills Hotel and still realized some $10,000 for the charity.

BASIL RATHBONE New York City

1965 As an anti-American, I thank you for your rotten article devoted to my person. Your insult to a head of state and your odious lies dishonor not only your magazine but also your nation . . . You symbolize the worst in humanity.

NORODOM SIHANOUK Chief of State

Pnompenh, Cambodia

1966 On the current cover of TIME magazine my name appears, along with the titles of many of the shows I have produced. There is, however, a very