Where's Frook?
I am writing to express my disappointment that The Mag's food columnist, Diane Frook, is no longer writing restaurant reviews. I believe Frook was providing a valuable service to Lawrence residents. Several of my colleagues enjoyed her reviews and respected her opinions. One of her articles actually helped me to open a delicatessen. I am upset to know that we may never have the chance to prove our worth to her.
I suppose that when some restaurants received negative reviews, they began to pull advertising dollars away from the newspaper, forcing Frook to lose her position. Newspaper executives should have the foresight to realize that professional editorials, such as honest food critiques, will ultimately increase readership, hence, advertising dollars in the long run.
The whole point, however, is that Lawrence has hundreds of restaurants (good and bad). Honest criticism helps consumers make wise purchasing decisions, and the overall effect, hopefully, is that we will all have to raise the bar a little bit. Feedback is a crucial process of capitalism, and if the public is the consumer, then the public deserves to know the truth. I strongly urge The Lawrence Journal-World to make a long-term investment by moving forward in this direction, instead of a short-term investment by moving backward.
Michael Levy
Owner and chef of Westside Deli & Market,
Lawrence
No glory from a bottle
What is the deal with this continual need to perpetuate the age-old myth that hard drinking goes hand in hand with the making of a good rock band? (See "All hell breaks loose," Jan. 10.) For years, I poured my heart and soul, along with a vat of Rainier Ale and Southern Comfort, into a couple of bands on the West Coast and watched as my creations were decimated by drinking and drugging. One day, I woke up and realized I wasn't so much of a musician as I was just a plain old drunk. Simply, I lost sight of why I wanted to play in the first place.
Sure, some folks are soldiers and can hang longer, and I wish them the best of luck. I was all about a good time. But in the long run, drinking just doesn't sustain creativity and performance. It's a built-in virus that impeded and is divisive. It's shortsighted thinking.
Just ask Paw how all that turned out for them. Or remember the sad story of one beautiful David Dale (former Micronotz bassist), smashed and disheveled, hanging from the rafters by his shoelaces. I miss that kid's smile more than I'll ever miss the balls-out youthful swagger of drunk rock.
So take a closer look at the myth as fallacy before this story becomes any more redundant that it already is. It's pretty simple really.
Robert Wiseman,
Lawrence
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