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P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603
LETTER #1
To the Editor:
Like Thomas Wolfe once pined up in
Asheville, I too thought: You Can’t Go
Home Again That is, until I found Flag-
jole online.
Having spent nearly a decade in Ath
ens — waiting tables, working at Charter
Winds and UPS, earning two degrees from
UGA, reading Flagpole weekly, drinking
beer at the Globe, and spouting poetry’ as
a member of The Ontologists (anyone re
member them?), 1 decided to head north
to The City (New York) to work on the
Ph.D. After realizing that 1 was unable to
survive here on an Athens-ish income (1
used to think The Grill was pricey!), 1 en
tered the workforce, wandering even far
ther from my quasi-bohemian days in the
Classic City. Now I’m in research at an
investment bank in midtown Manhattan;
and while surfing the Net for my job —
okay, I was taking a break and tossin’ one-
liners at a chick from Omaha — I stumbled
upon your venerable shrine.
Even in this cold, concrete jungle, amid
the omnipresent shriek of car alarm and
police siren and bass-heavy boom box, your
site took me back home: I could smell Ort’s
beer review, hear the pounding rhythm of
the 40 Watt and see Migraine Boy! Wolfe
was wrong: you can go home again.
Thanks for a fabulous site. I’ll be back.
Ric Davenport
<rdavenpo@mail.idt.net
LETTER #2
The Editor:
OK, it’s Sunday night and I’m in my office
— the last place I want to be on a Sunday night
but being here is the only way I’ll ever have a
prayer of gettng caught up with work. None
theless, I’m not having fun, soooo... I take a
break and play with my computer for a while.
And what do my web-blundering eyes chance
upon? Yes! Flagpole Online!
1 am so happy. It’s been nearly two years
since I left Athens and now 1 can resume get
ting my weekly fix of Ort, Ghost Fry and the
Movie Dope.
I can even send communiques to We Get
Letters. Life is good.
Michael A. Camann, Ph.D.
camann@lvc.edu
LETTER #3
The Editor:
I just wanted to take this opportunity to
thank Flagpole for the article by Ali Jones on
Nigeria; I look forward to the next installment.
Last year I tried to hold a modest tribute to
Ken Saro-Wiwa, and only one person showed
up. The three of us who prepared a reading of
seme of his short stories did so anyway. His
memory should be honored, and we all should
care more deeply about what is happening to
his people and to his nation. I also appreciated
being informed about the World Music scene
in France. Please keep informing us about is
sues that are receiving less attention than they
should from the so-called “mainstream” press.
Freda Scott Giles
LETTER #4
Dear Flagpole:
Oh, just when I was becoming unbearably
homesick for Athens (I left not too many months
ago and landed here, in Fairbanks, Alaska) what
did I find on-line but that edifying chronicle &
source of all that’s good and true — dearest Flag
pole, how grateful 1 am to see you. Like a best friend,
you’ve followed me these 6,000 miles to keep me
connected to that Mecca which is such the fount
of effervescence: Athens, GA.
Perhaps you think me a bit affected or
insincere to go on as I do, but I will never
enjoy living anywhere so much as when I’ve
moved away. 1 thank' you and your entire «taff
for the brilliant job that you do with Flagpole.
Special thanks to you for the extra effort to
put the Good Word on-line for all of those
expatriates like myself.
With the most sincere gratitude....
Amy Wendt
Wendt@dot.state.ak.us
P.S.
I hate to hit you with such a barrage of
mail all at once, bat I just had to express a
few more praises. Your Oct. 16 issue which
focused on the environment was most inspir
ing. I used to be a part of the SEA when I
lived in Athens, and I know that there was a
period when all of us became a bit tired... no
one seemed to be listening to us or to care. Your
dedicating an entire Flagpole to the environ
ment (without it being April 22 — which
seems to be the only day the media pays hom
age to the Earth anymore) was thrilling. It was
scoo good tc see the articles written by Ali
Jones and Je/f Smith — two of the forerunners
of Students for Environmental Action.
1 was struck especially by Ali’s article en
titled “Nigeria Goes to Shell.” I attended the
final Olympic men’s soccer match and in my
Klub Kuumba. the African-American cul
turally-based open-mike spoken-word so
ciety, is taking over responsibility for the pub
lication of Mandala UGA's only afrocentric
literary magazine. We are seeking under
graduates to fill the positions of editor-in-
chief. poetry editor, short fiction and essay
editor, art editor and general editors (proof
readers). Staff members will meet regularly
with graduate student advisory board mem
bers. Interested students can email appli
cations to kuumba@arches.uga.edu or pick
up an application from the Minority Services
Office in room 404 Memorial Hall. Give
name, year, major, phone number, desired
position, prior experience and a one-page
statement of personal interest. Deadline for
applications is Nov. 23.
own little naive way was very excited for the
Nigerian team to win such a victory. I cheered
boisterously when the Nigerian Kings or gov
ernment officials or whoever they were
marched onto the field to award the players
their gold medals. If I had any idea of the hor
rid violations of human rights that these same
leaders had endorsed: (to remind the more
gentle readers) the murder of Nigeria’s most
pure and dedicated citizen, Ken Saro-Wiwa;
as well as allowing and endorsing the deci
mation of their people’s land — kickbacks
from large oil companies are the only voice
these leaders seem to answer to.
Anyway, the grand result of this issue was
to rekindle within me the flame of activism
that bums within us all; sometimes it just be
comes a little bit dim. Thank you Flagpole;
now I’ve gotta go write some letters and
maybe set up a recycling center here at work.
Ya know, every little bit can help.
Relax.
Open
now and
serving
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