Mail

Stewart & Ekland

I was immediately attracted to your romantic Rod Stewart/Britt Ekland cover (PEOPLE, Feb. 21). Lovely. Britt has always been a favorite actress of mine, and I’ve become a fan of Rod’s since his Tonight’s the Night. What a song!

Karen Silvestre

Flushing, N.Y.

In the past, it was always “Rod this and Rod that.” It’s about time Britt Ekland came into the picture. She is captivating and glamorous.

Ray L. Patterson

Charlotte, N.C.

At last you got around to doing an article on the extremely sexy Rod Stewart. Next time, leave out Britt, huh?

Kym Church

Hayward, Calif.

I have every album Rod Stewart ever appeared on. I bought them out of love for the man. Now I buy them out of habit. Soon I won’t buy them at all. Believe it or not, Stewart had talent before Britt’s “taming.”

Lynne Lawford

Placentia, Calif.

The life-style of Ekland and Stewart makes one wonder about the future of this country. He looks and acts like a dissipated, oversexed, overgrown kid, and she the sexpot mother. Must we always give the limelight to the freaks and far-out people?

C. J. Seymour

Poughkeepsie

You mentioned Tonight’s the Night three times, but failed to answer a pertinent question. What is being said in French at the end? Everyone I know has been trying madly to figure it out.

Cyndi Tucker

Hampton, Va.

Britt’s “naughty whispering” refers more to the breathy delivery than to the actual words which translate: “I cannot / What would my mother say? / Come, come / And kiss me / Hold me tight / I love you, I love you.”—ED.

President Carter

Well, well. I noticed from the picture of Jimmy Carter on the steps of his church that even the President can’t escape that annoying static cling. Didn’t his mother ever tell him about Cling Free?

Teresa Leopardi

Westbrook, Conn.

If it had been President Ford, those staticky trousers would have been front page news.

Mrs. Candace Bridgewater

Coral Springs, Fla.

Mark McCormack

I would like to challenge that financial genius Mark McCormack to do for the arts what he has done for sports. There are at least a couple of hundred thousand artists who wouldn’t mind making a living—for once.

Glenna Johnson

St. Paul

Roots

It was truly eight nights that shook America. Let’s hope that it will lead to a better understanding of all peoples searching for their identity.

Marion A. Lesher

Miami

While I have tremendous respect for black America’s struggle for equality, I cannot help but object to the distortion of truths in ABC’s presentation of Roots. It lacked historical integrity, and the writers were obviously so anxious to show whites in the worst possible light that the end result was completely inaccurate.

ABC has an obligation to air a documentary correcting these distortions of Jan. 23-30.

John Scourpo

Hammond, La.

I was in Las Vegas the nights Roots was shown and I didn’t see any empty casinos as described by Leslie Uggams. I’ve been in Vegas many times and the only thing I’ve ever seen the gamblers rush upstairs to watch on TV was football games. You can bet on those.

N. Marrs

Memphis

I was happily surprised to see that half of the all-black cast you featured are married to whites. Evidently, their personal convictions have transcended the racial barrier.

Patricia Becker

Oakdale, N.Y.

I’ve read Looking for Mr. Goodbar twice and I’m really puzzled as to what role LeVar Burton is playing in the movie.

Paulette Hart

Beason, Ill.

Burton will play “Cap,” the brother of one of leading lady Diane Keaton’s handicapped students. The character is not in the book.—ED.

Queen Elizabeth

The picture of Queen Elizabeth II is one of the best I have ever seen of her. Several people I have shown it to have also been impressed, and we all wonder when it was taken and for what occasion.

Donald Gray

Montreal

The Silver Jubilee portrait [above] was taken by Peter Grugeon last November after the opening of Parliament. Still wearing her parliamentary robe and the imperial state crown, the queen went back to the palace for the photo session. There was “a little bit of retouching, ” concedes Grugeon. “All portrait photographers have to do it. But it was a happy occasion, and when the queen smiles she looks extremely young.”—ED.

Princess Grace

My 11-year-old daughter wears glasses. Is she too “getting older,” as you say of Princess Grace because she has glasses on? What is this thing you have about age, PEOPLE!

Sandra Starr

San Francisco

Leo Kottke

As a “deejay” who does appreciate Leo Kottke, I was grateful for your article on my favorite guitar player. Zero-for-nine in gold records notwithstanding, he is No. 1 as far as I am concerned.

William R. Jenkins

KINS

Eureka, Calif.

Though I have nothing against Leo Kottke, “the greatest folk guitarist on earth” does seem a little overstated. I suggest you listen to Steve Goodman, Richard Ruskin, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, William Acker-man or Fred Epping before you crown the king.

Michel Adams

Colorado Springs

Your choice of Rod Stewart over Kottke for your cover is a good example of how we glorify “artless screechers” and refuse to properly recognize the genuine musical artist.

Don Crace Jr.

Crossville, Tenn.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Thank you for the article on Lawrence Ferlinghetti. I was reading and enjoying his poetry when my friends were reading Browning and Yeats. I’d like to think I have grown up with a clearer picture of America due to the vivid visions Ferlinghetti paints with words.

Marci C. Spero

Stamford, Conn.

The Kennedys

So we get the treat of another Kennedy bash and pearls of wisdom: “Bobby once said our reach should always exceed our grasp,” says Ethel. At least we know that Bobby read Browning’s Andrea del Sarto (1855): “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, / Or what’s a heaven for?”

D. Wylie Jordan, M.D.

Austin