Email lEttErS to rENolEttErS@NEwSrEviEw.Com.
Silver state Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. One of my favorite songwriters died this week. His name was David Berman, and he was the singer and songwriter of a band called Silver Jews, which released six near-perfect albums between 1989 and 2009. We’ve lost a few great songwriters in the last few years—like David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen. David Berman wasn’t as well known as those canonical giants, but a dive into his discography demonstrates that maybe he should be. It’s hard to say, though. I’ve been a big Silver Jews fan since I discovered the band as a teenager in the mid ’90s, but they’re not the kind of a band that I’d play at parties. Not even the kind of band that I’d usually listen to with other people around. The songs are too intimate, too emotional. Members of ’90s indie slacker kings Pavement played on some of the early records, but the Silver Jews’ music doesn’t really fit neatly into the “indie rock” category. Berman’s clever lyrics are the stars of the songs, and his humor and pathos are almost more aligned with country music. He wrote a lot about sadness and depression, but with enough surreal wit and craft that the music never invokes that exploitative, voyeuristic feeling of enjoying somebody else’s mental health problems. Still, it’s tears-in-the-beer stuff. (One of my all-time favorite couplets, from the 1994 song “Trains Across the Sea”: “In 27 years, I’ve drunk fifty thousand beers/And they just wash against me, like the sea unto a pier.”) He was only 52, and his death was an apparent suicide. His new band, Purple Mountains, just released their debut album. It’s great, but sad. There’s a song called “All My Happiness Is Gone,” and a track called “I Loved Being My Mother’s Son” that I can’t get through without getting all choked up. I meet him once, at a poetry reading he did in the Bay Area several years ago. I have a copy of Actual Air, his excellent 1999 collection of poems, which he signed, “Brad from Reno, Thanks for bringing a little of the Silver State. David.”
—Brad Bynum bradb@ ne ws r ev i ew . com
Suspicions Supposedly Epstein hanged himself, in a locked down prison where they take your shoelaces and no bed sheets! The autopsy is not ready for release. In the meantime—in a day or so when cries for release of the autopsy are increasing, there will be another eeeugggge crisis swamping all news coverage. Like the Mueller report, the Epstein autopsy will be forgotten. Blamed on the jail flunkies. Justice! Elizabeth Curry Carson City
Landmark I am writing in support of the Endangered Species Act, and in opposition to efforts by Congress to undermine this landmark wildlife conservation law. The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for fish, plants and wildlife on the brink of extinction. Since President Nixon signed the law in 1973, hundreds of species have been saved from disappearing forever, including the American bald eagle, the peregrine falcon and the American alligator, and many more are on their way to recovery. But now, some members of Congress are trying to weaken the Endangered Species Act to benefit developers and the oil and gas industry. Protecting endangered species is important to me. We have a responsibility to future generations to be good stewards and protect imperiled wildlife and the special places they call home. Our senators must oppose efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act. Kyle Johnson Auburn, California
Putin switches sides? As the Russian interference saga continues (“They’re at it as we speak”—Robert
Penrose, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Luka Starmer, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Brad Bynum Associate Editor Jeri Davis News Editor Dennis Myers Special Projects Editor Matt Bieker Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Mark Earnest, Bob Grimm, Oliver Guinan, Andrea Heerdt, Holly Hutchings, Shelia Leslie, Eric Marks, Kelsey
Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard Arthur Art Directors Maria Ratinova, Sarah Hansel Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Publications & Advertising Designer Nikki Exerjian Ad Designers Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold Office Manager Lisa Ryan RN&R Rainmaker Gina Odegard Advertising Consultant Caleb Furlong
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Mueller) it’s worth taking the time to analyze our opponent’s possible responses to our defensive strategies. Media and the population at large seem to have collectively decided that foreign interference will again benefit the current officeholder. There could be an alternate scenario at play. What if Putin grows weary of his lap dog on Pennsylvania Avenue and devises a new method to undercut our democracy? One that echoes previous interference but does not lead to the same result? Picture severe voting disruption, miscounts and other underhandedness that makes Florida 2000 look like a Rotary Club showing of hands. This time, however, Putin puts the Democrats over the top, purposely leaving an easy-tofollow trail of bread crumbs for all to see. Now imagine a right wing justifiably up in arms. Do you think Republicans, who exist in permanent attack mode as it is, would take a measured approach to uncover Russian sabotage? Or delay collusion and impeachment hearings “until all the facts are in”? Don’t make the mistake of believing the next attack on our democracy comes waltzing down the same path humming the same tune as the last one. This is not your father’s election meddling. The game is called “Seeds of Disruption,” and harvest season arrives in November 2020. Brad Small Reno
What guy? Corporate media has to love this guy. No need to pay reporters to cover bombing of civilians in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria etc. Nor report on fires in the Arctic or global warming, or children sexually abused in our concentration camps at $750 per kid per day. All they gotta do is analyse a few frequent foggy tweets, show old stock footage of poo poo head and Moscow Mitch, alarm us enough to get more
Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Bob Christensen Distribution Drivers Alex Barskyy, Corey Sigafoos, Gary White, Joe Wilson, Marty Troye, Timothy Fisher, Vicki Jewell, Olga Barska, Rosie Martinez, Adam Martinez, Duane Johnson President/CEO Jeff VonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Account Jedi Jessica Kislanka Sweetdeals Coordinator Trish Marche Developer John Bisignano
System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins N&R Publications Editor Debbie Arrington N&R Publications Managing Editor Laura Hillen N&R Publications Associate Editor Derek McDow N&R Publications Editorial Team Anne Stokes, Nisa Smith, Thea Rood Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant Elizabeth Morabito Marketing & Publications Consultants Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Sherri Heller, Celeste Worden, Rod Maloy Cover design Maria Ratinova
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advertisers and then enjoy a nice bonus and a stogie. Sweet. Now if they only gave us bread with that circus. Craig Bergland Reno
Correction Re “Courting readers” (news, Aug. 8): We reported that Foundation Forward Inc. was subsidized by the Koch brothers. That should have read that Foundation Forward Inc. uses Koch-subsidized materials. We regret the error.
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