Letters to the Editor tion to the image captioned “A student tries to register in late 1960s or 1970s.” As someone who has spent thirty-plus years working in the EMU, I can tell you that picture was not taken in Mac Court—but in the EMU Ballroom, where fee payment and academic advising occurred prior to computerized class registration (advising still takes place in the Ballroom). The alternating wall panel pattern in the background was the giveaway for me. Mike Kraiman ’82 Eugene
Endangered Photographer? Thank you for publishing Susan Rich’s article about Myra Albert Wiggins [“Entering the Picture,” Winter 2010]. I liked her fresh way of looking at Wiggins’s photographs and expressing how she felt about them as a poet. However, there is an inaccuracy. Contrary to Wiggins being in “danger of extinction” or a “miniscule footnote in early American photography,” a wealth of information and resources are available about her work. Wiggins is mentioned in many books, articles, and bibliographies on the subject of photography, women photographers, and Salem and Oregon history. In addition to the sources Rich cites, readers can explore Wiggins’ life and work with the help of a number of resources [listed in the unedited version of this letter at OregonQuarterly.com] Fortunately she is neither “in danger of extinction” nor relegated to a “miniscule footnote.” Carole Glauber Portland The writer is the author of Witch of Kodakery: The Photography of Myra Albert Wiggins 1869–1956 (Washington State University Press, 1997)
Ducks and Puzzles I cannot quibble with Matthew Ginsberg’s intellect [“The Crossing Guard,” Winter 2010]. However, with as clever as he is with artificial intelligence and computers, not to mention that he must be at least somewhat of a fan of the UO, a question lingers. Anyone who does crossword puzzles on a regular basis, and who is also collegiately aware, cannot help but notice that whenever a “West Coast school” or a “Pac-10 school” show up as clues in a crossword puzzle, invariably the answer will either be UCLA or USC. Not Oregon. Maybe Ginsberg could start using his super powers for good and ensure crossword puzzle fairness across the western states. Wouldn’t it be great to see “go Ducks” as a crossword puzzle answer in The New York Times? Mark J. Hash ’90 Sutherlin
Earlier Inside Classes
Upon learning that the Ducks [were] number one in football [Briefs, Winter 2010], I finally need to make one long-made decision known: I will never give money to the University of Oregon. Whilst we have a competitive football team, the national rank of the university is (as you stated without much shame) 111th, up from 115th. Does it really matter? It is not 11th, or even 51st, or even 91st. There is only one reason why I will never give money to UO: it is not a higher education institution that adheres to the mission of educating, it is in the sports business. Micky Lee, PhD ’04 Somerville, Massachusetts
The article “Inside Inside-Out” in the Oregon Quarterly (Winter 2010) brought back great memories. As a PhD student in English at the
Editor's note: We couldn’t print all of every letter we received, but you can find more at OregonQuarterly.com.
Susan Rich responds: I am glad that Carole Glauber enjoyed my article and found it a “fresh approach.” I believe, however, we part ways on the issue regarding the current obscurity of Wiggins’s work. During the past four years, I have given readings at more than seventy universities, book festivals, and community gatherings, but I have yet to meet one person who knows Myra Albert Wiggins’s work.
Fly easy...
UO (1967–72) I taught a couple of courses at the prison. It was a voluntary program without pay except for the meal ticket given to us on the nights we went to the prison. A state car was provided, but a classmate who was also teaching in the program owned a 1967 Camaro and he drove that sometimes. I taught Intro to Fiction a couple of quarters and Basic Writing other times. I don't know if any records of this program exist covering those years, but it was a vital program at the time and gave us valuable teaching experience. Thanks for a very fine magazine. I'm proud to be a UO graduate. Alden Hart, PhD ’72 Greenville, North Carolina
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