TIME and the new island

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Sat Oct 5 22:52:02 UTC 2013


Garson O'Toole wrote:
>>Frank Zappa: Most rock journalism is people who can't write
>>interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read.

Joel S. Berson wrote:
> A variation of "If I could only write, I'd write a nasty letter to
> the mayor, if he could only read," said I believe by Churchill
> (Churchy) LaFemme, unless it was Albert Alligator.
>
> See Wikiquote "Talk:Walt Kelly", where it is unattributed and
> undated, but surely before Frank Zappa.

Thanks for mentioning this interesting Walt Kelly comic strip, Joel.
Here is some indirect information about it:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Apr 16, 1989
[Begin extracted text]
But the line that has stuck with me the closest is the one screeched
on several occasions by the tiny Miz Bug, whose picnic with her
children was often trashed by some rampant lunacy. She would shake her
fist in the air and cry: "If I could only write, I'd send a nasty
letter to the mayor, if he could only read!"
[End extracted text]

Garson

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