Letters

I enjoyed “Deeply Rooted” (winter 2017), in part because I count myself a seedling of Ida Palmer Stabler, Class of 1898’s Swarthmore family tree.

I greatly enjoyed Elizabeth Vogdes’s “The Poetry of Pen and Ink” (winter 2016), and can testify to the tactile pleasure fountain pens provide. Using one connects the mind with the body in the act of writing. I can’t say the same for ballpoints.

After reading “Deeply Rooted” (winter 2017), I remembered how my grandmother used to laugh about how my uncle Robert Miller Stabler ’27 could study even with the radio on.

Regarding Arthur Ciancutti ’65’s letter that all wars and their participants are evil (“First Do No Harm”), I recommend for his reflection the beautiful letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to the Quaker Eliza P. Gurney during the Civil War.

I was pleased with the winter 2017 issue’s LGBTQ focus. The 1973 student-run course on homosexuality organized by Jesse Ford ’73 and Tina Crosby ’74 with faculty support from Jeanne Marecek was a turning point in my life. 

I am troubled by Arthur “Arky” Ciancutti ’65’s attitude toward those who have fought in wars (“First Do No Harm,” winter 2017).