Letters

Interview, August, 2003

WHEN ONE MIND CHANGES ANOTHER

Dear Interview,

It should have come as no surprise given her stealth-like advance on the upper reaches of Hollywood, but Renee Zellweger [June 2003] is not only an astonishingly fine actress, but also a young woman in possession of a terrifically sharp, funny mind. In the early days of Zellweger's career (not so long ago, really), I grossly underestimated her talent and range, something I only recently got wise to (thanks in part to her turns in Bridget Jones's Diary and Chicago). And her recent interview with Pete Yorn in your pages had a similarly explosive effect on my assumptions (I'm the first to admit my mistakes and misconceptions). I couldn't ask for more from an interview, really--an eye-opening conversation that was lively, smart, and well-informed, and photos by the incomparable Ellen von Unwerth to boot! Nice work.

S. FINNEY Chicago, IL

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM

Dear Interview, The White Stripes [May 20031 are the sole musical enterprise currently on the scene that I thoroughly appreciate (in general, I am more a supporter of the Janis Joplin-David Bowie vintage pseudo-genre). As I write, Elephant is aurally toying with me in the background (on vinyl, of course!). I am thoroughly in love with the uber-attractive-in-every-which-way Monsieur White's declaration: "We didn't want any journalists who didn't own a record player writing about us." I can fully relate to his standpoint. The White Stripes' admirable philosophy of creating your "own little world" is truly oh-so-key to feeling genuinely fulfilled. My appreciation for these kids has commenced an entirely new phase in my life. Initially I had felt drawn to them some time ago, though I was also experiencing very powerful sentiments that because they're really trendy, I couldn't possibly indulge. But my lovely and newly embraced epiphany is this: Not liking something solely due to its current appeal is atrocious in every way. If something brings one delight, for heaven's sake pursue it with all your might!

CELESTE WHITE Vancouver, BC

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO SAY I LOVE YOU

Dear Interview,

I just finished the March 2003 issue, and it's the best one I've read so far. I always love Graham Fuller's "Shots in the Dark" column, but Fab 5 Freddy's interview with Bone was really inspiring as well; I'd never even heard of [Bone] before. Also, I loved the interview with Lou Reed. He's precise with his creative intentions, and it reminded me why I love the creative process so much: Working hard doing what we love is usually gratifying. Last, that interview Nicole Kidman did with Graydon Carter last fall was great too. Thanks so much for a wonderful read.

SARAH DANNER Portland, OR

THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL REQUESTS

Dear Interview,

I've been reading Interview for the past five years, and I really enjoy your format and visual presentation of celebrities. But there is one person you have neglected to showcase: Etta James, the Queen of the Blues. A lot of young people my age have recently discovered her music, yet magazines don't interview her. With 30 hits to her credit, she's been releasing new CDs almost every year, and her music is classic and timeless. Here is a woman who's lived a little. She's the original bad girl of rock 'n' roll (Britney, Christina, and Madonna have nothing on her) and a woman who can outsing men. She's a living legend, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and an inspiration for Otis Redding, the Rolling Stones, and Diana Ross. Please interview and photograph Etta James!

DAVID VILLANUEVA Whittier, CA

Editor's Note:

Etta James has been featured in Interview on a number of occasions, the most recent being the February 1996 issue.

TWO SIDES OF SUMMER

Dear Interview,

Wow! Bruce Weber has done it again. The pictures of college-football player John Haritan [July 2003] rank with some of the sexiest images you ye ever run. They're totally sexy, but in a subtly sophisticated and artful way (they reminded me of that great picture of Jane Russell sprawled across a bale of hay). At a time when more and more male models look as though they have a serious eating disorder, it's nice to finally gaze upon something worth aspiring to.

NAME WITHHELD Via the Internet

Dear Interview,

Never have I seen a subject so nervous and uncomfortable in front of the camera as model John Haritan in Bruce Weber's "The Guy of Summer" pictorial. Weber's photographs deserve better than Haritan's bland uni-expression face. Like a modern-day alchemist, Bruce Weber often turns base metals into gold, but given what he has to work with here, John Haritan is nothing more than a leaden lump of beef.

NAVARRO PARKER San Diego, CA