Good Weekend letters to the editor: February 10

Helen Goh’s Runeberg cakes with Biscoff, almond, orange and cardamom, [February 3].Credit: Instagram/@simpleplainandplenty

Under my skin

I really enjoyed Benjamin Law’s interview with Rebecca Kuang, author of Yellowface [February 3], which covered the subject of cultural appropriation so well. I really do think that if you’re a writer, an actor, a stage performer, you should feel free to tackle any subject you choose. On the other hand, how can an Anglo writer fully capture the experience of an Asian, an Indigenous person, or a black person? How can a heterosexual actor fully capture the sense of otherness, the inner isolation of a gay man, for example? What’s inevitably missing is a real authenticity, a depth, however good the writer or actor is. Tom Hollander is a brilliant actor, and he makes a damn good attempt at playing Truman Capote in the recently released miniseries, Capote vs. The Swans. But in making the gestures a little too large, Capote is reduced to an excellent outline. However, writers and actors love to write about and play characters outside their herd. As Rebecca Kuang asks Law in the story, “Why is it that some white creatives feel like there’s a cultural capital – or advantage, or even a cheat code – associated with appearing anything other than white?”
Chris Brown
Erskineville, NSW

Two of Us

Like Sue Ferris and Jeremy Barrett [February 3], I moved into a retirement village much to the horror of family and friends. At 77, I’m the youngest in my section, which is mostly inhabited by widows in their late 80s and 90s, so I can lend a hand when needed. These women are an articulate and intelligent lot, fiercely independent, widely read and good fun. Which is why I get annoyed with journalists like Nick Bryant consistently bringing up Joe Biden’s 81 years as a negative [“Biden must swiftly shift focus from age”, News Review, February 3]. Just because we’re “of an age” doesn’t mean we’re past it. We have years of experience under our belts and are not afraid to say what we think, and it’s not wise to underestimate us. Donald Trump is my age and, from what I’ve read and seen of him, he’s not got Biden’s intelligence – nor that of my very elderly neighbours. Don’t write us off!
Christine Tiley
Albany Creek, Qld

Dicey Topics

Thank you for your interview with Francesca Albanese, with her balanced, wise and compassionate view of the Israel-Gaza conflict [February 3]. The interview and her articulation of the situation will help me, and I’m sure many others, to express how we feel. And will encourage us to speak out, that it is our responsibility to do so.
Janice Haworth
Mosman, NSW

The Empty Plate

Like Terry Durack [February 3], I really like Bonne Maman jars. Mine are not used for jams, though, although the smaller ones are. I use mine as pudding jars – one jar serves two. These make wonderful Christmas gifts. Fundraising for my favourite charity, I made many Christmas puddings and fruit sponges, using home-grown fruits. Luckily, many locals were happy to donate the 60 jars that I filled. I’m planning to make even more this year.
Eileen Ray
Ascot Vale, Vic

ONLINE COMMENTS

‘Maybe we could put 100 crocs in a city park’: A conservation issue gets snappy

It’s terrific news that the crocodile population has bounced back. The next question is, how many do there need to be, and where do they need to be to fulfil their role in a sustainable food chain? If research can answer this question for us, then I don’t see any reason why there shouldn’t be quotas for managed culling if their numbers are in excess. RnR

Biologist Laurence Taplin says in the story, “crocodiles prefer to leave people alone”. I’m sorry, but you should never rely on the advice of a biologist/conservationist when they’re talking about predators. They downplay the risk to humans tremendously for the greater good of protecting large, dangerous animals. Here’s a simple practical exercise to test Mr Taplin’s theory. He can take a boat ride to the place where the writer viewed the crocodiles and jump in the water and test how long it takes the crocs to become interested. Cross Porpoises

[Professor Grahame] Webb has the right attitude, if we don’t cull, there will be more deaths. I’d rather koalas be saved than crocs. Suzee

I grew up in the Northern Territory. We knew there were crocs in some rivers, but many places where you would now be eaten in an instant were once popular swimming spots. Since shooting stopped in the mid-1970s, a whole generation of large crocs have grown up with no fear of humans. They, not humans, are now the apex predators throughout the Top End. There is an economic opportunity here, particularly for First Nations people. Limited hunting, for a stonking fee, will not adversely affect numbers, but may bring significant income. Saracen

Anyone from the North knows how dangerous these animals are and that they are moving further and further south. But it would appear that the city do-gooders know better and the decision to protect these animals is a huge mistake. Rose

Did a Jewish orphan really become Hitler’s youngest recruit?

How incredibly sad. First, an innocent six-year-old is probably orphaned, manages to find a way to survive, and goes on to make a new life, whilst burying the ghosts of his past. When he finally tells his story, he is called a liar and vilified around the world. A Nazi collaborator? No. A child who couldn’t possibly have imagined the enormity of the Holocaust happening around him. I’m so pleased he knew his story was proven true before he died and can only hope he received some appropriate and formal apologies from the organisations and media who disputed his claims. Bluebell

A young child, orphaned, starving, facing death, chose to survive. He should have been celebrated, not had his trauma compounded by being labelled a traitor. Helen

Fascinating and sad all at the same time. Who are we to judge, in the comfort of our lounge rooms, what horrors this child would have faced during wartime? He was offered a lifeline and did what he had to do to survive at the time. Nic

What an amazing story. It shows that fact is stranger than fiction. May he rest in peace now. The Quokka

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All letters are edited for reasons of clarity, syntax and space.

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