To the Editor:

I liked the article in this past Sunday’s STJ concerning Anne Rice. I have written several short stories and have had a few published. The Internet is a great place for writers to go the Web sites of successful authors to see how they write. Many give tips and suggestions for aspiring writers.

Last year I went to Anne Rice’s site (www.annerice.com and was surprised to see she had returned to the Roman Catholic Church after leaving it in the sixties or seventies. I read &8220;Christ the Lord&8221; and enjoyed it. Even though I didn’t agree theologically with everything in it, I found it intriguing and will definitely buy the follow-up volume, which Mrs. Rice is currently working on.

I wondered if she advised people to not buy her vampire books now that she’s come back to her faith. I emailed her and was surprised to get an answer from her within one hour. Her response was very gracious and fairly detailed. I have since had other questions for her not covered in her Web site. She has always answered my emails. I’ve been blown away that a world famous author personally handles her own email.

It took a lot of courage on her part to leave the series that made her rich and famous to follow her heart and her faith.

Thanks again for the article.

David Surrett

Valley Grande

Mayor taking Selma in wrong direction

To the Editor:

Per the mayor’s characterization of me (at the March 26, 2007, council meeting) as a &8220;domestic terrorist,&8221; I suggest he consult Webster’s so that he understands that he is accusing me of trying to invoke &8220;a state of extreme fear&8221; in the community.

Perkins is crazy if he thinks that is my motivation, but I am trying to expose him for what he is: a very weak, poor leader, guilty of blatant cronyism and being very fiscally irresponsible with the taxpayers’ money.

The mayor has been taking Selma in the wrong direction since he took office six years ago. It’s time for a change.

Byrd Looper

The 62 percent solution

To The Editor:

Last month the Alabama legislature in a voice voted approval passed a resolution to give themselves a 62 percent pay raise.

Believing that the raise was excessive, Gov. Riley vetoed it. He also anticipated the veto would be overridden thereby forcing the votes to be recorded so that the public will know who voted for, or against, the raise. According to the Montgomery Advertiser’s March 21, 2007, edition, the majority of the legislature including Dallas County’s three representatives; Yusuf Salaam, Hank Sanders, and James Thomas voted to override Governor Riley’s veto thus allowing passage of the pay raise.

No one is saying that the legislature doesn’t deserve a modest raise, they haven’t had one since 1991. But is it fiscally responsible to give themselves a 62 percent raise that would bump their minimum pay of $30,710 to $49,500 for a part time job? More importantly, the representatives above serve one of the poorest counties (Dallas) in the state where one would be fortunate to bring in even the minimum pay for a full time job!

This &8220;62 percent solution&8221; will cost 2.6 million a year and will come out of the faltering general fund, which even the legislators themselves admit isn’t expected to have enough growth to give state employees a raise next year.

It will also have a negative impact on public safety (troopers), education and other services competing for monies from the fund. Sen. Sanders and representatives Salaam and Thomas are banking on voters to forget this act of arrogance and selfishness. It is incumbent upon every registered voter in Selma/Dallas County to remind them, when the next election cycle rolls around, that we don’t forget very easily.

Terry Lewis