JUDITH KRANTZ

While the 60-million-plus copies of author Judith Krantz’s fantasies depicting jet-set living (adult fairy tales, in other words) are littering sofas and night stands across America, the classics are disregarded as something you have to read in school (“The Hardest-Working Woman in Trash Fiction,” by Margy Rochlin, Dec. 2). Jazz is bypassed for New Kids on the Block, and art is censored because it depicts the human body as something other than pornography.

Worst of all, new writers struggling to put something meaningful on a page are not given the chance at exposure by publishers who put their money and ink into the likes of Krantz because she is a sure bet.

The prominent individuals of a given time reflect the status of that period. Today, our main philosopher is Bart Simpson; Ronald Reagan is still considered one of our greatest Presidents, and Krantz tops the best-selling list with every book.

JESSE B. POWELL

San Diego