Letters

To the Editor:

In his article “Krens Relinquishes the Ramps! Ms. Dennison to Feed Starved Gugg” [Oct. 3], Tyler Green chastises the Museum of Modern Art and other museums for first criticizing Tom Krens for allowing “corporations to seemingly dictate part of [the Guggenheim’s] program” and then doing the same thing at their own museums.

Mr. Green singles out two MoMA exhibitions: a forthcoming exhibition on the artists of Pixar, and Contemporary Voices: Works from the UBS Art Collection, an exhibition of contemporary art that was on view at the museum earlier this year.

Regarding Pixar, Mr. Green has forgotten that MoMA has a long history of presenting animated-film programs and gallery exhibitions of animation art, starting in 1940 with exhibitions by studios such as Disney and Warner Bros. and independent producers such as the Hubley Studios. The Pixar exhibition continues this tradition and acknowledges computer-generated animation as the latest example of the genre’s contribution to moving-image art. In addition, when we approached Pixar with the idea of mounting the gallery exhibition, they responded with a donation to our permanent film collection of all of their short and feature films, a gift that will strengthen the museum’s already significant holdings in animation.

Likewise, the author fails to understand that the genesis of Contemporary Voices was the gift to the museum from the collection assembled by contemporary art collector Donald B. Marron, longtime vice chairman of MoMA’s board and former chairman and C.E.O. of PaineWebber.

Mr. Green’s criticisms of MoMA’s decision to mount these exhibitions only demonstrates his lack of knowledge about the exhibitions themselves and the museum’s history and mission.

Glenn D. Lowry

Director, the Museum

of Modern Art

Manhattan

Join the Club

To the Editor:

Matt Haber is totally right [“I’ve Been Kunkeled! Whose Life Is It Anyway? Indecision On Chambers,” New Yorker’s Diary, Oct. 3]. Before reading Benjamin Kunkel’s novel Indecision, I’d never heard of four privileged, “hyper-aware” twentysomething friends from private universities, who work hard and live together in a hand-me-down furnished Manhattan walk-up while pursuing romantico-sexual dalliances, throwing parties, playing poker, watching TV and listening to stoner rock. Oh, wait … I have.

If Mr. Kunkel somehow mined that reality for his novel, I’ll make sure to let all of my friends know they can sue him for libel, too.

Peter Hamby

Washington, D.C.

Fortunate One

To the Editor:

Great piece on Phil Ochs [“Attitude of Gratitude for Great Phil Ochs, Forgotten Un-Dylan,” Ron Rosenbaum, the Edgy Enthusiast, Oct. 3]. In my folkie days, I remember one Friday evening—this was a very long time ago—he began his set: “I was walking through Central Park the other day when I suddenly heard the voice of God. He said”—and he shifted into a Dylan accent—“Phil … ?”

Laughter drowned out the rest of it. We got the point.

J.P. Smith

Newburyport, Mass.