Mail.(Letter to the editor)

Mail

Knock Out Thanks for putting Katherine Heigl on the cover of your magazine ["High-wire Act," June]. I have been a fan of hers since Roswell and always love her honesty and sincerity. She is the best actress on Grey's Anatomy, and I hope with Knocked Up she will soon get the industry respect she deserves. Selene Via email

I was so excited to see Katherine Heigl on your June cover. Her photos were gorgeous, and I was really impressed by how she stands up for what she believes in, whether it's defending a friend or demanding the pay she deserves. But I was so disappointed to read about her smoking. (I hate to hear that someone I admire smokes.) As an ex-smoker, I understand the appeal, but honestly, it's not worth dying (or aging prematurely!) for. M. Fritz Via email

Katherine Heigl is a beautiful and talented actress. However, I was wildly offended that you chose to glorify her vehement distaste for the word "faggot" and how she spoke out against Isaiah Washington's use of the word, and then several paragraphs later quote her as having said in the past, "Men are a bit retarded until they're 30," and now saying, "Well,

I was clearly a bit retarded myself when I said that." You would think that someone who is so adamant about not tolerating derogatory terms would be careful not to use them in an interview. The word "retarded" is just as hurtful and offensive as "faggot" and shouldn't grace the pages of your magazine under any circumstances. Gabrielle Brown New York City

Body Surfing The surfer girls featured in "Going Coastal" [June] are definitely stellar examples of strong and confident young women, but the article showed a narrow representation of female surfers. Growing up in San Diego, I have known many surfer girls, and not all of them have perfect bodies. (continued on page 54)

(Continued from page 48) Unfortunately, the writer did not