NEW: The unedited letter to Details magazine on The Army's Big, Embarrassing Gay-Porn Scandal. Click here.

Note from the Webmaster: There is an often-voiced warning that the artist must never challenge his critics, regardless of how personal a critic's attack may be, or how unfounded the criticism, or even when the critic has clearly not read the book reviewed. Editorial decisions on which book to give attention and which to ignore are often arbitrary, often political, usually having nothing to do with an artist's accomplishments. There are recurrent intimations that an author has been “blacklisted” at the highest levels for such “transgressions.”

John Rechy has published 13 books and received numerous awards, including the first PEN USA West Lifetime Achievement Award given to a novelist. His first novel, City of Night, is widely regarded as a literary classic. His books are taught in university courses here and abroad. During the 40 years that he has been in what he calls the “literary arena,” he has protested to critics only when they have been clearly unjust. He has also written letters of appreciation when reviews are unfavorable but respectful. He has confronted editors who have ignored his place on the literary landscape.

John Rechy’s letters of protest, beginning here, will be posted in the Speaking Out section of this web site over the next weeks; new letters will be added periodically. Forthcoming letters include letters to Victor Navasky of The Nation, to Rebecca Sinkler and “Chip” McGrath of the New York Times Book Review, to Gore Vidal, to Karen Brailsford of People Magazine, to Amazon.com. to Gary Indiana, among others.

Also to be included will be the correspondence that evolved with Barbara Epstein of the New York Review of Books in response to that journal’s review of Rechy’s first novel, City of Night, an attack that continues to be reprinted by that journal in selections from its reviews. It is still published under its original inflammatory title, “Fruit Salad.” In that review, the reviewer pretended to doubt the author’s existence. Thirty years and many letters later, that journal extended to Rechy space to rebut that review. That rebuttal will appear here.

These letters reveal forty years of protest from a writer asserting his integrity and upholding his art, and by implication, upholding the right to dignity of all other writers.

About My Life and the Kept Woman
	New York Times Book Review
The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens
	New York Times Book Review, 12/24/03
	Letter to Charles McGrath at The New York Times Book Review, January 7, 2004
	San Francisco Chronicle, 01/15/04
	San Francisco Chronicle, 01/15/04
	San Francisco Chronicle, 01/25/04
	Comments to Amazon.com, 02/16/04
	Reply from Amazon.com, 02/18/04
	Letter to Amazon.com, 02/19/04
	Reply from Amazon.com, 02/20/04
The Coming of the Night
	Letter to Charles McGrath at The New York Times Book Review, March 10, 2000
Our Lady of Babylon
	Letter to Charles McGrath at The New York Times Book Review, August 30, 1996
The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez
	Letter to The Nation, 12/17/91
	Letter to Rebecca Sinkler at The New York Times Book Review, January 1, 1992
	Letter to Rebecca Sinkler at The New York Times Book Review, January 20, 1992
	Letter to Rebecca Sinkler at The New York Times Book Review, January 30, 1992
	Letter to Rebecca Sinkler at The New York Times Book Review. April 29, 1992
	Letter to The New York Times Book Review, May 10, 1992
	Letter regarding The New York Times Book Review, December 21, 1992
	Letter regarding The New York Times Book Review, February 15, 1993
City of Night
	Letter to Gore Vidal, November 6, 1993
	Letter to Barbara Epstein at The New York Review of Books , May 28, 1996
	Letter to Barbara Epstein at The New York Review of Books , June 17, 1996
	Letter to Barbara Epstein at The New York Review of Books , April 13, 2004
General
	The Army's Big, Embarrassing Gay-Porn Scandal, 08/06
	Letter to Victor Navasky at The Nation, 10/07/00

Back to top 

Original material by John Rechy appears frequently on these pages.