Letter from Rome

We here at the Pendarvis Building were excited to get word from Rome, Italy, where friend-of-the-blog Tom Bissell is engaging in a prestigious year-long fellowship. You must understand that a lot of our staffers are new to the "blogging" game, and once in awhile, in their admirable enthusiasm, they go overboard in an effort to express their youthful high spirits. Such was the case in the course of a previous rumination, when Mr. Bissell's affection for a superheroine called Dream Girl was described in language that can only be classified as misleading. We would like to state clearly that Mr. Bissell's feelings for Dream Girl were entirely aboveboard, the normal feelings of any young man for a comely cartoon character, an innocent passing fancy of more carefree days of yore. Furthermore, Mr. Bissell has provided several links to representations of Dream Girl, one of which will have to suffice here. Mr. Bissell's intent, which I believe has been hereby satisfied, is to demonstrate the charms that said Dream Girl would naturally arouse in a healthy young man of the Reagan era. With some savvy "internet" research, of the kind Mr. Bissell has employed, you can enjoy looking for your own favorite picture of Dream Girl. I conclude with a caveat. A representative of my publisher (I have two books of short stories) has gently hinted to me by email earlier today that "blogging" about comic books will do little to win the hearts of women, who make up so much of the reading public. Some of my helpers are looking into this opinion as we speak, to ascertain its veracity. My wife loves the Silver Surfer, Wonder Woman and Hammer Horror Films, which I know is anecdotal evidence at best, and proves nothing except that I am a lucky man. In any case I would not like to alienate any women ever, even if my life depended on it! Whether or not they happen to enjoy reading! So I would ask any persons, male or female, who do not like to look at sexy comic book ladies, NOT to "click" on the "link" above.