Fame of a Sort (1)

I may not yet have hit the big time but there's always a place for me as a letter writer to the International Herald Tribune. The latest letter to be published was prompted by an article in Monday's issue on attempts to rehabilitate Stalin in Russia.

Textbooks mention the need to see Stalin in the context of his time. According to Anatoly Utkin, director of the Centre for International Research at the Institute of U.S.A. and Canada Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, students should learn about all aspects of Stalin's personality.

Here is my letter:

Referring to the 10,000 books in Stalin's library personally marked up (whatever that means) by the great leader and reader, Anatoly Utkin proudly asks: "Can you tell me of any other leader, an American president, for example, who read 10,000 books?". Probably not, given that it would take a little over 27 years at a rate of 1 book a day. It makes one wonder a) how he found time for his other "activities" and b) what sort of books he read. Where's Spot? perhaps. The Very Hungry Caterpillar?