E-MAIL AND LETTERS

and e-mail letts Wily Roadrunner

I laughed at the cute cover picture of the roadrunner (“Roadrunner: Facts and Fantasy,” April '01). I knew it couldn't go “beep-beep,” but did not realize it could run 15 mph. Thought you might like to know that the roadrunner is the mascot symbol for the “Emergency Nurse.” Maybe it's because we are “serious, playful, fearless and caring” as well.

ANNE MCCOY Maui, HI

Little Girl and the Bikers

“An Angel in Chains” (April '01) was deeply moving to me. It reminded all of us that angels come in many forms, this time in the shape of a little girl, just 4% years old. The effect she had on that giant in “chains” brought tears to my 76-year-old eyes. Maudlin? Sure, but life brings many such events, if one watches closely.

DON MCGUIRE Boone, NC The story “An Angel in Chains” really brought tears to my eyes. It is a perfect example of why people should never be put into categories. People are individuals and should be treated that way.

FRANK SCERBO Fort Myers, FL Your “mag” rocks. I need to know if the “An Angel in Chains” story is true.

BRIAN BRINKERHOFF Chandler Yes, it reported a real event.

Grateful Readers

I am writing to you to say thank you for your most superb magazine. Arizona Highways lights up my face when I see the cover in the mailbox.

BRIAN EDWARDS Pembroke, Pembrokeshire Wales, UK Thank you most sincerely for such a first-class magazine. I love everything: changes, old stuff, letters, bloopers, errors and jokes. I especially liked the black and white photographs (“Images of a Lost World,” April '01). A while ago there was mention of the magazine publishing more often. I'd love it, but I think the quality would be a little diluted. I make mine last all month. It takes a lot of willpower to put it down, but I know that the next page offers adventure, beauty, fun — in short, that unique state you feature, Arizona. Wish I were there, but your magazine is my vicarious vacation.

MARIE CURTIS Durham, CT

From Russia

For two years now I have been sending an Arizona Highways subscription to a young boy, Andrew Pankeyeva, who lives in Novosibirsk, Siberia. We received this letter from his mother, Elena Pankeyeva: “Recently, Andrew's class at school has started studies of America. The latest home task was to write an essay on parts of the country. You can imagine, we have written about Arizona, using your magazines, of course. Andrew took some issues to show the most beautiful pictures in class. They made a wall newspaper, and some pictures were the principal decoration of this edition.”

KEN WOLFGANG Tucson

Old Jokes

I am catching up on a few issues I missed and recently read the January 2000 issue. In it you reprinted a joke you first used in January 1925. It had to do with a man who painted one side of his car blue and the other side yellow to confuse witnesses. You commented, “Oh well, it's a 75-year-old joke.” You were being modest.

I wrote a book on humor and roasting called We're Roasting Harry Tuesday Night, How To Plan, Write, and Conduct The Business/Social Roast. In the book, I showed how old jokes could be made new again with up-to-date references. As an example, I used a joke that was circulating in Rome about the time of Augustus Caesar. It had to do with a charioteer who gilded one side of his vehicle gold and the other side silver so that when he sped through the streets of Rome, he would confuse witnesses.

When you say “old,” you mean old. That joke was 2,000 years old when used in 1925.

EDWARD C. MCMANUS Marlborough, MA

Last Saguaro

I'm just writing to say how much I liked Jeb Rosebrook's “Along the Way: The Last Saguaro Along Interstate 17” (April '01). Very poetic and very moving.

ERIC SONNENSCHEIN Washington, DC

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

SEPTEMBER 2001 VOL. 77, NO. 9

Publisher WIN HOLDEN

Editor ROBERT J. EARLY Senior Editor REBECCA MONG Managing Editor BETH DEVENY Research Editor MARY PRATT Director of Photography PETER ENSENBERGER Photography Editor RICHARD MAACK Art Director MARY WINKELMAN VELGOS Deputy Art Director BARBARA GLYNN DENNEY Deputy Art Director BILLIE JO BISHOP Associate Art Director BETH ANDERSON Map Designer KEVIN KIBSEY

Arizona Highways Books WitWorks Books

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SEPTEMBER 2001

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