Thanks so much for your well-written, well-researched article on the work scene in contemporary America ("The Changing Face of Work," July 25). I think about these things all the time, wondering why people don't take a more historical perspective to the subject of work. Wasn't everyone taught, as I was, that there would be a problem of leisure in the future — that we'd have too much leisure? What happened?

I'm looking forward to the follow-up articles in your series on work.

— Liz Ungar Mintek, Seattle

A warning for us all

I think William Dietrich deserves at least a Pulitzer Prize for his magazine piece ("The Changing Face of Work," July 25). It is the journalistic equivalent of Paul Revere's "The British are coming." It is a warning about the America we are well on our way to becoming — an America that is no longer "one nation, indivisible." In fact, we are possessed of multiple fractures, and those fractures are on their way to becoming unbridgeable chasms based largely on wealth and class.

If we ignore the flaws that Dietrich has so ably pointed out, we won't have to be concerned about any outside enemies doing us in: America will have lost its raison d'être.

— Bob Wojtyna, Woodinville

Not a happy ending

I enjoyed Eli Sanders' article ("A Life of Crime," July 18) about Ann Rule — until near the end, where Sanders mentioned placement of true-crime books at the downtown Seattle Barnes & Noble. In part, Sanders wrote: "The true crime section is on the lower level, next to the trashy romance novels with such titles as 'Mr. Complete' and 'How to Lasso a Cowboy.' "

This is where Sanders lost all credibility for me. As a romance author and avid reader of the genre, I take offense at the word "trashy." Obviously Sanders is not a reader of romance novels, which focus on relationships, monogamous love and happy endings. If these things are trash, then we are in big trouble. Please update your vocabulary and your outlook, Mr. Sanders.

— Ann Schuessler, writing as Ann Roth, Lake Forest Park

Kesey on Memorial Day?

I woke up Sunday morning on Memorial Day weekend, went out and got the Sunday Seattle Times, went through it and was immediately irritated. This is why; they chose Ken Kesey in their Pacific Northwest magazine to commemorate ("Ken Kesey Remembered," May 30). Ken Kesey?

Now, I like Ken Kesey. Interesting fella. Great American writer. But did the guy die serving his country? Heck no. He spent a great part of his life tripping on acid and smoking dope, both illegal, and living a very free existence that would not have been anywhere near possible if a lot of very deserving men and women had not died protecting those freedoms. I'm not bugged at Ken Kesey. But I am very irritated at the staff of The Seattle Times for choosing him as their cover boy on Memorial weekend, particularly with our young people sacrificing so much in lands so far away today.

— Lee Cates, Bow