In my Impromptus today, there are disparate subjects, as usual. I begin with Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny — maybe the two most prominent political prisoners in Russia today. I then discuss the White Rose, the anti-Nazi group in Germany. Its last surviving member, Traute Lafrenz, has died at 103.
There is, of course, a connection between the Russian prisoners and the White Rose. Somebody has to be the conscience of the nation. It’s usually a relative handful.
My column today ends with a couple of memories of Pat Schroeder, the late congresswoman from Colorado.
Let’s have some mail — responding to my column of March 10. In that column, I did my usual griping about music in videos: loud soundtracks to sports videos, to videos in which people give talks, etc. Over and over, music spoils an otherwise good video (as I see it) (and hear it).
A reader writes,
I completely understand where you are coming from. My pet peeve is music during leader-led prayer during a church service. While a worship leader is leading prayer, I can’t stand the piano player in the background who is plinking away, trying to create “atmosphere.” Can’t some things just speak for themselves without music trying to tell me how to feel?
Amen.
Also in that column, I had a note on the SAT — which some universities, prominently Columbia, are doing away with. A reader writes to tell me about his educational path. And then he says,
I wonder whether, in their “holistic” approach, these schools are missing students who have potential, which is what the SAT shows, but were poorly motivated in high school. . . . Taking an achiever and not turning him off doesn’t require that much work. But taking an underachiever and turning him around — that’s an educator.
All right, another subject. In that column, I wrote,
People have compared Fox, and other such TV endeavors, to pro wrestling. In all likelihood, the people in the audience — the pro-wrestling audience — know it’s fake. But they want it anyway.
They do know, don’t they? Come to think of it: I’m not sure of the answer to that question.
(I once had a co-worker — intelligent, if quirky — who was utterly devoted to pro wrestling. I never asked him whether he was simply entertained — or a true believer.)
A reader writes, “Did you see this? Some people do indeed believe.” The “this” was an article from last month: “Pro wrestling star’s on-air promo was so believable fans were calling the cops.”
Huh.
Another excerpt, from my column last week:
Sean Hannity said, “You don’t piss off the base.”
Bless all of those journalists — journalists of any kind — who realize that, to do your job properly, you have to “piss off the base” from time to time (if you have a “base”).
(My “base” is composed of about nine friends, family members, and colleagues.)
A reader writes, “Consider me part of your base. That will get you into double digits.”
Thank you kindly.
A reader of ours is Ken Krantz, who says, “Tonight I open in my last production with Virginia Opera, after 45 years in the company’s chorus.” Ken has a wonderful, almost haunting line: “When I began with the company it was the Seventies and I was in my twenties. Now it’s the other way around and I figure it’s a good time to retire.”
Mr. Krantz is a master limerick-writer. He has sent me many limericks over the years — encapsulating the plot of whatever opera the Virginia company is doing. Here is the latest (last?), about La traviata:
In mid–19th-century Paree
Few were as lovely as she.
But poor Violetta
Was fated to get a
Terminal case of TB.
Man, is that good.
And thank you to one and all.