Rod: You want thin-skin stories? I got thin-skin stories. Friday I had a

jokey exchange with Andrew in The Corner, concerning my train wreck of an

adolescence. I had mentioned that I spent a lot of time constructing

mathematical model out of card, but that this period of my life was a social

failure. Andrew suggested the two things might be connected. I replied by

observing that “very, very few attractive young women are interested in the

59 stellations of the icosahedron.” Not an hour passed before this popped

up in my Inbox:

Mr. Derbyshire: The perpetuation of the stereotype that attractive women

cannot also be smart is irresponsible, no matter how well-intended. While I

understand that you are poking fun at yourself, try to leave us out of your

self-effacing humor. … I’m trying to impress upon you the need to

recognize that your comments, when coupled with Kathy’s Barbie note (a real

sore point when I was in college), are setting the wrong tone in the Corner

today. Sorry to knee-jerk on you on this one, but it’s tough enough to

fight this preconception without its mention in such a public forum.

Now, this reader is polite, well-intentioned, and obviously a thoroughly

civilized person. She makes a friendly remark about my forthcoming book. I

therefore hate myself for what I am about to say–not just for the lost book

sale, but for reasons to do with ordinary human sympathy–but I’m going to

say it anyway: Lady, GET YOURSELF A LIFE!

(And if this lady really _is_ interested in the stellations of the

icosahedron, I’d also like to ask her: WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU?)