Woody Allen Follow-up

I appreciate Peter Ephross’s review of Woody: The Biography in the June/July issue, but as the author of the book, I would like to point out that it is not quite accurate to write of Woody’s “refusal to participate in the project.”

Woody granted me a 90-minute interview near the conclusion of my research for the biography that dealt with many critical issues about the Holocaust as well as his Jewish identity that are part of the final chapter.

I initially reached Woody by ringing his doorbell, and during the process of writing my book, we had scores of email exchanges that were enormously helpful and deepened my understanding of him in critical ways.

I have had disappointing experiences with the subjects of some of my previous biographies, but this was not true of Woody, who was always sympathetic and understanding of what a writer goes through to achieve his goals.

David Evanier
Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Travel Talk

I really enjoyed reading the profile of Arthur and Pauline Frommer in the June/July issue. My girlfriend and I toured Europe in 1962 using Frommer’s $5-a-day guidebook. It worked amazingly well and we spent six weeks in Europe at a total cost of $179! I just told the story to my 18-year-old niece and suggested she get his latest guide. I said it was probably Europe on $25 a day now but lo and behold, it’s only $20!

Marjorie Abrams
Gainesville, Fla.

In the profile of Arthur and Pauline Frommer, Arthur was noted as a contributor to J Street, an organization that claims to be pro-Israel but instead undermines the security of the Jewish state. J Street gave political contributions to congressmen who voted against some funding for Iron Dome, an all-weather air defense system that intercepted hundreds of rockets, mortars and missiles launched against Israel by Hamas and other terrorist groups. In addition, J Street attracts donations from people and groups that seek the demise of Israel. And
one of the founders of J Street even questioned whether the very existence of a Jewish state
is a good idea.

J Street’s deception should not have been overlooked in a magazine whose funding comes from an organization supportive of Israel.

Elinor Weiss
East Amherst, N.Y