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Dear "Philostrate,"

I finally got around to looking at the Times readers' group discussion of The Correx (more accurately: *some* of the discussion), and I wanted to thank you for your generous comments about the book and its author. Your postings were heartening to find amid the Lithuanian ranting.

No need to reply; this is just a late-night thank you.

Jonathan (Franzen)

[Editor's note: Under my online nom de plume earlier this year, I staunchly defended Franzen's The Corrections -- a nasty battle, at times, though not a particulaly invigorating one, as my principal opponent was so beside himself with whimpering anguish over the author's satiric portrait of Lithuania that he couldn't bring himself to finish the book.]