rakemag

Dear Rake, I was too excited when I saw the cover of the February Rake [“Exposed”]! It was right before I left on my first vacation at a naturalist resort. The experience was great and the magazine was a big hit at the manager’s cocktail party, among the many Minnesotans who “bare it all” at … Read more

The U.S. Embassy in Yemen was only a stone’s throw from my snug, little brick house. Next door, in a smaller home made of mud, lived my landlady Saida, her four young children, and her mostly absentee husband. I was a twenty-four-year-old aid worker, eager to help in any way I could. Saida’s kids were … Read more

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I’ll put it off. I always find plenty to appreciate in The Rake. On picking up 17 Voices [April], I turned first to Robert Bly’s “The Book You Can’t Find,” and then pondered the coincidence of its being immediately followed by Oliver Nicholson’s “Halls of … Read more

Hosannas to the artist-designed initial caps and the stories/poems [17 Voices literary supplement, April] that followed, aimed at lovers of literature and libraries and books and life. Oliver Nicholson’s fragrant essay of ancient library information and memories reminds me to emphasize as well the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, located among the monks of St. John’s … Read more

I was deeply offended at your insinuation that Crocs are anything less than the finest advancement in footwear since the invention of the cushion insole [“Clog Wild,” April]. Have you ever worn a Croc? I suspect not, because if you had you would be aware of their superior support, breathability, comfort, and engineering. These are … Read more

Thanks for your excellent piece by Tom Bartel, “Guns in the City” [April]. It’s great to read a balanced, level-headed article about gun ownership in our city—one that dispels the myth of the slack-jawed, chew-spitting, ignorant “gun nut.” People who are anti-gun either by choice or by default often view a gun owner as some … Read more

This was a great article on the gun culture of the area. The overwhelming majority of firearms enthusiasts are not crazed nuts just hoping for some punk to “make their day.” We just want to protect our house and family from the worst that could happen. Thanks. –Adam Houtkooper, Burnsville

The article about handguns by Tom Bartel is an interesting piece to find in a magazine that claims on its website to favor “contrarian” viewpoints. Bartel acts as a marketing mouthpiece for the nine-billion-dollar firearms and ammunition industry—hardly a contrarian thing to do. I might have found it more contrarian if Bartel had investigated whether … Read more