Dear Maclean's: Viva Amiel!

June 1981

Barbara Amiel was in town for three days recently to promote the paperback edition of her book Confessions. GVLA Vice-President Robin Gillespie talked at length with her and spoke at the last Supper Club meeting of her constant struggles with Maclean's editor Peter Newman in trying to maintain her editorial independence (and, not incidentally, her job).

It seems that she is kept on as a writer purely at the whim of Newman, who does not like her at all. The only reason he keeps her is that she is consistently rated the most popular writer on the magazine when it does periodic surveys. Letters, particularly favorable ones, help her to keep her job.

We cannot afford to lose one of the few libertarian voices in the national media. We suggest that fans of Miss Amiel write to Maclean's whenever a column or article of hers particularly impresses them.