Dear Alan:

The wife and I visited BR on a whim today on our way up to Whole Foods on 86th. We had been once before, and remembered the ice cream at BRICS fondly. We were tickled to discover the "Vintage" Festival happening at the Park and enjoyed browsing the stalls and enjoying the music in the shade. And BRICS was well up to our memories: Cake Batter for her, Rainbow Sherbet for me.

But the real treat was picking up the Gazette, bringing it home here to Illinois, and enjoying every page. What a delightful journal! You bring both professionalism and enthusiasm to it, and have assembled a great roster of guest writers with vivid, distinctive voices. I especially enjoyed Nora Spitznogle's account of the Labor Day Street Fair, and C. W. Pruitt's surprisingly moving paragraphs and poem on St. Herman.

Bonus: I now know who Bobby Plump is, and have some new Sudokus to do as well.

Wish we were closer so I could be a regular reader, but I will certainly make a point of, and look forward to, picking up another copy when next we visit Indy! Thanks for making the end of my Labor Day weekend a real pleasure.

- Mark Dirksen, Champaign, IL