Lee Harvey Oswald killed John F. Kennedy!
That was the judgment rendered by the Isaac Asimov Super Quiz on July 17.
“As most of us know,” wrote Emily Anfinson, “Oswald was arrested on suspicion of killing Kennedy, but Oswald was killed before he could be charged.”
Inexplicably, the error was not in the corrections column.
Glenn Mott, managing editor of King Features, which distributes the Asimov quiz, calls the reader’s complaint “overreading. The government is satisfied that it was Oswald.”
The quiz is intended as entertainment, Mott contends. As proof, he points out that editors tell him when they suggest to readers that the quiz should be dropped because of its errors the response is: “Don’t. It’s fun catching the errors.”
Mott would like to advise readers who “overread.” He gropes for the proper words.
He searched for them this week in answering a complaint from Dennis Lien, a University of Minnesota librarian, that three of the nine July 20 answers were wrong:
Boris Karloff portrayed this famous monster created from various body parts. A: Frankenstein.
Lien said, “Frankenstein, in both book and movie, was the name of the doctor, not of the (unnamed) monster he created.”
Mott answered: “The first important Frankenstein film was James Whale’s ‘Frankenstein,’ shot in 1931. It provided the definitive lasting visual image of the Frankenstein monster: To most people Boris Karloff as the Monster is synonymous with Frankenstein.”
This monster first appeared in the 1922 film, “Nosferatu.” A: Dracula.
Lien wrote: ” ‘Nosferatu’ was clearly based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel but the name, ‘Dracula,’ never appears; the vampire is called ‘Count Orlock.’ ”
Mott’s reply: ” ‘Nosferatu’ is indeed the earliest surviving screen adaptation of Stoker’s Dracula.”
The creature (James Arness) in this 1951 film was an alien menace able to assume any form. A: “The Thing.”
Lien’s argument: “This is a fair description of the creature in the original novelette from which the film was made, but not of the character in the 1951 movie.”
Mott said: “Lien is technically correct.”
The quiz is prepared by Ken Fisher, a freelancer with permission from Asimov’s estate. Isaac Asimov died April 6, 1992. He was the preeminent popular-science writer of his day.
Comment: I’m troubled that a lower standard of accuracy is acceptable for any part of the newspaper. The saving grace is that it is on the comic page.
Has merit, but . . .
Anne Herwig makes a valid pitch for publishing the photographs of National Merit Scholars.
There are three separate releases of the scholars. The most prestigious receive $2,500 awards. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. says they “are students judged to have the greatest potential for success in rigorous college studies.”
That list, published May 1, had 53 names.
Herwig’s case: “If these kids had been voted as the best football or basketball players in the state, they would have had their pictures in the paper. These students deserve at least as much. If you truly believe what you say in your editorials, that education is a priority in this state, [their photographs should be published].”
Herwig’s idea is seconded by Maureen McCarthy, supervisor of education coverage. But the rub is the gathering of the photographs.
Students are not asked to submit photos by the sponsoring organization. Gathering them could delay publication for weeks after the names appear. Holding the release that long would be an incubator for legitimate reader complaints.
Lost in transit
Gary Fouty said the July 15 “Q&A on the news” had a “very nice analysis of the proper use of ‘Islamic’ and ‘Muslim,’ noting that Islamic refers to the faith and that it is inappropriate to say ‘Islamic people.’ Instead, refer to Muslims or ‘Muslim men.’ ”
But an Associated Press article on page A3 referred to “Islamic militants and extremists.”
Comment: Embarrassing.
Bouquet of petals
The July wordsmith winner is Gene Vader.
He spotted the July 12 story about salesman Jim Sorenson trying to peddle a new golf club.
The story said: “Sorenson traveled from club to club trying to pedal the Swing Trainer.”
– The reader representative catches bouquets and brickbats from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 612-673-4450. Outside the metro area call 800-827-8742. He can be contacted at readerrep@startribune.com.
