Off base

I do love to read your magazine, but I would like to express displeasure with an item in the May 2015 issue. I am 52, well travelled, cultured and openminded and have lived around the world. Most important, I am of the generation that still finds the F-word shocking. I realized some time ago that the profanity spoken by celebrities during interviews needs to be transcribed word for word (I still prefer the gentle euphemism f**k), but finding the F-word in the news snippets that I love to read was highly disappointing. I refer specifically to the ELLE Radar piece “Barely Famous,” about Sara and Erin Foster. It was interesting and well written, but it was a shame to have to read the profanity in the final line. Why not rise above the crowd and provide an example of quality prose rather than sinking to the base norm? Jacqueline LaPlante, email