The Rift at Provincetown Arts
To the editor:
As the Independent can attest, when the subject of an article about the dramatic changes at Provincetown Arts came up, I expressed strong resistance to the idea. Close scrutiny of the situation, I believed, would do the magazine and Provincetown Arts Press no good.
But since it’s crucial that the newspaper remain true to its name, I recognized that the Independent had an obligation to report the story according to its own editorial judgment, despite my husband David Keller’s and my position as two of its investors. Nevertheless, as her article indicates, neither of us responded to reporter K.C. Myers’s phone calls and emails requesting comment.
Now Gail Mazur and Livia Tenzer have called me out by name in their Oct. 31 letter to the editor, suggesting that as a “backer” I am somehow responsible for the “one-sided” coverage of the debacle. And so I must respond directly.
In my resignation email quoted in the article I gave specifics about the staff hiring irregularities that caused grave concern on the board’s executive committee. There were also serious financial issues I did not detail. Several members of the board (including my husband) planned to contribute needed funds and to solicit sizable contributions from others. But the failure of the magazine’s editorial and production team to follow even some semblance of nonprofit best practices forced them to abandon their intention.
Given that the demands of their “letter of support” have been realized (replacement of the board with “new leadership”; re-hiring of Irene Lipton; appointment of Elizabeth Winston as senior editor), I remain baffled as to the reason for Mazur’s and Tenzer’s ongoing complaint. For although they may be experiencing “great relief” at the present outcome, those of us who’ve sincerely wanted what’s best for Provincetown Arts continue to be concerned for its future.
Mary Maxwell, Truro
Seniors or Juniors?
To the editor:
In your last email newsletter, you asked what readers thought about replacing your senior discount subscription rate with a discount for younger readers.
I’m all for a younger generation discount. They’re gonna be our saviors. We want them to think right!
Mary Wright, Wellfleet
