16 | Rolling Stone | March 2020
MICKH
UTSON/
REDFERNS/GETTYIMAGES@dedre001:
I would gladly
pay for a
poster size
to be in my
living room.Correspondence + LOVE LETTERS & ADVICE
Lizzo’s Relentless Joy
“Women have the right to feel good as hell about
themselves, as they are,” wrote Melissa Blake.
“Lizzo is telling us that on the cover of ROLLING
STONE. Are we going to listen?” Self-love wasn’t the
only thing holding readers’ attention. Izzy Novaes
wrote, “Thankful for her body-positivity, but also for
genuine song lyrics.” Conor Behan tweeted, “The
cover piece is an excellent sum-up of how she got
to such a specific point in pop culture.” As for the
haters, Sophie Edwards responded, “Lizzo making
people uncomfortable because their privilege is
under attack — keep it up.”For our February cover [“The Joy of Lizzo,” RS 1336],
the pop superstar opened up to senior writer
Brittany Spanos on self-love and heartaches that
paved the way for success. Readers couldn’t get
enough of her positivity, or David LaChappelle’s
photos. “I love seeing how commanding she is,”
wrote Lena Oliver. “All around so excited for more
of this energy in 2020.” Jonathan Leon wrote, “Fi-
nally, a photographer that isn’t trying to cover her
up. The glory!” Megan Crabbe put it simply: “This is
art.” Others found empowerment. “I wish I had one
percent of her confidence,” Roberta Rox wrote.
“2019 was
the Year of
Lizzo. It’s
hard to find
a current
pop artist
who is more
positive, fun,
or infectious
than she is
right now.”
—Marcus Hecht, via TwitterRadioactive
America
Thank you ROLLING STONE and Justin Nobel
for doing the work so badly needed to get
this deadly hazard out in the public’s view
[“America’s Radioactive Secret,” RS 1336].
The oil-and-gas industry must be held
accountable.
—Sandra Steingraber, via FacebookAllowing roads to be sprayed with
radium-laced [oil-and-gas] byproducts
as a de-icing agent and comparing it to
the potassium in a banana just about
captures the current state of the EPA.
—Jeffrey Kirkwood, via TwitterLetters to ROLLING STONE, 475 Fifth
Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0298.
Letters become the property of ROLLING
STONE and may be edited for publication.
Email: [email protected]
Subscriber Services: Call 800-283-1549.CONTACT USREACTIONReaders Respond to Rush Drummer’s Death
The shocking death of Rush
drummer and lyricist Neil Peart —
who succumbed to brain cancer
at the age of 67 on January 7th
— spurred an outpour of grief
from our readers. Our obituary
garnered nearly 2 million page
views, causing readers to share
their memories of Rush concerts
and express how much the drum-
mer meant to them. “First time I
saw Rush,” wrote a fan on Twitter,
posting a photo of a ticket stub
from a 1981 show in Atlanta. “My
senior year of high school. Wecamped overnight at the mall for
tickets. My mom came to take me
home. I wouldn't go.” “I am actu-
ally crying hard in my office right
now,” Steve wrote, while Jaime
posted, “Bawling like he was my
family. But, in a way, he was —
to everyone that listened, loved,
and related to his music.” Zach
Walentiny also wrote, “The loss of
Neil hit me pretty hard, and it still
feels fresh. I’ve been listening to
Rush every day, and I don’t think
a loss of a musician has made me
as emotional as losing Neil.”Hottest Music
Scenes Today
“Nobody wants to be referred to as the
next Austin [“The Best Music Scenes Right
Now,” RS 1336]. Not saying Austin isn’t
wonderful, just that Tulsa strives to be a
better Tulsa. Thanks for the ink though.
—Sonny Dalesandro, via TwitterIt’s important that the music world and the
country at large know that Portland, Maine,
isn’t “just all white people and Bean boots.”
It’s great to see our talent being recog-
nized, and if you haven’t heard of these
folks, search them out and get familiar.
—Mosart Nunez, via Facebook