I just have to respond to Rybczynski's comment that "the inflexible single rooms, basement common rooms, and rather austere architecture of Morse and Stiles have never been popular with Yale students." This couldn't be farther from the truth! Whether or not Morse and Stiles were the most desirable living spaces after their construction (they were - students of the '60s wanted singles), and whether or not they are popular among non-Morsels and Stilesians (they aren't - those other kids don't know what they're missing), Rybczynski misjudges the appeal of the single room. Who wouldn't want a spacious single with a beautiful built-in desk and walk-in closet? We Morsels may not all agree our college is beautiful on the outside - but the desks and closets sure treat us well, and the "inflexible" single rooms are always the most sought-after housing.

It must be said, in response to Rybczynski, that when the architects in charge of renovating Morse proposed changing those inflexible single rooms, uprooting their desks and closets and shoving students into doubles to make single-room-sized common rooms, a whole crowd of fellows, alumni, and students protested the plans. The proposed renovations will go forward, and some changes I'm sure will be for the better - but overall, I and many others wish the architects would leave this under-appreciated Saarineen creation alone.

Stiles and Morse are quite wonderful.

It's remarkable, and I guess a sign of the degree to which the misnomer pop "culture" has replaced culture in our disintegrating and myopic national discourse, that johnny one-notes like aretha franklin and "The Simpsons", for example, are taken as benchmarks of culture while the creative genius of Saarinen and other truly brilliant artistic pioneers [paul sills is one] is largely forgotten.

"a sign of the degree to which the misnomer pop "culture" has replaced culture in our disintegrating and myopic national discourse"

Wow, I'm generally of the opinion that American culture peaked between 1920 and 1970, but your comment still took me aback.

I think you romanticize the past a bit here. Comparing architecture to soul music and situation comedies doesn't make a lot of sense, and in Saarinen's day, you probably would have been griping about Pattie Page and Ozzie & Harriet being too popular while Stanford White had been "forgotten" by the rabble.

Aretha may be a one-note, but it's a hell of a note that influenced two generations of singers that came afterwards. And the Simpsons is such a hotbed of writing talent that it will be viewed and picked apart for decades (if not centuries) to come.

aretha franklin was a no-talent screamer whose "influence" can most directly be found in the sound of the air raid sirens that sound every Tuesday. I couln't care less how popular any of the people you mentioned are or were [although Ricky Nelson was a helluva lot better singer than franklin]. It's the notion that their contributions are cultural indices of America that is sad. The extraordinarily prolific Saarinen could have done what aretha did, but used his limited time and multiple gifts much more wisely. What you call soul music was beneath him. See Leonard Bernstein's children's concert recording on it on it to understand its proper place. The notion that johnny one-[screaching] notes like franklin are popular is no surprise. The notion that they represent our culture is tragic.

As for comparing architecture and soul screaching or television cartooning [the simpsons doesn't even reach the heights of situation comedy], I agree with you: there is no comparison, only contrast. But many culturizers do celebrate them as culture, and think only of the architects they dislike, often because they weren't able to find the bathroom soon enough in one of his or her buildings.

And the simpsons is simply insipid.

"aretha franklin was a no-talent screamer whose "influence" can most directly be found in the sound of the air raid sirens that sound every Tuesday."

Ahh-he-he-h--wait, that wasn't even remotely funny. No wonder you don't get the Simpsons.

"although Ricky Nelson was a helluva lot better singer than franklin"

Apples and oranges, though I agree Rick Nelson is way underrated.

But many culturizers do celebrate them as culture, and think only of the architects they dislike, often because they weren't able to find the bathroom soon enough in one of his or her buildings.

"Culturizers"? Whatever. I'm glad that I have high culture, middlebrow culture, and yes, low culture in my life. You have obviously transcended the need for anything other than the highest of the high culture. Good for you.

I agree that achitect bashing seems to be a favorite sport of people who know nothing about architecture, and want to gripe because some building they have to work in doesn't meet their every need. There's this laughably naive notion that architects always get carte blanche from beginning to end of any project they take on, and that every defect in a building is the direct result of the architect not putting aside his or her ego and thinking of the needs of people who have to use the building.

Well, apparently we agree on something.

Delight in your cartoons------dude. And try to get aretha some help.