Professor of Philosophy Felicia Nimue Ackerman says she doesn't read the New York Times' sports section. But she seems to have something to say about everything else that appears in the paper - and knows just how to say it, too. Since 1987, Ackerman has had about 130 letters to the editor published in the Times.
"I just felt like writing about something," she said, "and I found it enjoyable, so I kept on doing it."
Ackerman, author of a few dozen academic articles, short stories and essays, also seems to have an unusual knack for letter writing. An avid reader, she reads the Times almost every day and has written to the paper on everything from bioethics to college admissions. In the last two years, the Times has published 23 of her letters.
"We are aware of Professor Ackerman's astonishing rate of success," wrote Thomas Feyer, letters editor at the Times, in an e-mail to The Herald. "Some letter writers seem to have mastered the art of letter writing better than others: they send us letters that are brief, timely, thoughtful, pointed and sometimes even amusing. Professor Ackerman has clearly mastered the art."
Ackerman, who holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, currently specializes in philosophy in literature, bioethics and moral psychology. Her greatest interest is in 15th century writer Thomas Malory, about whom she is writing a book she said should be out next year.
Most recently, Ackerman wrote to the Times on Nov. 11 in response to an article about diagnosing mental illness in children.
"I was interested to see that symptoms of mental illness in children include 'does not seem to listen when spoken to directly'; 'often leaves seat in classroom or when sitting is expected'; 'argues with adults'; 'skips school'; and 'often stays out late at night despite parents' rules,'" she wrote. "Perhaps if children had as much clout as parents and teachers, symptoms of mental illness in parents and teachers would include 'expects attendance and attention during boring speeches and lessons'; 'expects unquestioning obedience'; and 'makes unreasonable rules about staying home at night when there are more interesting things to do outside.'"
Ackerman said she dislikes the "therapeutic mentality" that equates eccentricity with sickness.
She also writes frequently on ageism and is quick to sense hypocrisy in popular conceptions. "One of my favorite topics is our society's eagerness to get rid of sick, old people," she said. "I'm trying to do something about (it) before I become one."
She said professors should not have to retire at a certain age, as they are often expected to now, but should be allowed to keep working as long as they can still do their job properly.
Ackerman's letters often take aim at a kind of unquestioned self-righteousness in society. She said she resents the common beliefs in society that there is a "scourge of obesity" and that people overeat because they have psychological problems.
"I used to be fat," she said, "and I overate because it was a hell of a lot of fun. And what's more, that can be a perfectly reasonable life choice, and I object to the war on obesity, which I really think is a war on fat people."
She also objects to "self-righteousness about smoking," although she said she is herself "almost allergic to cigarette smoke."
"But I'm even more allergic to the hot air blown by anti-smoking zealots," she said.
The Times publishes about 25 letters every day in its main section, and other special sections publish their own letters on a periodical basis. Ackerman said she has written to most of the special sections in addition to the main letters page.
Ackerman's letters are typically incisive, to-the-point and amusing, often turning an issue on its head in an unusual way.
Responding to an article by Ben Stein, Ackerman wrote in April 2005, "It's nice that Ben Stein has so many blessings to count ("First, Tame That Envy. Then Give Thanks," Everybody's Business, April 9). But I doubt that the one-size-fits-all advice, 'Instead of thinking about what you don't have, think about what you have,' would have the intended effect on someone who does have cancer and doesn't have health insurance."
Ackerman said she sometimes gets responses from people who read her letters and at least twice has sparked letters to the editor about one of her letters.
"I've met some interesting people and made some friends that way," she said, though she occasionally gets hostile letters.
Ackerman describes herself as a "mainstream liberal," with the exception that she is "very, very out of sympathy with environmentalism except where human health and welfare is concerned" - an opinion she admitted has been "extremely hard to get published."
"I'm concerned about pollution because it's dangerous for people with asthma, but I really could not care less about saving the snail darter," she said.
Though she writes mainly to the Times, Ackerman said she has had letters published in the Boston Globe, the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Utne Reader, Scientific American and probably some other publications.
Ackerman said she thinks letter-writing skills can be cultivated "to some extent," but urged potential writers to make sure they're prepared to fail.
"The main thing to keep in mind if you do take up writing letters is most of your letters will get rejected," she said. "If you can't take that, go into some other line of hobby."
