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Told Mountain

I am furious! James Wood revealed the plot and ending of ColdMountain in his review ("Gone With the Wind"). That's the last time I read a book review in Slate, folks. From a review, I want an impression of the book and an opinion, not all the details of the plot! If the author uses a plot with a surprise ending, he probably wants the reader to be surprised. Wood should not have done this; you should never have published his review. Can you change it now before you reveal the plot to other innocent readers like me?

--John Acton

Not Innocent

In "Today's Papers" for Dec. 24, Scott Shuger says the Washington Post made a rookie mistake for saying that Terry Nichols was "innocent" of bombing charges instead of "not guilty." Not so fast. The newspaper has a very good reason. According to the Associated Press stylebook, the manual for how reporters and editors should address varying concerns, one should "use innocent, rather than not guilty, in describing a defendant's plea or a jury verdict, to guard against the word not being dropped inadvertently." Now many other newspapers have their own styles, even when it comes to "innocent" vs. "not guilty." But the technical difference is secondary to possible libel concerns.

--Vince Tuss

Boise, Idaho

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