Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25036
W.MI[Wlc.l§~lWi.lm§glQ§'WIl!lQ.~[l..Q'l...!=t!J.!.l:wl:@gl~!NJand my first issue was about adventures in Cuba! This intrigued me because I also happen to be a Cuban, After reading al l the Cuba articles, I feel both happy and sad, As a Cuban exile since 1960, I have weighed the effects of the US embargo against the atrocities committed by Fidel Castro against my people and the harsh, repressive measures taken against my own family and I sti ll believe that the embargo should be ended, My reasons for ending the embargo are not, as you observe in the Cont[in)ents section, for allowing "everyone [to) get in on the [Cuba) action," but because I believe that without the embargo as Castro's weapon against democracy and "Yankee Imperialism," the few Cuban residents who truly support Fidel wil l no longer have an enemy, Without the enemy/embargo, Castro 's personal f inances will surely improve (which is what infuriates most exiles) but simultaneously his hold on the Cuban residents will also surely weaken, and bring about the inevitable end to the tragedy of 'the revolution! As strange as this sounds, I truly believe that Castro is one of the embargo's staunchest supporters! I guess you and I and many others want the embargo ended, and my reasons are as selfish as anyone else's, But over the years, I have only dreamed one dream with Cuba: someday, I can walk in La Habana, without fear, with my parents, hands in mine, I can finally know the place of my birth and their cherished Cuban Camelot! Gladys A. Grasso Miami , FL PS: Like anyone else, I would also like to save and enjoy what 's left of Cuba's many resources ! Thanks for bringing Cuba closer to me, through your maga- zine! I especially liked the piece Kayaking a Sea of Dreams; it moved me to tears, For a deeper look into the Cuban experience, I invite you to someday feature the adventures found in La Habana's twin city-Miami! Kudos to blue! I have to admit to something: didn't like blue when I first came across it. It seemed much too hip, much too new and, worst of all, much to aware of what all this flashiness could achieve. I figured that what it lacked in substance it covered over with style, and, to be honest, the first few pages of that October issue did nothing to prove me wrong. I bought It anyway. I'm a sucker for magazines that mention the Pacific Northwest. Over the last few months, I've gained some perspective on my apparent problem. In fact, I've come to think that I was very wrong about blue. As I read the articles on Tajikistan and the Northwest, I branched out to the ones next to them. When I'd eventually read everything but the snowboarding ads, I realized that there was something more than flash here. What may have been most appealing was that blue united so many of my interests in one magazine, thereby filling what seemed to be a noticeable void in the market. But that it could intermesh a distinctive voice with this substance, never once allowing its irreverence to collapse to irrel- evance, was equally impressive. While it is perhaps your concept which sets blue apart, it is this style that makes the concept come alive. blue has come to be one of my favorite magazines. McKenzie Funk Swarthier, PA SURFING I am writing on behalf of your Letter from the Founder [blue May/June 1998) on your pursuit of surfing and how it has taught you some invaluable lessons in life, I am a 29-year-old woman born in midwest Canada and am freelancing as a musician in Toronto presently. My only exposure to surfing growing up was through a Huckleberry Hound cartoon, and it wasn't until I visited my sister in Hawaii that I witnessed this mystical, unbelievable sport, I was hooked instant- ly and managed to get back to Hawaii a few times to re-experience this new passion, Anyway, I've had to put these desires to surf out of my mind, basical- ly due to lack of $ and geography, Then I read your letter and it really made me rethink my priorities and made me realize how important it is to pursue a pas- sion, anything that has some meaning in one's life, Until I surfed, I never thought I had that in me, Slowly I've started making changes in my life, I'm going to art school and weaning myself off the music life, which doesn't satis- fy me anymore, I'm planning a surfing vacation, inspired by yours, I do believe pursuing this will give me that much more belief in myself that I can have the life I want. Thanks for that. As a woman, sometimes you definitely need that push from a fellow sister, Not enough role models out there, Maya de Forest Toronto, Canada I would like to congratulate you and your staff on the success of bluel It is by far the most interesting, well-rounded magazine I have come across in recent years. For years, I've been frustrated with the fact that none of the magazines I've worked with appeal to the sort of lifestyle I've been chasing. Finally, there is an adventure magazine that is intelligent and inspiring. I especially appreciate how blue illustrates the political and cul- tural landscapes of each region covered ... inspiring your readers to travel boldly, responsibly and with a sensitivity that has been lost and no longer encouraged in other newsstand publications. Alejandro Palest Crested Butte, CO ROBERT YOUNG PELTON wrote about me in was on you boarded to cross the Uzbek-Tajikistan frontier and you rode with us as far as Penjikent. I was absorbed by your article, loved your writing style and found your description of our group-alas- accurate. I hope we ride on the same bus again some day. All the best and keep a reasonable distance between yourself and dan- ger. Barbara Cunliffe Singleton Yellow Springs, OH