Friendly Letter

703 Churchville Road

Bel Air, MD 21014

September 3, 2010

Dear Sayde Paulson,

            My name is Sarah and I’m a student at John Carroll.  From what I’ve heard, your summer    was very interesting and so was mine!  I went to the Bahamas and spent long afternoons relaxing in the sun or scuba diving in the crystal clear Atlantic Ocean.  I also went to volleyball and photography camps, which are two of my favorite hobbies.  I spent the rest of the summer hanging out with friends and chilling by the pool!  I also went to an Orioles game!  Here I am at the game!

            Dramrama, by E. Lockhart, was a book I could relate to because I’ve been in theater for six years.  Theater can most definitely be a cold hearted and ruthless profession and you let that get to you which is the ultimate mistake.  You let people tell you that you weren’t good and you believed them!  You didn’t have enough faith and confidence in yourself!  You also got jealous too easily.  When Natalie mentioned about her career on Broadway didn’t you realize the negative things behind it?  She was never with her family and never got the chance to make any real friends!  What infuriated me was how you talked about her behind her back because of the jealousy, it was just wrong.

            The way E. Lockhart was able to show the downfall in theater made the book realistic.  Most times theater is mentioned no one seems to exaggerate the drama and prissiness of most people in the industry.  E. Lockhart was really able to show those attitudes in the book.  Camps like Wildewood exist and are all over the world which just adds to the reality of Dramarama.  Although the book is fictional, there are probably similar real life experiences people have encountered.   What really impressed me with E. Lockhart’s unique writing style was how she was able to easily show the disturbing truth behind theater, it’s merciless. 

            When you and Demi had your first fight, did you know there was more to come?  Also did you think your friendship with him would be over?  I think that was a major turning point in the story, because readers were starting to realize the downfall in theater.  E. Lockhart used a good amount of foreshadowing, which suggest more fights and mayhem to come. 

            When you and your friends were on the roof of the boy’s dorm drinking, I’m sure at the time it seemed fun, but do you have any idea how many teenagers are addicted to alcohol these days?  It’s a dangerous substance that kills millions every day!  Something else I didn’t think you handled well was Demi’s race.  You didn’t recognize the fact that he was African American.  Did you find it weird that he was a different race than you?  You should’ve told him how you felt.  I honestly have no idea how you feel about the matter, but it seemed like you didn’t like to acknowledge it.  Next time someone asks you if you want some beer or any type of alcohol you should remember the advice I gave you and tell them how irresponsible drinking can be.  When it comes to racial issues you should learn to accept absolutely everyone for who they are.

            Well, I have to get back to my busy Labor Day weekend!  I hope everything is going well in your life!  If you get a chance try and reply, but I’m sure you’re really busy with school and what not!  Well, I hope you follow my advice and you should know that you are talented!

Sincerely,

Sarah