Letters to the Editor

NOT IN THE SHADE

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for the very nice write-up and photo of Shade, which was included in the February issue [“Food for Love,” February 2003]. I appreciate the kind words and the support of your publication and was very pleased to see the photo of Shade front and center in the article on Valentine’s Day destinations.

Claire Smith
Houston

Smith owns the Heights restaurant with Russell Murrell.

FASHION CRAVING

I’m a NYC-based fashion photographer. I was recently in Houston on a shoot, and I picked up a copy of OutSmart magazine. Congratulations on a great local magazine. It looks great and it was a fun read!

Have you ever considered publishing a fashion magazine that’s targeted for the gay audience—“a more overtly gay A&F catalog,” if you will, featuring the same type of fashion editorials such as those printed monthly in Out and Genre magazines? The popularity of the A&F catalog proves that there is an audience for such a publication, and the magazine could showcase the most beautiful male models in the U.S., as well as the most prominent gay clothing designers and photographers.

Just an idea. Thanks!

Bruno Rand
New York City

TRANSITIONS

Noel Ruben Torres, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack on March 3, brought a welcome blast of sunshine whenever he stopped by our offices. Noel, who had long delivered the magazine in Galveston and Beaumont, always had a “Hey, sweetie” greeting—even for a staff member who had just joined OutSmart. (Never underestimate the value of that endearment on a difficult day.)

Some of us did not realize that Noel was an accomplished artist and designer. He graduated from Ball High School in Galveston, then studied fashion design at Galveston Community College and Houston Community College. At a gathering after his memorial service at Garza’s Kon Tiki, the bar displayed some of the exuberant creations he had made over the years.

Noel is survived by his partner Kendall Thomas of Houston, his mother Olivia of Galveston, and several uncles and aunts, other relatives, and friends. The family requests that donations in Noel’s name be made to the American Foundation for AIDS Research (www.amfar.org).

If you have any comments about this article, please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.