31.12.69

Good grief. This is some of the worst writing I have read in quite some time.

It calls to mind the advice of Coco Chanel, to look in the mirror before leaving the house and remove one accessory. Mr. Witteveld's writing style is the equivalent of wearing the entire contents of one's jewelry box, with a couple of scarves and a tiara thrown in for good measure. Please, Mr. Witteveld - place the thesaurus on the ground, and step back from it. Easy, now.

Mr. Witteveld theorizes that McCandless's detractors are envious of him, and of his adventures. I don't think that is true. I enjoy true-life stories of wilderness adventure - and I do, in a way, envy those who have spent a great deal of time in the wilderness. But I admire the likes of Dick Proenneke, Dick Griffith, and the other solitary adventurers who have survived by their wits and determination. There's nothing to envy in Mccandless's witless, pointless blundering.

And I assure you, no part of me, not even the smallest molecule, died with McCandless ...

Source: Alaska Dispatch