Still blaming the messengers
To The Editor:
Re “Villager wins 10 NYPA awards; Ranks No. 5 in state” (news article, April 14) and “Prisoner Purple: ‘Talkative’ con made cut for tree camp” (news article, April 28):
I am writing to protest the awarding of first place for News Story to Lincoln Anderson’s “The dark side of Purple.”
I knew Adam Purple. Adam Purple is dead and cannot speak for himself. It is clear to me that this best News Story is exactly that — a story, fiction. Lincoln responded to some information that came over the transom. There was no initial investigation. Just a publication of some salacious tales and papers identifying our Adam Purple as David Lloyd Wilkie and introducing his adult daughters, who haven’t fared that well in life.
Here, I am thinking of Roseanne Barr and her “repressed memories” of horrific sexual abuse at the hands of her father. It was all over the newspapers. Eventually, she realized her mind was playing tricks on her. I think her father forgave her. But our informants on Adam Purple say they never forgot for one minute. And they corroborate each other. But there are no pictures, no dildos (which the woman say Purple trained them with as little girls), no proof.
Lincoln graciously published a letter from me protesting the first article, “The dark side of Purple.” At that time, I predicted that he would eventually be ashamed of himself for publishing this story. He followed up that first article with two more — and now, most recently, an article on Adam’s prison records.
The thing that stands out in this last article is Adam’s protestations of innocence. The trial record is not yet known. We know he was convicted of doing something to a minor. The other thing that jumps out is that they put him on an agricultural camp — planting trees. Maybe it was soil reclamation. This is the beginning of Adam Purple. He said he was innocent. He asked to be repatriated. He came to Forsyth St.; thus began the Garden of Eden.
I don’t think the NYPA newspaper contest judges understand how iconic a figure Adam is. After George Bliss brought the world’s attention to the garden, it was featured in National Geographic, among many other media. The loss of that garden galvanized the community gardens movement.
Teachers would bring their classes to the garden. Adam taught hundreds of people about recycling and composting. In Adam’s more than 40 years on the Lower East Side, there was never a hint of anything like what The Villager articles describe.
The Villager did a beautiful job covering Adam’s memorial. Everybody says it’s unbelievable that he could have done these things — yet they believe it.
It is not my life’s work to exonerate Adam Purple — I’m just saying. I have no idea what motive these women have or who sent them to The Villager.
Laura Zelasnic
Editor’s note: Lincoln Anderson is not ashamed of having reported the true story of David Lloyd Wilkie a.k.a. Adam Purple’s previously unknown history of having sexually abused his stepdaughters and daughters and his serving time in prison in Australia for sexually attacking his oldest stepdaughter when she was 12. These four now-adult women are not “informants,” as the letter writer calls them — rather they are survivors. And, yes, their stories basically all do agree with each other — especially on the facts of Purple’s sexually abusing them. Yes, Adam Purple was an “icon” of the community gardening movement; but he is not the first icon or leader — nor will he be the last — to hide a dark secret about his life. Just look at the Oscar-winning movie “Spotlight” and its depiction of pedophile priests or the coverage of all the women accusing Bill Cosby, “America’s Dad,” of drugging and sexually abusing them years ago or former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s history as a serial child abuser. The letter writer wonders “what motive these women” have for coming forward now and sharing their stories about Adam Purple with The Villager. Their motive is simple: to tell the truth, and to help them heal from the suffering that Purple — a narcissistic predator — put them through and which has left them with lasting psychological and emotional scars, damage from which they have only recently started to heal. As one NYPA contest judge wrote of “The dark side of Purple”: “Excellent reporting, but even more kudos go to the victims for their bravery sharing their stories about this individual.”
Hard to stomach
To The Editor:
Re “Salad days for new business in old Bleecker pharmacy spot” (news article, May 2):
Just what we needed, another millennial shrine. No hospital, no first-run movie theater, few remaining bookstores, few supermarkets — but an expensive salad bar. Way to go.
Ava Sterling
Highly upsetting supertall story
To The Editor:
Re “Son of L.E.S. supertall; Second huge high-rise planned at Two Bridges” (news article, May 5):
The developer, JDS, is paying for all of the upgrades, improvements and flood protection — not Two Bridges Neighborhood Council or Settlement Housing Fund. They have yet to disclose where the profits are going, although required to do so by the state attorney general.
None of the profits are going toward improvements for 82 Rutgers Slip, which actually sits in front of the senior building — and suffered severe flood damage — mere feet from the East River.
What’s must disturbing is this building will sit atop a low-income, senior building where the average age is 90 and most do not speak
English but Chinese. Yes, this senior building will literally be the supertall’s foundation; hence, the need to remove apartments and attach support beams.
This new tower will actually be taller than the Extell’s and closer to 100 stories since it needs to rise and clear the senior building. In comparison, Extell almost looks…meh.
Noncontextual, out of scale, disrespectful to the area and the Manhattan Bridge — this is gentrification on steroids. Where are all the people who fought against the Hughes tower in the South Street Seaport?
This is not the right path for creating more affordable housing. Otherwise, let’s just build on every vulnerable senior building with the false notion that this is the only way to build housing. Something needs to be done now to prevent developers — both nonprofit and profit — from controlling the waterfront. Next, they’ll be asking to form a corporation or conservancy just for that purpose. This is just wrong on every level, and I hope the entire community pushes back.
Dean Lee
In Hillary, we trust
To The Editor:
Re “Vote Sanders and join the political revolution” (editorial, April 14):
I’ve been thinking about this, so here goes: Despite all the negative personal attacks —and your Bernie editorial — Hillary Clinton received more than 1 million votes and won the New York primary.
Wanna know why? Because she’s the real New Yorker and we like her and we trust her. She reflects our values. She’s done more for human rights than any of her detractors ever will. Believe me, she will be a really great president.
Sylvia Rackow
E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published.
