A Letter From The Publisher: Jun. 21, 1963

OUR offices have been flooded with readers’ contributions since the appearance of TIME’S May 31 Modern Living story on Tom Swifties—the little book of adverbial puns by Paul Pease and Bill McDonough, inspired by the style of the old adventure stories. Some readers’ Swifties appeared in the Letters columns of June 7 and June 14, and still they come. A number of variations are right down our alley—says TIME, bowled over.

Some of them we call TIME Swifties. One appeared in the June 7 Letters column: ” TIME is the greatest,’ he said lucidly.” But there are more, such as:

“Egad! My subscription’s run out,” he cried TIMElessly—Daniel E. McGuire, Chicago.

“If I had the time, I’d invent a newsmagazine,” said Tom weakly—James I. Cook, Blawenburg, N.J.

Others we call ADverbs, because they relate to well-advertised products or services:

“It sounds like a cheese commercial,” said Tom Kraftily—Edward J. Brodhead, Wayne, N.J.

“While you’re up, get me a Grant’s,” he said fetchingly—Harry Grassian, Flushing, N.Y.

“And there’s no Angostura,” said Tom bitterly—Lynden Keating, Los Angeles.

“The laundry keeps coming out grey,” said mother Cheerlessly—Jerry Lerner, Park Forest, Ill.

We suspect there are hundreds of Swifty-sparked readers who haven’t been heard from. So, as an extra inducement for you to send in your inspirations, we’ve decided to offer five-year subscriptions to the TIME Reading Program as prizes for the best TIME Swifty and the best ADverb received by July 15th. Every two months for the next five years, winners will receive three or four books, especially selected by TIME’S editors for the importance of their ideas and the excellence of their writing. We may even award more than one prize in each category—for that’s the sort of thing that one would expect of a Tom Swift. In case of duplicates, the earliest postmark will determine which one gets the prize.

While you’re at it, we want very much to know how you read TIME. Front to back? Back to front? Cover to cover? And any other comments on your enjoyment of TIME will be most welcome (but in non-Swifty terms, please). “There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” says TIME’S reader research department—categorically.

Write us a postcard or note with as many TIME Swifties and/or ADverbs as you wish, your answers to our questions on how you read TIME, and any other comments you may want to add. Be sure to include your name and address. Send your entries to:

TIME Swifties Department

Room 2326-B

Time & Life Building

Rockefeller Center

New York 20, New York