Correspondents were intrigued by our cover story on the Richest Women in Showbiz (PEOPLE, Aug. 30)—particularly by Madonna's observation (hat she considers herself "a middle-class Catholic girl deep down inside." But it was the bizarre tale of John Bobbin, whose wife. Lorena, cut off his penis, which drew the most impassioned letters—none of them envious.

RICHEST WOMEN
Madonna and Oprah Winfrey truly exemplify women at their best. They have proved one can be successful by using what's between her ears.
GEMMALYN UDASCO-SIU, San Francisco

I can respect Oprah, Dolly, Mary, Barbra and the rest. But Madonna? She may be "worth" $100 mil, but she presents herself as if she were bought at a nickel-and-dime store.
JEROME GONZALES, Sylmar, Calif.

Middle-class Catholic girl deep down inside? To release her, say a good Act of Contrition, five Hail Mans and ten Our Fathers. Forgive me, Lord, for giving her an idea for her next blasphemous video.
EVELYN T. FLORIO, Los Angeles

I thought this article would be loaded with insightful facts about how some talented women in Holly wood were resourceful business managers as well. What poppycock! Mary Tyler Moore credits her ex-husband with creating most of the wealth during his stewardship of MTM Productions. Then Goldie Hawn, who hasn't had a hit since 1980's Private Benjamin, is trolled out. I don't think anyone would imagine either of these two as keen and astute businesswomen.
MARJORIE LANCASTER, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Madonna may think having money is the best thing in the world, but I know that it's having a granddaughter—21-month-old Brenna Stonum. Hey, Madonna, you can't buy that!
MARILYN WOOD (Brenna's Grandma) Warrenton, Oreg.

JAMES JORDAN
Unfortunately, this is just another one the judicial system let slip through its fingers. If Larry Demery and Daniel Green had remained behind bars where they belong, James Jordan might still be alive. It's sad to know that you can't even rest at a rest stop.
LORRIE LAUCHLAND, Lodi, Calif.

THE BOBBITTS
Isn't it amazing that after all the years of women calling the police about abuse by husbands and the police doing pretty much nothing, the one time a woman decides to get revenge, the police run around like crazy looking for a penis and doctors operate for nine hours to replace it? Oh, the irony!
SARAH THOMAS, West Bloomfield, Mich.

Having been in agonizingly similar circumstances to Lorena Bobbin's, I have only one question for Lorena:
"Why didn't you use the garbage disposal?"
NAME WITHHELD

Lorena Bobbitt is a sick and troubled woman. The people who "hailed her as some kind of heroine" are even sicker. If her husband did rape her, there are proper channels to bring him to justice. Should we cut off her hands for what she has done?
KATHLEEN M. SULLIVAN, Coventry, R.I.

This is one woman who is not writing in support of what Lorena Bobbitt did to her husband. I'm shocked that she could be so angry for what he did to her and then turn right around and abuse him. Tell me, what makes her different from him?
DEBBIE STAAKE, Grand Junction, Colo.

Could you please explain to me how clitoridectomy has been a horrendous fact of life for hundreds of thousands of women, and one man's penis gets whacked off (for alleged rape, no less!) and it's national news? Our worship and idolization of the penis only reinforces the greater value of male sexuality and the neglect and contempt for female sexuality.
KRISTIN M. SIEBRECHT, Knoxville, Tenn.

MISS TEEN USA
Thank you, Charlotte Lopez! It's about time someone spoke positively about foster care. I am a happily married mother of one who was a product of a foster home. I'm thankful every day for my foster parents. I just hope Charlotte can bring more loving parents to the foster-care system.
BROOKEEDWARDS, St. Marys, Ga.

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Notes and Corrections
A review of the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack album mistakenly attributed the song "Makin' Whoopee" to Jimmy Durante. The soundtrack version was recorded by Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones.

We reported in Passages that Clint Eastwood and Frances Fisher had welcomed their new baby, Francesca Ruth, in Carmel, Calif. In fact, they did, since that is where Eastwood has a home. But the child was born in Redding, Calif., as several proud Redding residents wrote to point out.