5 DECEMBER 1987, Page 34

Intellectual corpses

Sir: Wendy Cope (Television, 21 Novem- ber) seems to think it acceptable to review and condemn a programme — Thinking Aloud — without having taken the trouble to see it. I can only assume she would richly enjoy having her poetry publicly trashed by a reviewer who'd only bothered to read the jacket blurb.

Could you please tell her to do her job properly? We have a show on Zionism on 10 December and on Evil on 17 December, which will allow her to see for herself whether I do indeed run a morgue for intellectual corpses — as she so ludicrously supposes.

Michael Ignatieff

37 Baalbec Road, London N5