Speak for yourself
Sir: In his review of the biography of Jorge Luis Borges by James Woodall (Books, 29 June), David Sexton says that Borges's lack of sexual experience was a trauma for him, `particularly in the macho culture of Argentina, which prizes sodomy so, never mind anything else'. I was born in Argenti- na, and lived half of my life there. That particular aspect of the culture was never apparent to me, nor have I found any refer- ence to it in any serious essay on the coun- try. Given that Argentine slang has only two expressions related to sodomy, while English offers a dazzling array of options, it would be hard to say which culture cherish- es the activity more.
David Sexton might have visited Argenti- na, and he could be referring to his own personal, painful experience. Nonetheless, it is not wise to draw general conclusions on the basis of isolated incidents.
Guillermo Gil 11 Alwyne Place, London N1
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