To the Editors:

In his discerning review of William S. McFeely’s book on the death penalty [NYR, January 20], Russell Baker states that “Florida now stands second only to Texas in the number of people put to death by a single state.” It may pain Mr. Baker to know that his (and my) native state of Virginia has drawn far ahead of Florida to claim this dismal honor.

William Styron
Roxbury, Connecticut

This Issue

March 23, 2000