Jonathan Jones, in his review of the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition (Letters, 10 June), describes Tracey Emin’s The Crucifixion as a “masterpiece … the greatest new painting that’s been seen since Lucian Freud died”. Spare us this spurious hyperbole! The art critic Robert Hughes will be turning in his grave. Or as Jim, the grumpy philosopher in The Royle Family, would say: “Masterpiece my arse!’
John Rattigan
Doveridge, Derbyshire
• Re Iain Fenton’s racked brain (Letters, 9 June), yes, Shakespeare did use “worser”, multiple times in a dozen different plays. Cleopatra: “I cannot hate thee worser than I do.” Juliet: “Some word worser than Tybalt’s death.” Gloucester to King Lear: “Let not my worser spirit tempt me again.”
Sally Smith
Redruth, Cornwall
• Youth hostelling taught me many things: love of landscape; friendship with strangers; how to jump from a top bunk on to a cushioned rucksack (If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a youth hostel to give their parents a break, 8 June).
Joan Bakewell
London
• If Uber are to replace London cabs with driverless taxis, as you report (10 June), who is going to dictate populist policy? Nigel Farage will need a new thinktank.
John Nash
Child Okeford, Dorset
• The most egregious Americanism is “guys” for people who manifestly are not (Letters, 9 June).
Ted Woodgate
Billericay, Essex
• Outage!
Martin Smith
Guildford, Surrey
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