The New York Times mag fills a front-of-book page with a grab bag of the week's correspondence. Some of the people they print are mad, some are sad, and some are impressed. Who are these people? Why did they decide to write in? Did they read whatever they're writing about during brunch? Or, was it on a porch! Gawker Weekend will provide you with that back story.

This week, we check in with Veronica Buckman, a religious, conservative-minded mother of four from Alpharetta, Georgia. Ms. Buckman grew concerned when she read the magazine's feature on college porn mags two weeks ago, and she wanted to let other parents know that they ought to do a lot of research before they shell out 100 grand for their kids' education. Ms. Buckman was positively delightful when we reached her on the phone this afternoon, and explained to us with genuine warmth and conviction that although she has no problem with naked bodies or adolescent rebellion, she has reservations about any university administration that would fund pornography.

Our interview after the jump.


Why did you write this letter to the New York Times Magazine?
 I consider myself conservative, but I'm very open-minded and I'm actually kind of a realist about society and the shades of gray out there. But with this, it was more a personal sort of thing, in that I have a child in college, I have two more going to college soon, and I work as a volunteer in the college and career center at my kid's high school. Those who don't know yet have children, they may think it's all funny and in good fun, this article in the New York Times, but when it comes to actually paying for college, well, it's very expensive. I wanted to let them know, these parents, that we can use the very tools the kids are using—the computer, the internet—and we can dig deeply into the websites of the colleges themselves.

Your letter was pretty subtle. What were you trying to say?
 I wasn't casting judgment upon the young people who are doing these sorts of things, per se, although I sort of was. I'm not sure I approve of it. Even though Harvard is probably the best learning institution we have in America, some people might not want their students in that sort of environment, when those things are approved by the administration. Meaning the pornography.

In the letter, you call yourself an "uptight" parent. Why did you call yourself that?
 I'm actually not uptight at all. That's actually the funny thing. I'm actually not uptight at all. Listening to my kids' music, I think it's great. I live in the South. I live in the hip hop capital of the country. Well, one of them. I'm open to different kinds of art and culture. I think the human body is beautiful. I have nothing against nudity. But nudity and pornography are not the same thing. I'm trying to bring my kids up, especially my daughters, to be virtuous.

So you like the rap your kids listen to?
 I like to know what's going on with the kids. I think being a little radical, a little outside the box, those are good things and that's what you're supposed to do in college. I don't have any problem with nudity or people, um, learning about each other. But when a school starts paying for pornography, that's where I draw the line. And I think other parents would do.

At the end of your letter you say that a college newspaper is a "great way to get the 'feel' of a school," and "feel" is in quotations. Was that a joke on purpose?
 I did that, yes. Again, I was trying to be subtle and let people know that I understood. You get the feel of the school by reading what's going on. By reading the crime reports. What are the kids writing about? What are they talking about in their school? That's what I want to know. What are they worried about? That's how you get a feel for the school.

But "feel" was a joke you were making, about the pornography.
 Sort of. But then again it wasn't. Just like "uptight." I'm uptight but I'm not uptight. I'm just a regular mom, trying to do what's best for my kids.