September/October 1998
This issue marked the final appearance of the call for entries for the ill-fated student design competition, where young people were encouraged to design a prototype cd package with a chance to win a trip to Morocco. The competition was sponsored by Fraser Papers and Royal Air Maroc, and that's where the problems began. Fraser's agency worked closely with the ad's designer and wrote all of the copy and rules for the contest announcement, which was published in Speak #9. Unfortunately, the company also included the telephone number of Speak's New York advertising director as a competition contact, and instructed her to collect entrant's names and promote Fraser. For obvious reasons this was not OK. I removed the number before printing, which caused no small amount of tension. Fraser was also upset that the back flap of the competition insert was printed with illustrations from Speak's art director. (The company wanted to pass out extra inserts and found them distracting.) But at least Fraser fulfilled its end of the agreement—payment for insert printing as well as for an additional Fraser ad.

The contest was judged and winners selected more than a year ago. But Royal Air Maroc, the competition's other sponsor, has not yet awarded the tickets. The company received a free ad, as well as an on-page sponsorship on all contest materials, yet no one there can recall making an agreement. (Of course the company's ad material didn't just drop out of the sky and into the magazine.) A lawsuit will be more costly than the airplane tickets, and I'm not even certain Speak is the one who should sue.

Legal advice can be forwarded to Speak, all other inquiries should directed to:

Royal Air Maroc president Mr. M. Benkirane
55 E. 59th Street, 17th floor
New York, NY 10022
212-974-3850

or

Mr. Hanine Arouze
800 Brickell Avenue, Suite 301-C
Miami, FL 33131
305-372-2727.

Content
Interviews with defense attorney Tony Serra, author Catherine Texier, filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker, and musician Billy Bragg

The Insomniac: a personal and historical journey into the night.

Talent Shows: behind the scenes of a high school musical.

"Red Shoes": fiction by Ron Tanner.

A Matter of Taste: a journal at the center of the current memoir craze.

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