Creative block

Regarding Hunter Steele's current legal grouse with the Martin Alan Construction (your report, 24 April: as a composer and lyricist, I am no stranger to the pains of "writer's block".

However, as an American, I am even less of a stranger to frivolous and downright silly lawsuits, whereby a person refuses to take responsibility for his or her actions or failings.

With respect to Mr Steele's lack of sleep and chronic fatigue, I posit the noise may well have been the trigger of the author's creative frustration, but doubt it was the cause. Dig deeper, Mr Steele, to discover the real reasons why you may feel a bit dry.

Finally, if an artist is unable to create in a contemporary urban environment, with its traffic, sirens and construction din, then he or she should either seek the quiet of a library, don noise-cancelling headphones – or move to the countryside.

JEFFREY IZZO

Hawthornbank Lane

Edinburgh