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A direct mail piece written for Utne magazine by Bill Jayme in 1984 has bested its toughest competitor and remains the magazine's control.

The piece, which begins “Utne rhymes with chutney,” was challenged last year by the so-called “Jay letter” (named after former editor Jay Walljasper), but Jayme prevailed — almost four years after his death.

“Pay-up in late efforts was the difference,” said circulation director Jeremy Wieland. “Furthermore, by experimenting with both a $10 hard and a $12 soft, we've been able to knock $5 off the cost of acquisition. We're cooking now.”

The Jayme letter had long been Utne's control, but the magazine stopped mailing at the end of 2000, returning last year (Direct, Oct. 1, 2004). The letter also states that Utne is “fun to read in the tub.”

The Jay letter starts: “We're not owned by a media conglomerate — or one of the political think tanks or lobbying groups.”