The comma manifesto

Sir, – Regarding Frank McNally's droll piece about the use or non-use of the humble comma (An Irishman's Diary, November 21st), I'm reminded of that classic newspaper account of a documentary about country music legend Merle Haggard, which contained this quite ambiguous sentence: "Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall". I think the use of the Oxford comma in that particular sentence would have eliminated any misunderstanding about the relationship between Messrs Haggard, Kristofferson, and Duvall. – Yours, etc,

PAUL DELANEY,

Dalkey,

Co Dublin.