Page images
PDF
EPUB

All of which is highly commendable it is refreshing to find so much vitality. After all, writing and keeping a job also is useful if it can be done, for often the job gives material for the writing. However, we understand equally the plight of the people who want to write and yet are too weary to do so when they return from the day's labors that finding of any excuse to convince the mind that tonight is not the night to write. Well do we know it. But that method never wrote a novel yet.

Why more public spirited citizens do not conceive the idea of buying editions of books and presenting them to worthy institutions and sections of the public, we don't know. It is certainly an intelligent and worthwhile philanthropy. Eldridge R. Johnson of Camden, New Jersey, has recently ordered a special edition of ten thousand copies of James M. Beck's "The Constitution of the United States". He did this so that schools and libraries in all parts of the country might possess a copy of it. The President of the United States has written a special foreword for the edition, commending both the book and Mr. Johnson's spirit in making the gift. President Coolidge says, in part, in his foreword:

It is of first importance that the study of the Constitution should be an essential part of the education of the American youth. The public spirit of an eminent American, Eldridge R. Johnson, in making possible a Iwide distribution among educational institutions of James M. Beck's "Constitution of the United States", deserves public recognition and commendation.

The Constitution is not self-perpetuating. If it is to survive, it will be because it has public support. Such support is not a passive but an active operation. It means making adequate sacrifice to maintain what is of general benefit.

The Constitution of the United States is the final refuge of every right that is enjoyed by any American citizen. So long as it is observed, those rights will be secure. Whenever it falls into disrespect or disre

pute, the end of orderly government, as we have known it for more than one hundred and twenty-five years, will be at hand. The Constitution represents a government of law. There is only one other authority and that is a government of force. Americans must make their choice between these two. One signifies justice and liberty: the other, tyranny and oppression. To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race.

The entire smoking car of a train running through western Pennsylvania suddenly became violent over a matter intellectual. "S-c-a-r-a-b", shouted the large man in the light grey suit to the lounging brakeman. "There ain't no such word", insisted one. "It's a town in Africa. I know. My wife looked it up the other night!" volunteered another. A small quiet young man with a small quiet voice ventured the opinion that maybe it was a stone beetle. "Ha, ha, ha!" chorused the crowd. "Stone beetle." "Says here, 'an Egyptian token"" the speaker poked the young man in the ribs. "Hear the little squirt! 'Scarab' ain't no word I tell you. You got the wrong word." So, the cross word puzzle progresses across the length and breadth of the land. The novelist and poet Clement Wood, originally of Birmingham, Alabama, now of Hastings-on-Hudson, where he has not quite lost lingual characteristics of the south the novelist and poet, as we started to say informs us that he has made four cross word puzzle books. That's quite a few. He has also written and sold a large number of poems recently, has a book on American poetry about to be published, and has completed several new novels. We think it was several. Clement Wood is one of these violent black haired southerners. He can be quite as pleasant as the next man, yet he occasionally rises to his feet in a

place like the Poetry Society of America and uses his voice in protest such as is seldom heard in ancient and honorable gatherings. Deep in our soul we know that if we came from the south instead of the north we'd probably do the same thing. The protesters, the violent ones, they have their places. They serve to keep the rest of us a little disturbed, and it's a good thing not to be too comfortable. We liked Mr. Wood's book "Nigger" better than many another story of the same general sort. We find his poetry filled with vigor. He told us that he sang Negro spirituals the other day to a company including Zuloaga and Stefansson. We heard him sing them once, too. Surely the famous Spaniard will take back to the land of sunshine and bull fights memories of curious and yet melodious bellowings. Most of all we are grateful to Clement Wood for convincing us that a poet can be strenuous.

Every time we go to Cleveland we miss Ted Robinson, but this time we succeeded in talking to him over the phone. At any rate, he has promised to send us notes of Cleveland authors. Cleveland has proved itself to be an amazingly live place intellectually, with its tremendous reception of "The Miracle", its fine clubs, its paying little theatre, its real personality as a town. Here are a few gossip bits from that enterprising city!

A catalogue of the armor collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the beautiful books of the season. It is published by the Museum, and written by Helen Ives Gilchrist, Cleveland author and art expert. The book (which is the second notable volume to be issued by the Museum) is a handsome volume in handmade paper, bound in white vellum and marbled paper and illustrated with more than fifty full page photogravure plates and many small drawings in the text the latter, the work of Theodore Sizer of the Museum. Miss

Gilchrist first began the study of armor while at work at the Museum. She later continued research in France, and secured her Master's degree at Columbia on a thesis she wrote on the subject which had long engaged her attention.

The Sublime Jester", by Ezra Brudno, published this season by Nicholas L. Brown, is the sixth of this Cleveland writer's novels. Mr. Brudno is a practising attorney of Cleveland, with offices in the Society for Savings Building. In creating the character of his hero, Albert Zorn, the author has followed the life of Heinrich Heine.

A revival of the successful dramatization of Charles S. Brooks's novel "Luca Sarto' was given at the Playhouse, Cleveland, in December. The author, who is a director of the Playhouse, was present, together with Clayton Hamilton, who has been giving a series of lectures in Cleveland. The Playhouse group of players also produced "Makers of Light", and its author, Frederick Day, and Professor George P. Baker (now of Yale) made a pilgrimage to Cleveland to see the production. The play was constructed in Professor Baker's famous "47 Workshop" at Harvard, but its only extended production so far has been at the Playhouse, which revived it this winter after an extremely successful run last season.

The fourth number of "The Book of the Rhymers' Club" has just been issued. The Rhymers' Club of Cleveland is an interesting and perhaps unique organization. Its membership is limited to ten, and the contents of its Book (a periodical issued three or four times a year) consist entirely of verse written by the members. Each poem appearing must have passed the test of severe criticism by the membership and a unanimous vote of acceptance. The membership at present consists of the following poets: John French Wilson, Helen Ives Gilchrist, Edwin Meade Robinson, Carr Liggett, Harmon C. Wade, Margaret Sumner Stevens, G. A. Stevens, Dorothy E. Reid, Norman Kirchbaum, and Herman Fetzer.

From Peoria, Illinois, Dell Nelson Leach sends us "Poems and War Letters" by William James Leach. She has published them as a memorial to Mr. Leach who died in the midst of his services as a Methodist minister. They are honest, inspirational verses, and the letters give clearly and with some humor the viewpoint of a war worker.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

THE

BOOKMAN

JOHN FARRAR, Editor

THE POINT OF VIEW

PORNOGRAPHY AND THE

T

AUDIENCE

HE New York press rose in a storm,

finding the climax of the current dramatic pornographies a play in which the leading lady adopts the language of brothel and street. The first night audience greeted this piece with loud and hearty laughter; but, after all,

plays are not written for the particularly calloused folk who grace theatrical premières. The question to be considered concerning all these dramas of sex and strong language is how later audiences will receive them. Take for example Eugene O'Neill's "Desire Under the Elms", which cannot be placed in the group under discussion. For although many critics have not ranked it with other examples of the great dramatist's work, there is no questioning its fundamental sincerity and the beauty of its writing. One of these well known critics speculated recently as to the reasons for the continued success of this play. When it moved from Greenwich Village to one of Broadway's large theatres, it began to do ex

cellent business. Was it art? Or did Broadway find something in it at which to snigger? The answer is easy for one who goes to a performance. Seldom in any New York theatre has so ill behaved a crowd of theatregoers been observed. They let forth hysterical giggles, they read obscene meanings into lines where there was obviously no evil they behaved exactly like a group of intent. They gasped, they giggled, high school boys at an improper side show in the country districts. O'Neill's art, therefore, becomes the grossest pornography in the hands of a group of people obviously seeking a vicarious thrill. It would be unthinkable to suppress as fine a work as "Desire Under the Elms", yet it is also unthinkable that any public should wish to transform poetry to filth. Can the producers or censors be blamed when we pour out dollars for this type of sensation?

Thank Heaven that readers of books have not reached this stage. Nor is there any likelihood that they ever will. Outside of New York City, the pornographic meets with little success. Publishers know this, and they know, too,

« PreviousContinue »