Edna Ferber retains her place
as one of the great writers of
our time. Her short stories, her
novels and her plays have pro-
vided enjoyment to hundreds of
thousands of readers and thea-
ter-goers.
Her first autobiographical
work, "A Peculiar Treasure,"
was a soul-stirring account of
her experiences. It contained
excoriations of anti-Semitism. It
was an affirmation of many loy-
alties and it was a paean of
faith in American.
"A Kind of Magic," just pub-
lished by Doubleday, supple-
ments• her first autobiography.
It brings her life story up to
date.
As in her previous works,
she proves that there is magic
in her style, just as there is
magic in the life she de-
scribes, in her recollections of
numerous experiences, in her
travels.
Miss Ferber also was a cor-
respondent, and her Washington
and overseas stories are part of
a record that mirrors world
events as well as her personal
experiences.
Her accounts of the people
who suffered in Dachau and
Buchenwald, of the liberation,
are among the moving reminis-
cences.
She does not hesitate to in-
troduce a personal note and to
speak about marriage: "As I
never have married and never
have borne a child, any re-
marks that I might venture to
make, sage or sour, could un-
derstandably be greeted with
hoots of derision, particularly
by thrice-divorced marrieds and
Tennessee mountain couples with
11 children. I think every adult
should marry and should, if pos-
sible, have children. This is our
normally accepted pattern of
life. Marriage and motherhood-
fatherhood are two of life's four
notable experiences. Being born
into the world, and leaving it,
are the remaining two. I do not
regret not having married. I do
not regret not having had chil-
dren. They say that old age is a
lonely state. Well, everybody is
lonesome, particularly in crowds,
and the more crammed the world
becomes the lonesomer its in-
habitants seem to be. Certainly
I am by choice alone a great
deal but I can honestly say that
I am practically never lonely.
The days are usually all too
crowded with interest . . ."
Miss Ferber writes about
her trip to Israel. She com-
mences her Jewish story nos-
talgically, writes about Jesus
the Jew and her desire to see
for herself where Jesus held
forth centuries and centuries
ago. The result is a critical
report that undoubtedly will
arouse some anger and will
bring forth resentment. But
her opinions should not be ig-
nored, and where she errs she
should be properly advised.
Perhaps it is well to hear the
viewpoint of an American author
who likens the sabras to our
beatniks, v, ho repeats the defini-
tion for an Israel sabra — like
the cactus all prickles outside
but sweet inside — and to hear
her opinion that "one rarely
penetrates beyond the prickles."
Perhaps she had not met enough
sabras or the right kind. So
many of the young Israelis are
so unassuming, so lovable!
While in Israel Miss Ferber
spoke to a gathering of Israelis
and she advised them:
"Courageous and determined
Italian Literary
Award Withheld
from Fascist Writer
ROME (JTA) — A major
literary award to an Italian
writer with a Fascist back-
ground was canceled by the
award jury under threat by the
Olivetti Corporation to stop its
anual contribution of $25,000
for the prizes if the award went
through.
Arrigo Olivetti said "I did not
veto anybody but only confirm-
ed that, as an anti-Fascist and
a Jew, I would have the corpo-
ration funds diverted to better
causes" if Guido Piovene were
selected for the principal $7,000
Viareggio Prize, for his book
"The Furies."
Piovene had been considered
certain to win the award until
the Olivetti ultimatum. The
Olivetti official said that, as a
publicist, Piovene had support-
ed Mussolini's anti-Jewish ra-
cial laws. The jury, embarrassed
by the ultimatum, urged the
writer to withdraw; but he re-
fused, asserting that his politi-
cal past, which he had not de-
nied, was not a literary
question. The jury, assigning
the award to another entry, was
reportedly considering resign-
ing.
as the young Israelis have been
and are, isn't it, I asked, high
time that they learned some-
thing of the manner in which
other countries, even more han-
dicapped in the beginning, have
achieved freedom and independ-
ence for which they were willing
to die, and still would die if
needful?
"These young people, perhaps
only a selected few at a time,
might learn a valuable lesson if
it were made possible for them
to visit the United States briefly,
or perhaps even to study there,
each group to be succeeded by
another group through the year
and through the years."
Indeed, Israelis and Americans
are exchanging views and are
studying on an exchange basis,
and if the program can be ex-
panded it would be immensely
valuable. The major point ad-
vanced, calling for an under-
standing, is as applicable to
Americans as it is to Israelis.
Miss Ferber touched upon a very
vital issue.
It is when she touches upon
the question of intermarriage
and berates an Israeli who in-
sists on in-marriage that Miss
Ferber suddenly lost her self-
control and became what may
indeed be termed ill-tempered.
When she suggested observa-
tion and study by Israelis in
this country, the chairman of
the meeting objected because
"they might marry some one
over there who is not a Jew.
In reporting on this incident,
Miss Ferber reports that at
this point she "stood up, some-
what shakily," and said: "That
has a familiar soup d. I've
heard that statement before. I
may not have got your name
correctly. It is, perhaps,
Hitler?"
This is the sourest note that
could possibly have been intro-
duced by the eminent writer.
She could have been much more
tolerant. Jews are not alone
in opposing intermarriage. Cath-
olics also oppose it, and so do
other denominations and Jews
especially have an objective: sur-
vival. To that end there is a
demand for in-marriage. But to
liken anyone who opposes inter-
marriage to, Hitler is resorting,
to poor taste. It is especially ob-
MDA Aids Skopje Victims
jectionable when it is applied to
a people that has suffered so
much at Hitler's hands and be-
cause of it insists even more
vehemently upon in-marriage.
But Miss Ferber paid Israel
a compliment: "Certainly the
most magnificent achievement
of this heroic little country lies
not primarily in its economic,
cultural and scientific achieve-
ments. Its triumph is that,
through immigration, planned
and persisted in despite almost
insuperable handicaps, this tiny
country has rescued millions of
men, women and children who
otherwise would have perished."
There are many good quali
ties to the magic pen of Edna
Ferber that produced "A Kind
of Magic." What a pity that it
had to be marred by a sour and
negative note invoking Hitler!
Ku Klux Klan Plane
Falls Enroute to D.C.
WALHALLA, S. C., (JTA)—
A private plane, carrying a Ku
Klux Klan group on its way to
Washington to stage a counter-
demonstration against Wednes-
day's civil rights march, crashed
here killing the pilot and caus-
ing injuries to Robert M. Shel-
ton, "Imperial Grand Wizard
and Grand Dragon" of the Ala-
bama Ku Klux Klan, and a com-
panion. Shelton was not serious-
ly hurt. The plane was to have
picked up a South Carolina Klan
official before continuing to
Washington for the counter-
march.
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25 -- THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, August 30, 1963
Edna Ferber's 'A Kind of Magic' M arred by a Single Negative Vote