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SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1921
Why Not Tell Europe About
ertha P1.-Clay
(By Theodore Dreser) To be sure the French Student con-
fronted by this very catholic selection
I noted some time ago that Pro- A NOTE ON M R. DREISER'S ARTICLE fmayeaittleratoisei n
fessor Charles Cestre, head of the may be a little astonished if not ex-
department of American Literature The article which appears on this page was one which was pub- actly deluded as to the character of
and Civilization at the Sorbonne, lished first in the St. Paul News, and subsequently in The New York our American life and our American
was interested to procure a list of Call. It has been quoted and requoted the country over. Mr. Dreiser mind. But most certainly it should
books in all branches of literature has very graciously given the Michigan Daily Sunday Magazine per- pmi tmostaket asureiofsour
(American) which should be soundly mission to use it. permit him to take the measure of our
representative of the best that is Am- In the opinion of the writer Theodore Dreiser is the greatest current intellectual pabulum and that
erica, intellectually, to date. artist in Amrica's literary field. Some of his books may have fallen is the great thing.
And these were to be collected and from the high level marked by "Jennie Gerhardt," "Twelve Men," and What I personally have to complain
transported to Paris as "a monument "A Hoosier Holiday," but all of his books are vastly above the ruck of, and that most bitterly, is that in
to the great American literature just of American literature. "Twelve Men" is epic; to my notion, the looking over this very generous list
beginning." Professor Cestre's list as finest thing in our letters. of the finallyelected, I fail to find the
originally compiled by him, and no At a later date will appear a letter from Mr. Dreiser to the School- names of some of our most democratic
doubt after due thought by him, con- men's Club of Newark, New Jersey concerning the unveiling of the and hence our most significant work-
sisted of 79 names, a list too long to bronze tablet to Stephen Crane in the city mentioned on November ers. Where, for instance, is that of
be repeated here, but which anyone seventh this year.-G. D. E. - Laura Jean Libby, the author of 872
interested can consult at any library, separate and distinct American ro-
I am sure. With some very obvious manc? And how was it that she
and disturing omisions, according cm ob etot ls eluy
ts varyingindividual viewpoints, it and Zane Grey and Harold Bell serious complaint to make. Doesn't came to be left out? Class jealousy?
tright conytiguendovwdlk handinntsdtAnd Bertha M. Clay? I know that in
was fairly representative and respect- Wright continue to walk hand i hand, it really seem fitting that "intellectual speaking this revered name I'm really
able Itwoud hve itrouce toas they do in the revised and demo-
able. It would have introduced to sctied l thery ans dith America" should be represented abroad 7easking of Messrs. Ormond and
cratized list, with Henry James, Edith wr Fac ubro infcn
ers invarious fields who may n t leor Wharton, Mark Twain, Frank Norris, at this date by this very catholic list? Ceorge Smith of that redoubtable bul-
ars wellaknown tereds hey deseve etc? And that in the absence from I certainly think so. At home most wark of American literature and intel-
to be. At least such appears to have the list of the names of such distin- certainly, as a people, we are fed by lectaty, the firm of Street and Smith
been the professor's thought. guished novelists, for instance s a very democratic and widely inclusive they not her inventors and patentees?
SHenry B. Fuller, Stephen French Whit-
Since then, however, a considerable man, Brand Whitlock and Hervey company. Why shouldn't they cross We know so. In including her name
one as seems to e eney t- White-to name only four. My dear the ocean and represent us intellect- an asterisk would have to lead to a
cal one it seems to e e entirely tyiw- M. Cestre. ually at the Sorbdnne and elsewhere? foot note reading "George and O. G.
cal f th preent merian vew-Smith, inventors, The following writ-
point as to what is politic and com- Yet anent all this I really have no I most certainly think they should.'eShavenwrsTeolloyinhewbitk
____________________________________________________era have written on salary the books
mercially and advertisingly best oi.
each and everyoccasion. The grest credited to this very celebrated name.
yaD ousiyC.ThgraBut still is the name not fully repre.
thing, Rotary style, is not to hurt any- sentative of American intellectuality
one's feelings. Or, if not that, then and literary interest and taste? What
not to let anything which is not rep- (By Thomas E. Dewey) sation as the sole attraction in a great American author has been more wide-
resentative of the dead level and com- American music center. This sensa- ly consumed? She is certainly "one
monplace of lower middle class writ- It is a long, distinguished list, that tion was, by the way, one of the first of the largest authors" invented and
ing and its appreciations go forth as record of operatic and concert stars of those by practically unknown art-
American. who have appeared in Ann Arbor. But ists, picked for merit by Dr. Stanley, patented or otherwise.
Perhaps the best explanation is that that in itself is not of much interest, who afterwards bore out the foresight And then there is the name of
he fell into the hands of a group of Nor is it of particular interest to us shown in their choice by attaining to the author of "Mr. Barnes of New
typical American critics of the popu- of Ann Arbor to know that that list the heights of their professions. York" I forgot it at the ioment,
lar magazine and book type and was includes most of the luminaries who T, s t you may remember itsAcele-
by them soundly and "successfully" have made names for themselves in To Giovanni Martinelli, whose pos- brated name. But where is it? And
advised, this country. But to some of those tion as the successor of Caruso has the author of "Thou Shalt Not?" and
Aanydrae artists on the list, Ann Arbor has an been granted by many critics, the one hundred other thrilling American
original announcement by . Cestre interest held by no other festival town. memory of his first festival appearance romances? Oh, yes. Albert Ross.
Sofrisnlannnand hislist, thebmCes t s y scenters in Ann Arbor, when he was Why is his name not on this list? Are
of his plan and his list, the same as To them Ann Arbor holds a place called here on short notice at the very the really great ones to be excluded
aided and improved by a committee of in their memories which cannot be beginning of his career, to take the in any such way as this? I rise to
five, all Americans, and all soundly superceded, a place in their affections place of John McCormack who was protest. And then Mr. George Barr
and no doubt patriotically versed in which one can have only for the place unable to fill the engagement on ac- McCutcheon of "Graustark" fame. And
American literature and American where he first made his attempt in a count of illness. that man who wrote "When Knight-
thought, has grown amazingly. new field-and succeeded. For in the Wh Ricrardo Stracciari the bril- hood Was in Flower." Am I to be-
Wh e nct s 7u it is no history of the School of Music con- liant Italian baritone, signed his ross- sieve that the French and Europe are
am Ia ot st ttt tosend erts, many artists have come here, tract for an appearance here in the not to hear of these as representative
volumes have been included and as unknown and unheralded, seeking but 1918 Festival, it was his first contract of us? For shame! Abas somebody.
some hashvery kindly put it, ithas a chance to show their talent to the of that kind in this country, but sick- Rather than this should be, I will
become "widely and democratically in- wrld. And so it is that of the artists iess prevented his coming and to gladly resign my place on the list to
elusive" To quote another ki ndly whom the world calls great, probably Hipolito Lazaro, tenor, just gaining make room.' And I am sure that most
logroller "Ultra serious material has more look to Ann Arbor as the scene prominence as the latest discovery of of the original 79 selected by H. Cestre
of that opportunity than to any other the Metropolitan came the chance to would drop out rather than that these
is not so profound butsti represen festival town away from the Atlantic fill the place of Stracciari. . And so true and beautiful flowers of our cul-
tive." (I am certain of it.) "All in seaboard. to Lazaro Ann Arbor became the scene ture should be slighted. In short, I
all, however (to continue to quote), To Harold Bauer, "master pianist," of his debut on the American festival beg of them so to do. Let America be
the complete list is interesting be- Ann Arbor holds memories of his first platform, and of one of his firsten- oroperly represented by that which is
cause, in the future, it will be recog- American concert after his debut 20 gagements of any kind in this country, honestly democratic and "widely in-
nized asthe beginning of a great Am- years ago. Coming here directly from The Metropolitan has many more lusive. The French and every other
erican literature." But will it? Will his appearance with the Boston Sym- nation shoul certainly know us as
Ring Lardner and Eleanor H. Porter phony, Mr. Bauer scored his first seon- (Continued on page 5) we are-at our very best, as it were.