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Drama,|Literature, Entertainment Feature Oratorical'
Series
Sinclair Lewis,
Noted Author,
To Debate Here
"Can It Happen Here?"-a stirring,
timely question on the possibilities of,
the establishment of dictatorship in
this country, will be the subject of a
debate by two authoritative speakers
in an Oratorical Association presen-
tation December 2 in Hill Auditorium.
Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis
Can 'It' Happen
Pessimistic?
In United St
'No' 'Yes'
ites? I
LEWIS BROWNE
- *
BroWne Holds
Qualifications'
For Rebuttal
"No, it can't happgn here."
Such, in effect, will be the state-
ment by authbr, traveler and lecturer
Lewis Browne in answer to Sinclair
Lewis in their debate here Dec. 2.
As a background upon which to
base his rebuttal, Browne boasts an
intimate knowledge of both Europe
and the United States, lhaving been1
b6rn in England ,and, hhving spent
the early years of his life there 'before
making this country his permanent
residence.
He attended Yale University and
the Hebrew Union College Rabbini-
cal Seminary, and held rabbinates in
Waterbury, Conn., and Newark, N.J.,
where he was associated* with Ste-
phen . Wise..
Visiting Professors
Browne resigned his rabbinate in
1926 to devote his time to writing
and lecturing. Since that time he
has published such noteworthy books
as. "This Believing World," "Stran-
ger Than Fiction," "Blessed Spino-
za," and "Oh, Say, Can You See?"
Browne has spent many summers
a visiting professor on the campus-
of Pennsylvania State College,
will meet Lewis Browne, one of Amer-
ica's forenmost platform personalities,
in the argumentation of this topic,
which promises to furnish material
for campus discussions for weeks af-
terward.
Sinclair Lewis, perhaps the more
widely known of the two speakers,
has been recognized as one of the best
contemporary writers of fiction. He'
is the author of such popular novels
as "Main Street," "Dodsworth," "Ar-
rowsmith," "Babbitt," "Ann Vickers"
and "It Can't Happen Here," from
the title of which the subject of the
debate has been taken.
Playwright
He is also famous as a playwright,
and is a periodical contributor of
short stories to the better magazines. I
In 1930 he was awarded the Nobel
Prize in literature.
Lewis is a graduate of Yale Uni-
versity, and in 1936 was awarded an
University of California at Los An-
geles, University of Hawaii and, the
University of California. At the
latter institution he was the exten-
sion division lecturer on the history
of civilization from 1934 to 1937. j
He is completely at ease on'the
lecture platform, having delivered
addresses on subjects of national
and international importance in all
parts of North America and Europe.'
Browne's side of the debate will be
based upon more than mere wishful
thinking. His knowledge of Europe
and the psychology of the Europeans
as contrasted with that of the Unit-
ed States enables him to support his
claim with accurate facts.
SINCLAIR LEWIS
honorary degree of Doctor of Letters
from the same institution.
His early life was spent as a re-
porter ontheaNew Haven Journal
and Courier, San Francisco Bulletin
and the Associated Press. Before
turning to fiction writing as a full-
time profession in 1916, he was suc-
cessively assistant editor or editor of
Transatlantic Tales, Volta Review,
Adventure, Publishers' Newspaper
Syndicate, and the George H. Doran
Co. '
Sharing an equal amout of /fame in
the Lewis household is his nationally-
known wife, Dorothy Thompson, edi-
torial columnist whose views are read
daily by hundreds of thousands of
news - minded Americans. Miss
Thompson appeared in Ann Arbor onI
last year's Oratorical series, at which
time she spoke on current problems.
"It Can't Happen Here"
Carrying out the theme of his'
novel, "It Can't Happen Here," Lewis
will argue in the affirmative, giving
his reasons for believing that the es-
tablishment of a totalitarian form of
government is entirely possible in the
United States.
The stimulating style which has
made his novels best-sellers in past
years is also his forte on the speaking
platform. As a lecturer he is un-
equalled. The combination of his l
style and speaking technique will
make the Lewis half of the debate
one of the high Spots of the season.
Three of Lewis' books have been
rewritten in play form.
Maurice Evans To Open Season
With Dramatic Recital Oct. 10
Anne O'Hare McCormick, Quiz Kids, Sinclair Lewis,
Lewis Browne, Quentin Reynolds Will Appear
Upholding its long tradition of the author of "Britain Can Take It"
bringig the finest available lecturersa.,
to Ani Arbor audiences, the Univer- and "A Londoner's Diary."
city Oratorical Series will present this The Honorable High Gibson, for-
year outstanding personages in the mer United States ambassador to
fields of drama, literature, entertain- Brazil and Belgium, will give the first
ment, diplomacy and world travel. lecture of the second semester Feb.
The season ticket sale opens in Hill 17, discussing "The International Sit-
MauriceA Evans, world renowned j uation Through the Eyes of an Amer-
Shakespearean actor, will begin the ican Observer."
series Oct. 10 with a dramatic recital The Philippines
entitled "Shakespeare in the News." Concluding the Oratorical Series
Proceeds For Relief March 12 will be Captain John Craig,
Evans, who will come to Ann Arbor making his third appearance in Ann
immediately prior -to the opening of Aibor. He will present colored motion
"Macbeth" in New York, is making a pictures on "The Philippines Today."
limited number of appearances This year's personalities will live up
throughout the country, and is giving to the standards set by Oratorical As-
the proceeds to British relief. sociation lecturers in past years.
His' performance here will consist And those are high standards. Dur-
of interpretations in the more popu- ing the 1940-41 season, monolougist
lar vein of famous Shakespearean
characters whom he has portrayed in
:pis stage career. >....
Anne O'Hare McCormick, the onlys
woman ever to receive the Pulitzer
Prize for outstanding foreign corre-
spondence, will lecture Nov. 13 on
"After the War, What?" Miss McCor-
mick is now a member of the New
York Times' editorial staff.
Quiz Kids
Departing from the traditionalr
character of Oratorical programs, the k
Association will present on Nov. 24
the famed, Quiz Kids. Spicing this
presentation will be a wit-matching °
contest etween the Kids and five
promine t faculty men. Prof. John.
L. Brumm, chairman .of the journal-
ism department, will fill the post of
master-of-ceremonies.
Sinclair Lewis, noted author and
Nobel Prize winner, will debate "Can
It Happen Here?" Dec. 2 with Dr.
Lewis Browne, prominent speaker ands
author of "Stranger Than Fiction." ANNE O' AREMCR K
Lewis will say "yes," and Browne will
say ""no."
Lawrence Thaw, who had spent Ruth Draper, newspaper columnist
much of his life in travel, will present Dorothy Thompson, cinema photog-
colored motion pictures of the story rapher and adventurer Julien Bryan,
of India, Jan. 14. foreign correspondent Leland Stowe,
"European Montage" will be the Warden Lewis E. Lawes, Rear-Af -
topic of Quentin Reynolds, newsreel miral Yates Stirling, explorer William
commentator and foreign correspon- Beebe and wild-life expert Wendell+
dent, in his talk on Jan. 22. He is Chapman, spoke here. /
;
F
t
.
.
;
Correspondent
Will Describe
Britain At War
"He's as popular on every dirty
little English trawler as he is in the
Stork Club."
American audiences know they do
not have to take the word of Walter
Winchell that Quentin Reynolds is
one, of the great American foreign
correspondents of this war.
For they know thaktQuentin Rey-
nolds has written one of the most
human documents of the war, "The
Wounded Don't Cry," and they have
been deeply impressed with his com-
mentary in the movies, "London Can
jake It" and "Christmas Under
Fire," ?which was booked in 12,000
houses for first run alone.
War Casualty
Reynolds was himself a casualty of
'the war he was sent to cover. He was
in the front lines on the French
front, retreated before the German
Army in a hastily bought baby Aus-
tin, was one of the last evacuees
from Paris and Bordeaux and fin-
ally spentsmonths dodging bombs in
London.
Reynolds dodged the bombs suc-
cessfully, but became a war casualty
when he tripped over a chair during
a blackout and broke two ribs.
In his talk here, Jan. 22, he is ex-
pocted to tell of life under a hail of
bombs as he has seen it for many
months through the eyes of an
American, and returns with the abil-
ity to transmit his impressions to
other Americans, who accept his
quiet, moving voice of their commen-
tator as the "ace" authority on the
Battle of Britain.
Calloused Courage
"The greatest tragedy of this Lon-
don bombardzgent," Reynolds said
recently, "belongs to those who have
never been there. We who worried
through it get the too-close perspec-
tive of calloused courage of a brave
people." ,
Reynolds speaks with qualification,.
for he has watched the mighty Mess-
erschmitts fly over London dropping
their deadly cargo and he has seen
the effects of these bombings on the
English. Most important, he feels
deeply that he has been a part of
the English'public.
QUENTIN R ENOLDS
ThawToGv
Talk On India
Noted Traveler To Show
Colored Movies Here
India, with its millions of colonial
British subjects, will be the subject
of an Oratorical Association lecture
by Lawrence Thaw, noted traveler
and lecturer, on Jan. 14.
Illustrated by beautiful colored
motion pictures, the lecture will con-
sist in the main of the hore beau-
tiful aspects of t!)cland of the Hin-
dus. Among the views will be the
picturesque Taj Mahal, the famed
Juggernaut of Puri. tnder which
hundreds of religious fanatics are re-
puted to have thrown themselves be-
fore British rule was established
-there, and the world-renowned gar-
dense of Shalimar.
Many of the views taken by the
Thaw expedition have since that time
appeared in the National Geographic
Magazine.
Thaw's lecture on the photogenic
phases of India will be in contrast
with the talk given in Ann Arbor
last May on the politics of that coun-
try by T. A. Raman, native Indian
and London Editor of the United
Press of India.
'Britain (an Take It'
..the.English.public.
Counter
Sale of Season
Tickets
Starts Today at Hill Audit-orium-l0a.m.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGRN ORATORICAL ASSOCIATION
1
LECTURE
COURSE
k
&qiht L?,ritL iant §eaturej
ANNE O'HARE McCORMICK
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