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Page Twenty-two
THE MICHIGAN
DAILY
Thursday, February 7, 1957
Thursday February 7 1957
THE MICH;IGAN DAILY
MUSIC REVIEWER:
The Criteria
eFor Cr iticsm
NOT IN TEXTBOOKS:
A Look at Politics, Politicians.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Contrast Between the Busy Life of a Resort City and
Silent Life of a Hidden Bog
(Continued from Page 12)
the critic's need for a command of
language. It avails little to have a
valid judgment if the words and
phrases to convey these are lack-
ing. Suffice it to say that a fluent
habit of word usage is essential.
"Heifitz sure played swell!" tells
us nothing. But this point is too
obvious for further elaboration.
What is perhaps overlooked in
the minds of many critics is their
responsibility to the reader, to the
performer, to the composer. Ex-
actly what is this responsibility?
It is his obligation to render an
objective critique of the import-
ant aspects of a performance. And
why? There may be many reasons,
but paramount is respect to the
reader, is his intention to sharpen
the latter's sense of appreciation
of music. He does this, as was said
in the beginning, by judgment,
by pointing out the good and the
bad of any concert.
He, the critic, cannot do this by
mushy adulation for any perform-
er, nor by vindictive glee of de-
struction. Destructive criticism
only arouses anger, while con-
structive criticism incites thought.
In this respect, the critic should
be chary of superlative criticism
on either side. Such superlatives
leave room for only unjust com-
parisons.
There is also a responsibility on
the part of the reader. Funda-
mentally, he must realize that the
critic, however objective, is as in-
dividual as himself. The reader
cannot, just as the critic cannot,
feel that his own opinion is the
only one possible. He should give
1 the critic the benefit of the doubt
as to sincerity and ability, at
least until this trust is violated.
YT IS THIS last point which de-
serves an additional comment.
It comes as no great surprise that
not every critic Is a good critic.
And this situationushould not be
Rallowed to continue unprotested.
in collegiate circumstances, this is
more easily remedied than in pro-
fessional circles.
If the reader, after a careful
analysis (and the word "careful"
is stressed), finds that the critic
is misleading, biased, ignorant, or
the like, this should definitely be
brought to the attention of the
editors. This will, or should re-
sult in betterment of the critic's
reviews, or his removal. Angry dis-
cussion with other readers alone
will be of no value. Nor will hasty
evaluation, heated letters, and
equally prejudicial argument. A
criticism can be shown to be in-
valid only by contrary analysis,
not by fiery polemic or stooping
to personalities.
A final word to both critic and
reader. To the critic: the average
reader is not a child. He can be
trusted to have some degree of
acuity, hence there is no need to
write fifth-grade explanations. On
the other hand, he is not a mu-
sicologist.
To the reader: some critics are
better than others. But it would
be unfair to imagine a critic writ-
ing for his own literary revels of
hateful commentary. It must be
understood that, unless conditions
accurately point to the contrary,
the critic is trying to do a good
job of evaluaing what he has seen
and heard. His reader can judge
the result of his labor, but never
his intentions.
In conclusion, both reader and
critic should realize the other's
attitudes, opinions and require-
ments. And each should remember
the first purpose of any review or
criticism of a musical concert, as
was pointed out in the beginning
of this essay. Ultimately, it is only
that we may all hear better music.
not too hard to believe that while
an official is swindling the public
out of some of its money he is al-
so interested in good roads on
which to drive his Cadillac.
THIS IS all basically why the
democratic system is best. Cor-
ruption is an argument for demo-
cracy, rather than one against it.
Democracy tends to spread the
corruption more evenly and of-
fers to everyone the equal oppor-
tunity to reap dishonest harvests.
More important is the system
of checks and balances. Every cor-
rupt politician, is a check on ev-
ery other corrupt politician. What
the other gets means less for him;
or, the other, invariably being less
clever than himself, presents the
danger of attracting attention to
the corruption. There are some in-
stances of cartels and collaboration
between two or more corrupt poli-
ticians, but these are not safe
from competition either. Another
check is the ballot box, which may
unexpectely break up such a col-
laboration by removing a colla-
borator from his office. There are
organizations to prevent this, but
they face the danger of running
up against a stronger organiza-
tion. No one is safe.
IMIS explains most of the cor-
ruption that'makes the papers.
It's next to impossible for a re-
porter to dig out corruption by
himself. If he is unable to find
an enemy of those he wishes to
expose, an enemy who knows
what's going on and can prove
it, he will rarely get his story.
He must be lucky enough to find
someone who will talk, which is
made possible by the democratic
system of letting anyone who has
an axe to grind grind it.
Even the democratic system,
with its checks and balances, can-
not eliminate corruption from
politics. Two reasons are that the
vast majority of those eligible to
participate in politics do not, and
the power and influence obtain-
able in politics will always be at-
tractive to the unscrupulous.
All that the democratic system
can do is take into account the
selfishness of men and turn some
of it, however, deviously, toward
the general good, and keep cor-
ruption circulating among dif-
ferent individuals for the most
part, thereby making it improb-
able for one man or group to ev-
er gain dangerous predominance
over the whole.
In fact, the best form of govern-
ment would be a democracy in
which only intelligent and honest
men are elected with the checks
and balances to handle occasional
moral weaknesses in face of temp-
tation. So far, intelligent and hon-
Mr. Dygert is a former Daily
Cite Editor. He is currently the
editor of a weekly in Belleville,
Yichigan. He was graduated
from the University of Michi-
gan in 1957.
est men have avoided the ugli-
ness of politics, and, as a result,
know little or nothing about its
realities. What they do know, they
know only in a vague way.
YET, intelligent and honest men
should go into politics. For, be-
ing intelligent, they would know
how to use all the tricks and ton-
niving of politics to accomplish
things which, because they are
honest, would be motivated to-
ward the general good or at least
not contrary to legal or moral
right.
But, unfortunately, the intelli-
gent and honest men who know
little or nothing about politics
are busy teaching political science.
By JANET REARICK
Daily Staff writer
CONTRAST an exclusive toy
shop featuring imported toys
-life-life stuffed lions priced at
almost $300-and a weather-
beaten antique shop housed in a
rickety old gasoline station. Con-
trast the sound of life in a busy
resort city with the silence of life
in a hidden bog.
Northern Michigan, or the
*'Tip-'o-the Mitten," as it has
been dubbed a propos its shape
and location, presents a different
facade to everyone who knows the
area. To the traveler to the upper
peninsula, it is a surface picture
-_ a continuous line of woods,
lakes, and cross-road towns
streaking past at 70 miles an
hour; to the resorter, Northern
Michigan is a place to which he
can escape, lie on narrow beaches;.
be generally uncomfortable, and
if he is .a member of a summer
colony, attend and hold a daily
round of cocktails parties to an
extent to which he cannot indulge
at home.
To the year-round resident, it
is home-where he ekes out a
meager living from the infertile
land; it is the biologist's Paradise,
and a scenic attraction to the
tourist.
T HREE islands in the Straits of
Mackinac (with the city, the
island and the straits all pro-
nounced Mackinaw according to
local usage -- the best-informed
authority -- present extremes in
occupancy. Tiny Round Island in
the center holds nothing -more
than a deserted light house stand-
ing on a rapidly shrinking sandy
land extension.
Mackinac -- Mecca for tour-
ists and college students seeking
summer jobs - is the northern
and westernmost of the three. It
can be seen from the ferries that
ply the Straits-a dark blob with
its Grand Hotel pasted on its
side shining, when touched by the
sun like a piece of white marble.
The old fort high atop the hill ...
The specialty shops and museums
at tne foot of the island are the
major attractions for visitors. And
twice each summer, excitement
and partying in the small "vil-
lage" attains excessive heights,
For two of the longest fresh-
water yacht races in the world,
the Port Huron and the Chicago-
Mackinac races, have as their
finish line this juncture of the
inland seas of Lakes Michigan and
Huron. The exhausted winners of
imagi
ate be
of dri
finish
igan
wine
boat,
board
sand.
AND
the
old an
deteri
and t
the
now
matic
But< h
to th
can g
have
1957
Hei
liant
join
the 1
event
The
ious j
a driv
ward
beyon
not ev
free
mass-
Mac
functi
and e
Penin
the op
holida
must
hours
must
does.
"Dine
green
outsic
S
SCENIC HIGHWAYS
...gives travelers access to sights of Northern Michigan
the three day endurance test are
treated with steak dinners, and the
Mackinac tourist is also provided
with a treat. He can spend many
hours staring at the graceful lines
of some of the most beautiful
pleasure craft on earth.
THE TINY AREA at the south
of the island is crowded; to
the north and west -- nothing. A
gravel road runs around the is-
land and on it, an occasional bi-
cycle rider and carriage-trans-
ported group pass one another.
Each, it seems, pities -the other
his mode of transportation.
Lying just a mile or so west of
Mackinac is "Bobolo" or Bols
Blanc Island, six times as long,
and about 100 times more "prim-
itive" than its neighbor. The
Grand Hotel on Mackinac boasts
of being the largest summer hotel
in the world - having the longest
porch in the world. The poor little
hotel at Pointe aux Pines on Bo-
bolo probably couldn't even fab-
ricate -a spectacular claim. The
closest it could come would be to
say, "Our front porch has the
friendliest dogs in the world."
The puppies and the children
are equally engaging - with the
four-footed youngsters being far
the braver of the group. Any new
visitor is a curiosity, since the ma-
jority of the summer cottage oc-
cupants spend the entire season
on the island, and only fabout
twenty families - most of them
county employees - live there
through the winter. -
All cars must be transported by
ferry from Cheboygan -- at $25
one way -- so these, too,.are at a
minimum. One usable road runs
from the sparsely settled southern
shore of the island for six miles
to the uninhabited northern shore.
Here, fronting extensive marsh-
es and thick stands of virgin tim-
ber is a completely deserted rock-
covered beach. Crunching through
the heavy mat of stones north-
ward to a point of land that calls,
"Come, see what is around the
corner!" is a small-scale discov-
ery trip. The wave-washed shore
yields treasures to delight the
MULTIPLE VITAMINS
with Folic Acid and B-12
THE AVERAGE CITIZEN
... even he doesn't know
TWO OPPOSING VIEWS:
Austi~n Warren's
'NewEnglndSaints'
100 ....
Reg.
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200..$......
500... . . . . . . .....".$.00
50UU ... f. .. .... . ... 1. 00
Now
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Wikel -Drug Company
1101 South University
Mona Lisa
should have
shopped here
One never knows whether
the Mona Lisa is happy
or sad. But you can always tell
the mood of our customers.
They have that happy look
of just having found
exictly what they want
at the price they wanted
to pay! Get the happy habit
of shopping here regularly!
MATN AT LIBERTY ANN ARBOR
Only the finest quality at prices that are fair
(Continued from Page 9
of literature, the sections a
of discoveries, points ofe
tion and illumination whic
up in unexpected places.
For instance, Professor N
concludes after his section
Puritan poets: "The currer
ory that poetry must, at 1
word order, concur with t
prose is only current theo
Dislocation (as well as ellip
well as the currently outmo
version) is, like alliterative
or accented verse, simply9
to be learned, a taste to
quired."
Throughout, the reader f
the writer an awareness
9)
are full
edifica-
h turn
Warren
amounts to expectancy of the mi-
raculous. No organization or pat-
tern is-superimposed to the detri-
ment of the material, but instead
a form and a design emerge from
the sequential studies.
r
...
- .
STUDENT HEADQUARTERS
FOR YARNS
on the IN his immense respect for the
nt the- character. of his saints, Profes-
east in sor Warren does not stop our ears
hat cf to the grace notes of wit. The Or-
ry . . .phic Sayings of Bronson Alcott he
psis; as suggests are the "intimations,
ded in- vatic utterances, revelations from
e verse the soul to the soul."
a style And when he takes up that lus-
be ac- ty, punning preacher, the Protes-
tant Father Taylor, grace notes
eels in turn to the fortissimo of humor.
s that The greater the sense of Divinity,
the more tolerance is to be found
for the humanity in man.
The obligation to judge, not
merely to appraise and least of
all merely to see, speaks out from
every page. The subject matter is
starkly represented by the snow-
white paper jacket of the book,
bearing a railed fence and barren
tree.
This is New England from which
both saints and sinners have
sprung; this is the source, the
constancy of the book. But its
author has spread over his scene
a revivifying warmth out of his
own abundant mind. Assuming a
common fund of knowledge among
his readers, he has written his
book so that it requires, in places,
an automatic translation, an ABC
of the New England character.
Yet readers, themselves not en-
dowed like him with this personal
and this spiritual ancestry, will
discover here the timelessness and
the regionless-ness of all who, to
make them saints, owe their reck-
e less integrity to divine origin and
earthly cultivation.
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