SUNDAY MAGAZINE'
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1921
Why Not Tell Europe About
Bertha P1. Clay
(By Theodore Dreiser) To be sure the French Student con-
I noted some time a that Pro tl ANOTE ON NR. DREISER'S ARTICLE fronted by this very catholic selection
fessor Charles Cestre, head of the AN Tmay 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 Sorbonns, 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 cL Call. It has been quoted and requoted the country over. Mr. Dreiser m. B
books in all branches of literature has very graciously given the Michigan Daily Sunday Magazine per- med. But most certamly it should
(American) which should be soundly mission to use it. permit him to take the measure of our
representative of the best that is Am- Is the opinion of the writer Theodore Dreiser is the greatest current intellectual pabulum and that
oes, intellectually, 0 date. cartist in A rica'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 I 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 jist e6 American literature. "Twelv Men" is epic; to my notion, the looking over this very generous list
beginning." Profes sor Cuslr's hst s finest thing in our letters. of the finally elected, 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 eventh this year.-G. D. E. Laura Jean Libby, the author of 872
isterested can consult at any libsary,
I am sure. With some very obvious -e ?a Andhd s t a rhe
and disturbing omissions, acecordin;mances? And how was it that she
andamdistureilugtomissionsssoeusossn
to varying individual viewpoints, it and Zanie Grey and Harold Bell serious complaint to make. Doesn't c wcame to be left out? Class jealousy?
was fairly representative and respect- WVs ,ht 'ontinue to walk hand in hand, it really seem fitting that "intellectual ang this I na I really
able.sIt would Iave introduceioe they do in the revised and demo- speaking this revered name I'm really
France a number of inificant wor iitized list, with Henry James, Edith America" should be represented abroad iessking of Messrs. Ormond and
Wharton ,Mark Twain, Frank Norris, at this date by this very catholic list?' eorge Smith of that redoubtable bul-
ers in various fields who may not be 'ako mrcnlteaueaditl
as well known there is they dsr etc? And that in the absence from I certainly think so. At home most wark of American literature and ibtel-
to be. At least suh appears to have the list of the names of such distin- certainly, as a people, we are fed bylectuaity, the firm of Street and Smith
been the professor's thought. guished novelists, for instance as a very democratic and widely inclusive of New York. But what of it? Are
Since then, busesr, a cnsiderable nryB. Fuller, Stephen French Whit' they not her inventors and patentees?
change bas conse over the ossid man, Brand Whitlock and Herv y company. Why shouldn't they cross We know so. In including her name
neai e o henl i h -to name only four. My dear the ocean and represent us intellect- an asterisk would have to lead to a
one as it seems to be, entirely y pi-Wie-onm nl or yda
cal of the present American siew- 1. Cestre. ually at the Sorbonne and elsewhere? foot note reading "George and O. G.
point as to what is politic and corm- Yet anent all this I really have no I most certainly think they should. Siith, inventors. The follOwing writ-
.___________________._________________Iers have written on salary the books
mercially and advertisfgly best Oei credited to this very celebrated name."
each and every occasion The hrenn;er Inomntellus cual
AnnA rbor IlusicCentr BDt still is the name not fully repro.
thing, Rotary style, is sot is hrt a A'snntvnfAercnitllcult
one's feelings. Or, if not that, then aend literary iterest and taste? Whalt
not to let anything hich is ot rep- (y Thomas E. Dewey) sation as the sole attraction in a great merican 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 Ition was, by the way, one of the first
ing and its appreciations go forth as record of operatic and concert stars of those by practically unknown ar- of the largest authors" invented and
American. who have appeared in Ann Arbor. But fists, picked for merit by Dr. Stanley, patented or otherwise.
Perhaps the best explanation is thtt 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 groso uf .,Nur 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 popi- of Ann Arbor to know that that list the heights of their professions.! York." I forgot it at the moment,
lar magazine and boot type and was includes most of the luminaries who . but you may remember it. A jele-
by them soundly and "sscctssfully" have made names for themselves in To Giovanni Martinelli, whose posi- 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
At any rate, hearken. Eetween the rtis's on the list, Ann Arbor has an been granted by many critics, the one hundred other thrilling American
original announcement ty I. Cestre interest held by no other festival town. memory of his first festival appearance romances? Oh, yes. Albert Ross.
centers in Ann Arbor, when he was' Why is his name not on this list? Are'
of his plan and his hust, Ihe sam. s 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 thein any such way as this? I rise to
a noAdoubtetritscdatl vesedy isuperceded, a place in their affections place of John McCormack who was' protest. And then Mr. George Barr
Americn libteaturetcandy Aericain which one cane have only for the place enable to fill the engagement on ac- McCutcheon of "Graustark" fame. And
thourht, has grown amazingly. where ie first made his attempt in a count of illness. that man who wrote "When Knight-
here h nc its waso79 a zitniost14
Where once it was 79 it is now 242 new field-and succeeded. For in the When Riccardo Stracciari, the bril- hood Was in Flower." Am I to be-
and I am not sure bt that it is to history of the School of Music con- lnt Italian baritone, signed his con- lieve that the Frehch and hurope are
much longer, still. One thousand crls, 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 has very kindly put it, it has 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- world. And so it s that of the artists ness prevented' his coming and to gladly resign my place on the list to
'lusive." To quote another kindly whom the world calls great, probably Hipolito Lazaro, tenor, just gaining make room. And I am sure that most
logroller: "Ultra serious material has ofr tat opportunity than to any other prominence as the latest discovery of! of the origtnal 79 selected by M. Cestre
been carefully balanced by much thaty ftial to antic the Metropolitan, came the chance to would drop out rather than that these
is not so profound but still representa- sesaoard yfill the place of Stracciari. And so true asd beautiful flowers of our ul-
tive." (I am certain of it.) "All in!seaboard. to Lazaro Ann Arbor became the scene Lure should be slighted. In short, I
all, however (to continue to quote), I To Harold Bauer, "master pianist," of his debut on the American festival beg of them sr to do. Let America be
the complete list is interesting be- Ann Arbor holds memories of his first platform, and of one of his first en- - roperly represented by that which is
cause, in the future, it will be recog- American concert after his debut 29 gagements of any kind in this country. honestly democratic and "widely in-
nized as the beginning of a great Am- years ago. Coming here directly from The Metropolitan has many more tlusive." The French and every other
erican literature." But will it? Will his appearance with the Boston Sym- nation should certaly know us as
Ring Lardner and Eleanor H. Porter phony, Mr. Bauer scored his first sen- (Continued on page 5) we are-at our very best, as it *eere.