SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1923
Sherwood Anderson: Threnody
If someone were to play "Napoleon's One should hesitate to name the
Last Charge" and then inform me M AWELL NOWELS cause of the change of Sherwood An-
that it was composed by Scriabine, I derson. Like the works of nine-tenths
could experience no more incredulity Mid-Westerners and found there not derson's earlier works, I should have of the moderns his work is introspec-
than I do when I read certain storiess, tive-but to a greater degree it is
in The Dial and find them brazenly sterility ut a grotesque, fecund vege- -suspected him of indulging in a sly'
taion. He saw their petty stilted sg psychopathic. Psychopathy in litera-
signed by Sherwood Anderson. My ambitions, their longing to be free chuckle as each successive install- tore must be treated with gloves and
reaction was similar when I was dis- from a misunderstood, inhibiting ment of his story appeared. If he in- forceps. If it is not so handled it
illusioned as to the existence of a Puritanism, he saw their desires and tended to be original he failed, for degenerates into ludicrous farce.
Santa Claus. My first impulse was to discovered their methods of suppress- Maugham's Strickland in The Moon iterein, I believe lies the fault of
deny that I had been duped-this feel- in or satistvin them These pathet- And Sixpence preceded John Web- our "Phallic Chekhov." He has lost
ing later subsided into a dull regret icatly drab beings were not devoid of ster by several years. Compared with his original sympathetic insight into
mingled with a secret hope that my emotion-they were msrely confsed, Strickland Webster is a clown. the minds of his characters. They
illusion would someday return If inarticulate, dum. It remained for Theconfusion in this work is have became laboratory material in-
had not on more than one occasion tAnderson to become their interpreter. neither orderly nor philosophical; it stead of paltpiating, emotional be-
put ito writing my unsuai - succed a mazingly. One can is exasperating. We are aroused to ings, with the result that they are a
miration for Anderson, I might now hardly call "Winesburg, Ohio" a novel curiosity by sporadic flashes of the old travesty on his former creations.
be inclined in self-defense to deny although there is ' a rather loose Andersonian insight only to be diap- Whether Sherwood Anderson will
every holding trief for in. I ad- 'stte5- vascneio-
mire hi e rly worand secretly grouping of incidents around one pointed by its evanescence into mean- emerge from his present Slough of Fa-
hopeorhisbtterearlythngswork nd yGeorge Willard with whom, I believe, ingless banality. One derives no sat- tuity remains to be seen. With such a
hope for setter things frs bins. the author partially identifies himself. isfaction from the foolish groping of person one dare not make prophecies.
The genius of Sherwood Anderson The aforementioned orderly confusion John Webster, but there is an inef- His publishes announce a new fledg-
seems to have sprung up full grown' of Anderson pervades the work. It fable appeal in the efforts of George ling in the immediate future. In the
thrived for a time, and then deterior-- Willard. meantime-Oremus!
ated into a pathetic, somewhat gro- amounts amnst to a plausible phitos-
tesque talent. Its descent hasI ophcy. One feels the groping futility;
brsughtitaseno.s sfdemastio of all the characters, but is not led
broighst its possessor from a position so expect a final solution for their
of artistic pre-eminence to a kind of to e se irlconfusion fsrutin-
exotic mediocrity via The Dial, Green- probsess. Their confusion is sustain-
wich Village, et al. If such is the in- otWevaieanoonicig
fluence of ultra-modern New York, I But now to the olsiossle pote
gs And All About Them
ors of primitive Chicago--or still Fifty Should Know made more palat-
better-to Paleozoic Ohio. able for the neo-intelligentsa by a
On reading some of Anderson's tat- seasoning of Tridonesque complexes F. L. TILDEN
est drivel, his own words, "I am a and inane eroticism. It is the bre-
confused child in a confused world" viary of Andersonian non-philosophy Like the estimable and pleasing Mr. progress of the classic type of Ford.
become surcharged with meaning. As The saving element of Winesburg, Joe Cook, I can give numerous rea-, "The Negro Juba Dancer," whose
an apostle of orderly confusisn he Ohio was its plausibility. Characters sons why I should not-write this re- name was not mentioned, was a life-
was a genius. As an apostle of chaot- could be chosen and identified with view. Up to last Wednesday after- like interpretation of the old lullabye,
ic confusion he stoops to the level of persons familiar to us. But who be- soon I had never seen a puppet play, "Pray for the Lights to Go Out." It
a maudlin h urgeoise-shocker. An sides an attendant in a mad-house unless you count a Punch and Judy was good. She warmed to her work
example of the paradoxical orderly would recognize a familiar type in show seen at an Episcopal church fair and go down on one knee, throwing
confusion: Winesburg, Ohio. Many; John Webster, the washing-machine in 1906. Tony Sarg seems to have her head back and shimmying with
Marriages is chaotic confusion. manufacturer with his naked peregrin- struggled along without contributions tier might and main-if you know
Winesburg, Ohio is an introspect- ations and his crazy penchant for from my coffers, the famous Marion- what I mean,
ive Main Street. Anderson in the walking with one foot on the curh ette Theater of Rome I know nothing
character of a kind of "diable lot- and the other in the gutter? The ef- ashoit, aside fronm the fact that it a he ing was Gai, the Prima
teux" has peered into the apparently seet is ludicrous. If I had not been exists, and I will not look through the perec. He adctheatit at he
barren minds of a typical group of so impressed by the sincerity of An - M's and P's of the Encyclopedia to perfect. He had the attitude that he
was really the whole show, and was
find out who invented puppets or why, just accompanying because he liked
Isd probably get stalled in the A's or the work or was really too kind heart-
K's or else wouldn't be able to find ed to refuse. "Galli? Oh, she's not
gthemaEnway.bad - I don't know what she'll do
E a rly M ic h i an Somehow, I couldn't tngle with an when I leave. I had an offer to ac-
ticipation or be all agog over the company at twice what she's giving
prospect of seeing the things. Not me. She depends on me entirely.
University of Michigan, is to me a sort of feeling of pleasure one good tingle could I raise, try as Just last night she said to me," etc.,
Dec. 12, 1844. not unmixed with regret in the pros- I might. So I joined the crowd of etc. When Gahli leaned over to pick
Dearest Mother: pert of quitting this place and going mothers and excited little good-night up the bouquet it must have taken
Having no opportunity of writing out into the world to struggle and toil story fans feeling somewhat miscast. some expert manipulation of the
home without expense I improve the for myself. What bright plans for the I felt so self-conscious that I couldn't'strings. Sometimes I have hard enough
somewhat high priced one of our Post future does the youth form, sanguine even whistle or shuffle my feet for the time to lean over, particularly a day
Master General. I wanted to let you of success! What golden prospecta curtain to go up. But that didn't after I've been exercising.
know when our term would end and does he behold in coming years! make any difference because the cur A fairy tale was enacted called "The
when I wanted Thomas to come up What cold disappointment is too oft- tain went up soon just the same. Three Wishes." There was more ac-
aftet me. In the meantime however, en his only portion. Reality, stern Those are funny things-Puppets. t tion in it than in the others I saw
I presume a little general informia- Reality usually destroys all his airy know so many people like them. Right wiiich was welcome, though the s-
loncncerinig my affairs s-old not castles and eaves himn tcc nourn over,; omn epelk hm ih hc a ecmtog h ti
ncnceptable. r nt rusnesd es het. nsorn oir- here is a good chance to get off some ers were pleasing. A great deal of
la naceptbleruined hopes. Yet, mother, notwith-
h dnunacceptablerestuff about Naturalism and strings be- it centered about a black pudding
tIni glainI heveroum enjoyd success. lWht wosild mfc en ho with- Ing pulled by gods and all that, but it's which, Heaven knows, was cause
wti indeed. I think I never enj out hope.) And 1 am busy forming too late and besides, you probably enugh for action. I am not quite
better health in my life. Ist csup- osit pr misin bus ring all about it anyway. certain what a black pudding may be,
pose attribsutable tso sy taking smosse the moscst promcising pluns tiit canpudnma
exercise than Icseito ad t sating possibly devised, alays of course ex- I wish I knew the name of the but if it is anything like the rest of
abunsacse ofb uckwewtc akeseery pecting their fulfillment "if Provi_ lown used in the prolog and I wish he the genus pudding, it was stark real-
iruing for breakfat. -eides sdence permit." Irofessoc Witiamcs had walked more. He had a fascinat- ism. It is usually bad enough to have
m'cspnsg old trakuit. Isi I has just written to the South for Fish ing walk. Almost exactly like an an- a pudding on your plate at dessert
keep up old habit of bating every self to see i c o l cient collud genmucn we used to-have time, but in this instance, the pud-
day. I aseencc's's edutos' sstdyan myefoseifw cndo el
prty. cad sne I ch etnst there at taching . talsoo sothe Ito- run c launmowersv. When he was ding was wished on the nose of one
have to nrite a great del, pricripaly ents of the tnvetrity to gi" usc te called he wished to give the appear-i of the characters. It gave me quite
aesy tos rtuj -aIri cl, rs in chare of one of th Prarcthes if -s nue of great haste and liveliness. an uncomfortable feeling. I always
sr remasin at the Norlth asc soc get That was done by a spasmodic shak- say that there is unpleasantness enough
studies. SInce I cuoe hek I cshap through. (hlease inform no one of ing-it was before the recognition of in real life without having to see it
ritts ac eskss so stIe tt t this as we wish to keep it secret.) the shimmy- a loose-kneed vibrationon the stage!
at ronme. I shall be sy studying and This we will probable be provided for of the legs terminating in a slither- Unentunately I was not able to see
writing till examination which will (Continued on Page Two) ing of the feet. It was much like the the plum of the production-the pro-
take place sometime next week.us ' log to "Androcles and the Lion." Ac-
I can hardly realize that my last I1cording to what went before, it must
year in College is one third gone. Oh Staff Meeting on ;Monday, November at 4 p. m. In the Press Building. have been a delightful bit of puppet-
how time flies. In a few more months ercering. It was only because a friend
all those precious opportunities here The Sunday Magazine is desirous of having try-eut4 for staff po- I(sine was having a birthday party
enjoyed for laying up knowledge will sitions. Any one from a second semesteff freshman to a senior in the that I left. And he was not only hav-
have departed. College life will be fismal throes of his undergraduate ctreer is welconte, provided he Is itng the party, but he was giving it.
ever, and I shall iu'. comuplled to id eligible. esconunendations will be made solely on the basis of coin- And birthdays are birthdays, coming
adieu to these cherished scenes, to petency and work. If you are interested In writing or in newspaper Icnly once a year as they do.
loved friends, kind professors and-all f work in general, and wish to try out, the first meeting stIll be Monday, I am glad that I saw the puppets,
those associations that tend to make November 5 at four p. m. in the Press Building. and I am glad that I w'uldn't be hia-
the cohege course one of the happi- I ble for perjury when I say that I hon-
est seasons of a person's life. There l estly enjoyed them.