OCR Text |
Show THE CITIZEN I terrific effort to thwart the greatest WIIIIIIIIIIIIIttllllllllllltllllillllllHItHHMIllilllUIIIIIIIUUIIIIIIIIIIIMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUHIMUIIIUIUIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllllllllllllllllllllJlllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllll THINGS BOOKISH design of nature, that of life. And in of the all these wars and coalitions , elements, some ' members of the human family are so intimately connected that each and every change brings its accompanying joy or sorrow, even life or death. And, I repeat, into all these things Miss Cather gazes with eyes that seem almost to fathom their various designs, and it has been given to her to pass on these pictures and thoughts in' golden, living words. And because her heart is young and full of hope, and because she is not afraid to tell the truth about life as it appears! to her regardless of the myths and conventions which we are alll supposed to hold sacred these reasons, hers is one of the most prominent and promisin of the voices now speaking for Young America. Although the fight has been long and the way full of thorns Young America is finding articulation. No longer the bondage of Victorian Puritanism and prudery. No ionger shall life and its longings be considered as things of t Edited By WILUAM C. WINDER, Jr. with the rare ability to paint word While Mr. Sinpictures beautifully. clair Lewis writes in contempt and often in the vitriol of hatred of the done in America to Tarkingtons Alice Adams," and two years since great majority of the people, of those the 1920 prize went to Mrs. Whartons in fact who do and say the obvious, the Age of Innocence.. Now has come shallow, and the meaningless, on the the awarding of the 1922 prize to Miss other hand, Miss Gather writes of tho Willa Cathers One of Ours," an minority who possess real fceiings award which brings to me an immense and who spend years, perhaps a whole amount of personal satisfaction. In lifetime, in trying, often without success, to liberate that inner being the first place, it brings a belated acwhich cries out for expression. She knowledgment to a writer whose virtues I have,' almost alone in these, recognizes the meanness of the majorparts, been extolling for years past; ity perhaps as clearly as does Mr. Lewin the second place, it is a public acis, but of this class of humanity she knowledgment from a conservative simply makes a contrasting backsource that the voice of your America ground against which her restless spiris now speaking with an authority its can shine the more brilliantly, alwhich cannot safely be ignored. though often, as in real life, futilely. I know of nowhere that, a person When first I read of the awarding of the 1922 prize by Columbia Univermight go for more thoroughly satisfysity, I could not help wondering ing reading than to the books of Miss Cather. She has a rich and rare unwhether the decision of the judges selected had been overruled as was done derstanding of human nature with its in the 1920 contest. As the facts of possibilities and its limitations. The that contest are not generally known, earth and its seasons are full of wonI think it in order to remark that the ders to her, a mysterious hiding place three judges selected by Columbia of untold beauties yet to come. And were unanimous in their selection of to enable her to pass these impresthe Main Street" of Sinclair Lewis. sions on, she has a style so simple that This decision was simply ignored by a child can enjoy it, yet so full, so the University, although two of the warm, so breathing, that it must capjudges were such authorities as Robert tivate the inveterate reader. I have Morss Lovett and Stuart P. Sherman, mentioned already the fine understandthe third I have forgotten. While ading which Cather puts into her work. mitting the excellence of the Wharton While there is an utter absence of the minute soul analysis which is now bebook, I am free to contend that it contains far less of America and the true coming so prevalent, yet there is a inwardness of the average American deep realization that within most peothan does the Lewis book. In saying ple, at some time or other, a secret this I am not at all unaware of the individuality stirs. She knows that general dislike of Main Street, even only in the development of that indiamong the very small minority who viduality, in the search for can satisfaction be acquired. finished reading it, although it was the greatest seller of its year. Wherever She knows full well that these new I have seen the book there is always births are accompanied often by hearta book mark showing that the reader rending anguish and pain, and that of its for the few who achieve success there had progressed about length. Americans do not like the are many who go to failure and death. book because it paints their faults too In other words, .one of the greatest truthfully. As a nation, we have a thins to be said of Willia Cather is very distinct aversion toward anything that she recognizes the tragedy of huwhich does not flatter us out of all man life, and in that recognition there proportion. However, having thus far is a whole world of sympathy. But, let digressed from the point in view, I me hurriedly add, that great well of have no doubt that Mr. Sinclair Lewis sympathy has never yet in a single was a strong contender again this year line run over into anything resembwith his inimitable Babbit." To me ling maudlin sentimentalism. the decision would be difficult. BabBefore leaving the books of this wobitt is a truly good book, and within man, whom I do not rank today below those covers Mr. Lewis has put into Mrs. Wharton, and distinctly above the American language many of the every other woman novelist of this most dominant characteristics of succountry, I must make short reference cessful America of today. Against this to those magical descriptions of her would be placed the beautiful work great Middle West, the land of her of a writer who has been for years and birth and the home of all her is now one of my very greatest enthuHere one lives again close to siasms. And really I am glad that the great mother earth, the beginning Cather won. and end of life. Here the great second in merit. I again wish to prostretches of fallow earth cry forth of claim My Antonia as being one of life and living, and bring to pass the the best novels done in America in glory of new growth. Here, again at other times and with conditions remany a year, and one which this country can well be proud of. Both of these versed, heat or cold or drouth, or all books, though, are the product of a of them combined, appear to conspire against the will of God and man in a deeply understanding nature combined It seems hardly possible that a year has passed since the awarding of the 1921 Pulitzer prize for the best novel . self-expressio- n, one-thir- d book-peopl- e. darkness and night. The pure sunlight is beginning to stray in through many a crack and crevice and the old timeworn taboos aTe beginning to fade away with the religious ideas of a literal hell and a personal devil. Young America affirms life and all things which will bring happiness, for it is not afraid to face the fact that of actual happiness there is fai too little in the world. Of course, before its own seeds can be planted, there is an almost unbelievable amount of rubbish to be torn down and removed, and so we can be excused if it is thought that too much effort has been given to the breaking up of old images instead of the time having been given to the crea- tion of new ones. But where not so many years ago there were a few pioneers, fighting their way step by step, there are now a score or more and with the innerited determination of the old leaders, greatest of whom was Huneker. And here it surely would not be amiss to mention a few of theso men who are carrying on the good fight. Such a list would not be complete if it were not headed by Theodore ! Dreiser, the reat lumbering alyst who fought for so many yeais almost alone. This man has not written a particularly brilliant page, but he has written many powerful pages which have thundered through the civilized world. And, please tell me, who among your American Victorians has ever written a book which will f so long as Sister Carlive rie? Nor must we forget to mention Frank Norris and Stephen Crane. And our heads are bared and bowed in memory of Randolph Bourne, who died at the moment when it seemed possible that he might inspire the formation of a real league of youth. And the voice of Sherwood Anderson calls out, as yet not very distinctly, but rather like a smouldering volcano. He is grouping for powerful expression as We his materials arp tremendous. hope he will find the key to the deep vault of his soul, for we can feel that there is a great seething something which demands adequate expression. And each year the caustic irony of Mr. Sinclair Lewis is causing many of soul-an-- . the old images, long since wbrthless,-tcome crashing to the ground: His books are admittedly dull, but they are exact portraits of dull people in .. it dull and drab surroundings. If you insist on blaming something for that drabness, blame the conditions as they exist, and not a portrait which dares to tell, the truth. However, if you demand charm and beauty of writing, go to the books of Mr. Floyd Dell, for here a poet has a message of another side of like which is just as true. But is it necessary to go on with, the list? Every year adds to the ranks of these creators of the new literature of America. It is as yet in its infancy. But we are at least beginning an American tradition, something for others to be proud of and build upon. While we do not in any way try to belittle the work of the great European artists,. the possessors: of a wonderful heritage, yet we are glad that Young America has decided that it has something of its own to say in its own way and that the days of copymethods .are ended. ing America hap its own problems to express. Its young people are born with that inward restlessness which leads to art. More and more its sons and daughters are seeking articulation, and the realization that in that direction are to be found lifes greatest gifts is growing daily. I have once before used this quotation in these pages, but o - . i, 0 . . old-worl- d . as it is from Cathers One of Ours, and so magically sets forth that new feeling which is working in the youth of this country, I do not hesitate to use it again, Inside of living people, too, captives languished. Yes, inside of people who walked and worked in the broad sun, there were captives dwelling in darkness never seen from birth to death. Into those prisons the moon shone, and the prisoners crept to the windows and looked out with mournful eyes at the white globe which betrayed no secrets and comprehended all These people whose hearts were set high needed such intercourse : whoso wish was so oeautiful that there were no experiences in this world to satisfy it. And these children of the moon, with their unappeased longings and futile dreams, were a 'finer race than the children of the sun. D jLiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii; one-hal- I C For The Garden e s and all occasions i I .' HOBDAYS Flower Sliop I 246 South Main ' S S i j Street (Keith Emporium); Thos. Hobday, Prop. Phono Wasatch 987 41 s |