The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-22
GENIUS
| SWAPS POSITION
! ON INTERVIEWER
John Cowper PoWys, Lectur-
ing at Goodwin Institute,
Turns Tables on -. G. G.,
Who Gets interviewed.
RY ]. G. G.

John Cowper Powys, the stormy
petrol Of English literature. now lee,
turing at GOODWIN institute, has
ideas and is not afraid to express
them. In his lectures he ventilates
these opinions freely. His opinions
both as spoken and crystalized IN
books have made him host OF
friends-and a swarm of enemies. He
smiles at one group; grimaces at the
other and goes his way gathering
where he finds them. Yhe inter-
viewer interrupted him but he was
graciousness itself.
Americas greatest contribution
to literatufe." he declared, "is
through her poetry. 1t is her most
striking and original note. Not in
England, nor all Europe is there SO
splendid strain as Is produced
here. 1t is one of the anomalies of
literature that a country dominated
by puritan distrust of glorious life
should produce som UGH gayety ana
gossamer ideals.I
"Of the poets-and they are such,
a glorious galaxy 1t Is hard to emu
merate them--I incline the Vers
Libreists but my mind goes out to
all the glorious sons of the morning
that pipe to Apollo in the wales and
along the heights to Parnassus. Rob-
inson is wonderfully striking. He is
beauty incarnate, who leads you to a
new Nebo from whence marvellous
vista can be discerned. Frost does
not appeal to me as do many of the
others. Masters in IA Spoor River
Anthology" has struck a new and
distinctly vilal note in world liter
ture"
what is your opinion of Amy
Lowell and her so-called polyphonic
prose?' asked the interviewer.
II do not read her." Mr.. Powys re-
sponded. ut is one of my few vir-
tues"
Promising Writers.
do you think we have any stand
ing compared with Europe in our fic-
tion?" asked the interviewer, sharp
ening his pencil.
IT do not, and the reason is not
for to seek. Whenever a man rises
beyond the level of Pollyanna- pap
the pointer pups of pHtridity begin
to sniff and are soon in full pursuit.
To my mind two of the most original
writer's of today are Dresser and a
young Southern writer of wonderful
promise, James Branch Cabell, au.
thor of q promising number of books.
Some of them are odd and all are of
striking interest. His 'Rivet in
Grandfather's Neck"-queer title, by
the way---is worthy Of keen study.
lie recalls Maurice Hewlett to o
great extent in his keen flashes OF
analysis and subtle nuances of tone.
His last and best work, "Jurgen''
has the honor of being placed on the
American index purgatorious so you
may know 1t must be good. When
ever an American produces some
thing really worth while and insists
that spade is a spade and not a
mechanical instrument used in agri-
cultural pursuits, he is straight way
adjudged guilty Of lese majestic and
hailed before justice of the peace
and gagged for life. The spectacle
Of the average politician--even deck
cd in erTnine-saying whether a book
is literature or Photographic pruri-
ence is enough to make muses. weep
How many tears they must have
shed in Anglo Saxondom! In aCbell
the South has produced one original
writer since the day of Poe. They
let Poe die of neglect and they are
now threatening to jail Cabell. How
can literature flourish under such
conditions?