Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-12-09
Bodenheim Replies to Hecht


nKht.)
Ben rIccht may have allowed "roken Necks" to con
tain many rcgrettablc stories but least they
were written many years His erstwhic coworkcr
has written something right which does compare
with any Of his former writings. In ninth Avenue"
Maxwell Bolenheim to have attempted popular
novel He has forgotten Of his poetry his lust for
beautiful words, his ability ransfSure the ordinary
with blazing mpu'ience
Ninth Avenue is the average story of the develop
n,ent of daughter of New Yorks "Iicrs Kitchen
rises from cash girl in restaurant to selfimmonting
love for negro Ninth Avenue" is different from
Crazy Man. for example, Broken Nccks" from
"Fantazius Malare.' 1t is possible publishers
deliberately ordered the irepressbie Bodenleu
pose novel that would sell" without proving
phisticated and too ctherealy lubrlclous,
Program Picture
With the story changed that Eric Starring is
a negro ninth Avenue" might conceivably make a good
program picture" 1t is personal feeling that
the most important part OF the volume is Bodenhem's
evaluation of Hecht. Ninth Avenue contains char
acters, Max oppcndorf and Ben Helgin whom have
no hesancy in sezing upon AS Bodenheim and Hecht.
Bodenhems latest novel; therefore, be considered
reply TO Heehts portrait of him in Count Brugs"
which Bodenheim refers during his story.
Likes Himself
Bodenheim has been known detest himself
The curious part Of his frankness that he Is right
except people him seriously thinks
they do. Here Is Bodenheim's picture of himself pre-
sumably:
they hate him him He gets beneath
their skins and mocks at all their little idols squru
ings, and compromises They to pulverizc him.
he hardly gives them real opportunities they're
reduced TO falling back their imagination and insisting
that he's clownish monster
Then again the passage He tHelgin) had known
Max Oppendorf for nine years and they had passed
through comcal fanfare of recrmnations friendly in
vitations and Oppendorf secretly dis
liked him but was at times fascinated by his charming
petenses of camaradere and the quckness of his mind
The poets (oppendorf) unbroken haunting of moral
es convetionseand compromises reminded Ielgin that
in spite of his endless written shots at average people
and their fears and that in his personal existence he
had frequently prostrated himself before the very OBJ
which he pilloried laughed his
and conversation This specter could only he slain by
and women and TO hold them forth clownish and
rewarded capers"
The last sentence mp Count Rruga'
qsite thoroughly.
"Vxndern"
Bodenheim's comments vantcrin tpresunlably Van
Vechtenl and his dissection of the author of Niger
Heaven" and the later's hobby the Negroes. has
carefully and skilfuy exposed the newest fad of
decadencc The paragraphs in which Bodenhem treats
OF the relations between Blanche Palmer and Eric Startling
reveal the old Bodenhem who persistently indig
nant letters to The Naton and wrote beautiful poetry
despite his nor-receip of The Nation award. Except
for these occasional when BOdenhem is driven
beyond himself and he forges he is writing popular
novel, would suspect that Ninth Avenue"
written by the author of "Backguard.'
1t is possible that ninth Avenue may sell we'll 1t
at least gives a chance those who howled yocer