The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-11-26
Notes and Comment

WHEN Ludwig Lewisohn's Upstream
was first published in the spring
of 1921 it was received with great
joy by ~ nationalistic Jews who
found in the book a confirmation OF
their suspicious that anti-semitism
was abroad in the land; (2) by the
shivering young literary Davids who
found in Lewisohn a prophet of the
creative life" and an implacable
enemy of Standardization and regi-
mentation.
Lewiston, German Jew, spent his
early youth in Charlestown, So. Caro-
lima; he studied at Columbia Univer-
sity, aspired to be a college teacher
of English literature and found the
campus gates barred to him because
he was a jew Ut is whispered by
some that personal qualities, quite
aside from the fact of nationality,
played a part in Lewisohn's frustra-
tion.)
Upstream is the story of this frus-
tration, written in fastidious, polished,
and oftentimes too-richly upholstered
English. Despite its irritating ego
mania, at times, the book contains
some profound observations on war,
education, and the American criteria
for "the good life"
Woven into the original chronicle
was the tender story of Lewisohn's
love for his wife, Mary. In the pres
ent edition Modern Library which
contains a new introduction written in
Paris, the former dramatic critic Of
The Nation turned Zionist confesses
that he had lied about the woman
whom he now reviles as a vixen and
slut, relating, in partial justifica-
ton, that she was his senior by TWEEN
ty years. (The complete story, it is
said, is now found in Lewisohn's The
Case of Mr.. Crump, also published in
Paris.)
Many gentle readers will be disil-
lusioned, and the literary police-the
bourgeois reviewers-will hurl impre-
cations at this defiant scholar and
pray that a plague be on his house
which now shelters a mate more love-
ly than the former.
FRANK HARRIS is undoubtedly one
of the most exuberant liars of
contemporary times. And as he Sc
renely glides toward four-score years
his memory grows sharper and his
braggadocio more annoying. In Latest
Contemporary Portraits (Macauey,
S2.50) the virile author of My Lire
and Loves retails additional alleged
"reminiscences of such diverse figures
as Thomas Hardy Charlie Schwab.
Eugene Debs, Lord Bryce, A.. T.
Housman, Henri Barbusse, J. ?. Nor
gan and Prince Kropotkin.
Despite justified skepticism re-
garding the authors amazingly re-
tentive memory Especially when re-
producing lengthy conversations, many
of which took place as far back as
1880), one must nevertheless marvel
at the number of celebrities which
Harris has managed to meet in his
lifetime. Possibly the answer is
found in reply to a query by A. E.
Housman as to why the latter was
so much sought after by Americans.
Perhaps volunteered Harris's
companion, "in order to talk about
you when they return home and brag
of your acquaintance"
In the present volume are found
many quaint, interesting and piquant
biographical details. For the most
part, however, the book is quite
trivial, and when Harris essays an
opinion on sociology he is usually
ridiculous.
CONCLUSIVE evidence that the
great George Bernard Shaw is in
his dotage is furnished by the follow
ing sparkling Shavians culled from
"The London Magazine" and quoted
with great relish by the New York
Herald Tribune:
Every man is the same sort of
idiot when he is in love.
My work is constructive; every
play or preface | write contains
a message. l am the messenger
boy of the new age"
Asked how he would prohibit pow
erty, G. B. s., who has lately de-
veloped a free love for Mussolini,
replied:
''In variety Of ways: if nee
essary, by putting to death every
person earning less than $1,000
yearly, or asking for more"
"Upton Sinclair's stuff recently has
been giving me an acute PAIN" writes
A. B. M. 81 liked it very much at
first and the irony surprised me. But
the guy can be so obtuse and pedantic
at times. He probably has the most
dogmatic mind in America, not ex-
cepting Cal Coolidge and Oswald
Garrison Villard. And his esthetic