Evening star., 1932-04-10

with two xplenCfd maps, ana the original was
published IN Europe under the title Of Apis
Und Este" C. Z. N.
BRIGHT SKIN BY julia Peterkin. author OF
Scarlet Sister Mary" etc. Indianapolis:
The Bobbs -Merrin Co.
ny way OF conscience into art itself, MIS-.
- Peterkin has once more delivered, alive
and lusty, the Negro of the South For the
past four years. slow and painstaking this
writer has again made the rounds of her
chosen plantation or community. The one
readers came to know by way Of Scarlet Sis
ter Mary"
With conscience as pricking that Of
Puritan at his prayers Mrs Peterkin has de-
voted herself to the Negro folk OF this familiar
spot She has sat down among them, with
the men, women and children. She has felt
for them and with them. She has noted their
ways Of taking life, Of being taken by it. She
has pondered the white mans contribution to
Negro existence in America, that trickle of
white mans blood. So, following feeling and
appraising, forecasting. too. this writer has
thought the love story OF Cricket and Blue TO
be worth the telling. Blue, the black boy.
Cricket, the bright-skin girl
BY all odds the most poignant the most pic
tnesque very likely the most tragic theme that
can be drawn from racial problems in Amer
lea However, Mrs. Peterkin Is not concerned,
not openly At least. with any sort OF melt
ing pot theory. Her job, to turn the rieh
human stuff at hand into true art, whose ONCE,
all eoncede il to Illuminate life. Is to separate
it into seizahle bodies that are more real than
life itself. More real. because art has, rather
diyinely imagined them into nearness. into
Identification with some phase Of mans actual
and immediate need.
And here Is the story. The Negro. injected
with the white mans blood TO his present con-
fusion and sorrow. But. tomorrow-oh, let 10
morrow take care OF itself. Let US follow little
Cricket CT the bright skin, living up to her
heritage and bringing trouble to herself, TO the
black boy. Blue.
No pressing Of the theme. Indeed, there
seems to be no theme here so profound
racial question. Instead. there Is, in the main,
the careless life Of the Negro. Superstitious,
music loving, song making. idle, sunny folks
with sudden gusts of a child's rage. loafing in
the sun. All this and more. Through it, run
ming the love story of Cricket and Blue. Cricket,
the secret envy of the blacks, the open scorn
of them. True work. No no, not the kind to
read and cast on. Not that kind. Both for
the story and the method Bright Skin" Is
Book League choice.
THE THEATER: Prom Athens TO Broadway
By Thomas Wood Stevens. Drawings by
the author. New York: D. Appleton & Co.
|
I ! hunting dowr. the beginnings of things the
beginning of almost anything. From midbioek
to the corner a dozen suggestions for such pur-
suit may be seen. But. are all too busy
chasing our own tails round and round to
pause for these minor seductions. Luckily for
us. the curious. however, there be those who
take up seriously this source finding game
handing over many q surprising and interesting
bit Of history TO stow away in such intellectual
kits as we chance to possess.
Thomas Wood Stevens has in respect to the
theater, done just this kind Of good service for
readers practical man in the theater way
Director OF theAters. little and big playwright
And. besides. q student Of the art from Id. for
NAL beginnings away back in Greece 10 It's
latest aceepsanees IN modern life. Mr.. Stevens
combines both professional and amateur STAGE
lore and craft Ia this survey. Besides he can
write. Into . sun-wAshed plaza comes 4 pxo-
cesSion with candles and symbols borne aloft
. swaying. silded figure nj lbs head" And
there. heading the chapter, IN the drawer
from q Mnral painting. znni, to sappOrt the