The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-09

America Stay at Homer" has just
been published by Harper g.
Brothers.
BY WALTER ID. HICKMAN
My mail has been filled with re-
1Vl quests to list some books which
will be readable" gifts for people of
all ages.
The same request has come over
the telephone many times recently
and 1 think it is time to start Civ
ing my lists.
For an adult reading gift for
either man or woman, 1 am going
to recommend one of my favorites
of the year. 1t is Estate Fair" by
Phil Stong.
Although this book has been pub
lished for some months, yet it is one
OF the few books that actually grows
daily in my mental box.
1 can actually see this family from
a small farm in Iowa going to the
State Fair to spend a great week. 1
was wild when the prize hog got the
blue ribbon and Mas pickles and
the like got first prize.
OF ours the son and daughter,
won a blue ribbon each but they
never exhibited them because a state
fair is not giving blue ribbons for
what they won.
Here is a human, CHEEKY account
of real people going to a state fair.
I have reviewed it in this depart
ment and more interest will be Gre
ated as soon as the movie is re-
leased.
OF the three books, I would want
for Christmas if I did not have
them, state Fair" would top my
list.
The second book 1 would want for
for Christmas would be "Lances
Down." by Richard Boleslavski in
collaboration with Helen Woodward.
This of course is not fiction but it
is as moving as any drama I have
seen on the stage.
1t brings zone as close as possible
to the revolution in Russia which re-
suited in the present form of gov
i eminent there.
Machine guns roar as citizens pay
the price for being on the wrong
side" and for sometime it was not
known in Moscow which side was
wrong" But the slaughter went
on rs a new form of government
came out of the chaos.
"Lances Down" gives an intelli-
gent picture of the Moscoy Art
Theater and its offspring THE
Studio" prior to the revolU s1ol. 1t
also shows how art lived through
the struggle and then Bonded to the
new order.
Now you will probably chuckle
and probably will say that 1 have
gone "ga-ga" but my third book
would be Mae Vests Diamond Lii"
OF course I admit you would have to
know the tastes and the sense of
humor that your friend possesses be-
fore I would recommend this gut
ter literature"
But I do know that when friends
drop out to my home Lii" is bound
to come trotting out and the les
sons" start from the first page.
Here is a mighty chuckle. Gutter
it is, as I stated last week in this
department, but it is rip-Snorting
entertaining reading theater''
those who do not wear mental cot
~ton-flannel night gowns of the per-
iod of 1890.
Some months ago / got into a
quite a fever telling you about Il
Cover the Waterfront by Max Mil
Ter. That book has gone far since
it was published. 1t is so much in
demand that my review copy has
disappeared
Here are some human studies.
harshly but honestly chisled out by
Miller who is today a working news
paper nan on the West Coast.
1t shows just how human and
worthwhile is real human observa-
ton in newspaper work,
The political pot boils over in
M Washington Merry-Go-
Round" This sure blows the lid of
of official Washington. The prize
chapter is Nine Old Men" which is
the United States Supreme Court.
The names of the authors are not
given but / have the bunch that
each chapter was written or COM
piled Sy newshounds now in Wash
ingtUn or possibly in retirement"
just now.
I recommend this one as a gift
for anybody who is of voting age.
There are many young people as
well as older cneS who are actually
working in theat@-" in this city. I
nlean the Sutherland Players of the
Sutherland Presbyterian church and
many other church groups who en-
ter into yearly competition, the Civic
Theater, the Dramatic Club. Butler
university and the many schools,
public and private in this city.
For these I recommend the survey
OF Burns Mantell. critic. in his book
THE Best Plays of 1882" I
nave a copy Of this book in my IL
brary. 1t isn't the type of a book
that you will read at once from
cover TO cover but it is a working
everyday reference for those who
are rcriously inclined toward the
theater.