Evening star., 1936-08-08

the number Of letters used in the
story and dividing the sum by the
number Of letters in the authors
name, she arrived at a figure con-
noting, according to her favorite
medium, a period of peace. Miss
Subgum is a paciist. Mr.. Whiffle-
hammer voted for the story because
he and Miss OCute plan to be mar
ried next year Says Mr.. Whifie-
hammer, II believe in being loyal to
the girl friend. And it amt such a
bad story, considering"
Nov, while magazine fiction stand
ards are seldom above zero, the
fashions IN fiction do have terrible
way of changing. In years to come it
may be that the O'Cute genre will be
utterly out. 1t may also be that 10
Doakes will win the Nobel Prize.
Fancy his horrid embarrassment then
when somebody wolflshly brings up
his OCute commitment to confront
him. Such things have happened.
On the whole the entire anthology
business, as it is managed today,
seems to be silly beyond description.
But if the mind staggers before the
labor Of the volume pickers, who
bring forth only once a year, what is
to be said of the editors who monthly
make the dreary round of the periodi-
Gals and select a dozen or more bests?
One can only hope that they are paid
for it.
The current Fiction Parade Is at
hand and is, as the reader will COM
prehend, the inspiration Of the fore
going thoughts. It contains IS stories.
One will not quarrel with the editors
selections AS the immortal, though
suppositious, Mr. Whiflehammer has
said, they amt so bad, considering
what there is to draw from. But since
this magazine is published, and since
these columns are devoted to maga-
zine comment, it may be enlightening
to do little analyzing Of the IS, and
see what our short story artists are
giving US.
OF the IS then it should be pointed
out first that there is not one that has
the quality which critics have some
times called Significance There is
not one that opens any door beyond
itself. There is not one that touches
life rather than ink There is not one,
therefore. that can be regarded as
anything but an exercise. Critical
valuation must necessarily be based on
their merits as exercises.
This, in itself. is the best summing
up Of magazine fiction that can be
offered. 1t is, clearly, a dull profess
sion, followed duly by experienced
and usually competent practitioners
who are incapable of startling any
editor by presenting him with any
thing so upsetting as living work of
art. Granted that such works are
written at rare intervals in the best Of
times. a monthly survey covering Sc
periodicals from Z countries, as does
the August Fiction Parade, ought to
unearth something above the level of
merely acceptable performance.
Yes, it ought. But 1t has not done so.
Mediocrity, and that limited to types,
is distinctly the fashion.
I EFT us see then what these types
are. Take the first story. 1t is
reprinted from the Forum. The
author is Peter Fleming. He has told
US how a desiccated English school
master travelling in Mexico is forced
to hide under bandstand while revo-
lutionistS shoot it out in the plaza.
With him in hiding are pretty girl
and a man known as a brothel
keeper. They suffer from thirst.
Proximity to the girl and companion
ship in danger rouse the Englishman's
romantic feelings until he offers to
fight the brothel keeper to get her
drink. They escape at last and the
girl asks him to come and see her. He
looks forward to going with emotion.
Then he examines the address she has
given him and discovers that her pres
ence with the keeper was not, as he
had supposed, accidental. He is
shocked. One understands that he
undergoes considerable disillusion.
There Is only one possible reaction
to such a piece and that is, what of
it? Who cares?" And who does care?
There is not particle of life in the
thing from beginning to end. Granted
that a desiccated Englishman might,
under the circumstances, experience
the feelings set down by Mr.. Fleming,
why should Mr.. Fleming imagine that
a dull account of them will be inter-