davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1957-04-21
East and West

A one-man show Of paint
ings by Zao-wou-ki is on view
at the I. F. A. Galleries, 1928
Connecticut avenue, through
this week. Born in Peking,
China. 1920. he studied for six
years in Hanchow, exhibiting
such extraordinary ability that
he was appointed professor of
art at the age Of 81.
Attracted by such avant-
garde European artists as Ma
tisse. Kandinsky, Miro and
Klee, he settled in Paris in
1948. There he fused ancient
Chinese art with that Of mod
ern Europeans. He has &C.
quired a devoted following who
see in his painting, according
to the I. F. A.. poetry in
trembling color" "the ecstasy
OF the mystic's contemplation"
the rhythm and activity Of
pure thought"
Zao-wou-ki's work is to be an
amorphous kind of painting.
IN which the color is pleasing,
being overlaid or fused with
many small dark hieroglyphs,
reminiscent Of Chinese char
acters. But those of us who are
unacquainted with mystic con-
temptation and pure thought
find it difficult, If not impos-
sible. to recognize their quali-
ties as translated in Zao-wou-
ki's painting. At any rate, it
can be enjoyed as exercises in
glowing color and delicate,
abstract linear patterns.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
English Sotirist

Drawing to a close is an un-
usual exhibition Of so original
etchings by Thomas Rowland
son. great English satirist Of
the times Of George III. at the
Franz Bader Gallery (1705 G
street N.W.). 1t is perhaps the
largest collection of Rowland
son exhibited in Washington
and was made possible when
the well-known New York art
dealer, j. B. Neumann, upon
retiring. released his collection
for exhibition and sale.
Rowlandson seems to have
been a raffish character, akin
in spirit to those he depicted
coarsely, Justify and at the
same time. with expressive line
and good composition. Yet de-
spite his addiction to taverns
and gaming rooms. he must
have been industrious, for he
turned out a large quantity Of
work in half a century.
Rowlandson's genius was
fortified with sound training,
In the Royal Academy schools,
and two years in Paris. For a
few years after returning to
London, he exhibited portraits
and historical paintings at the
Academy (l775-8D. Perhaps
we should be thankful that he
was not a model Of propriety.
for then he would have been
Just another painter among
many at that time. who had to
lead more circumspect lives.
AS an etcher. he was appar-
entity kept toeing the mark of
production, to some extent,
by his association with the
publishing house of Rudolph
Ackermann. Much Of Rowland
sons work was first published
In Ackermann's magazines.
Rowlandson etched plates to
illustrate the copy Ackermann
supplied each month. and a
production line" Of other art
lists put in the aquatint foun-
dation. Rowlandson would
then hand-color one print as a
model for the others to color
the rest Of the edition.
At the Bader Gallery are
Evening star., 1957-04-21
THE LIFE OF HILAIRE
BELLOC. Bv Rohert

BELLOC. BY Robert
Speaight. tFarrar, Straus q
Cudahy: $6.50.)
In number of books Hilaire
Belloc was the leading writer of
his day in England. Something
like $50 titles are listed at the
end Of this biography. He was
novelist. historian. biographer,
essayist. and political and re-
ligious tract writer. Said Max
Beerbohm: He wasn't merely
a man Of genius. He was a
man Of many geniuses."
He was a friend of the In
comparable Max. of Maurice
Barring. G. K. Chesterton and
a few others, but he was es-
sentially an unliterary man.
He did not greatly enjoy, and
he rarely sought out. the COM
pany Of literary people," He
was a man of action and the
action consisted mainly in the
systematic production Of books.
He dictated to a secretary and
he made use Of a researcher.
Some of the books were very
good indeed. Danton and
Robespierre. for instance.
Many. notably the religious
tracts. already have been for
gotten.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
ARTISTS AND EXHIBITIONS
The American Stage Is Theme
Of Show at Corcoron Gallery

"The Green Pastures" "Ah,
Wilderness" Death Of a Sales
man." and "Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof"
If the visitor has (incred-
ibly) missed Modern Drama"
he has surely seen such mas
terpieces Of Musical Comedy"
as Oklahoma" Show Boat"
THE King and /" and Guys
and Dolls" Studying these and
many others in this section,
from the esthetic standpoint,
will give an extra dimension
to his memory Of an exciting
evening at the play itself.
Henri Dora. assistant art
director Of the Corcoran GAL
lery Of Art, conceived the idea
Of this fascinating exhibition
and supervised its preparation.
Gudmund Vigtel. administra-
tive assistant. designed the
handsome installation. Other
members Of the gallery's staff.
and many lenders, contributed
heavily to its success. All are
named in the foreword to the
catalogue ($D by Hermann
Warner Williams. director. The
introductions to the respective
sections. and data on each pro-
duction, are also blown up on
plaques hung with the show.
These original stage sets. cos
tune designs. scale models and
photographs. the work of IS
leading designers in the past
40 years, add up to a total Of
some 400 items. It is a big
show. both in theme and con-
tent. and should not be missed.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Loneliness
In ireland
Defined
BY MARY McGRoRY

The mark Of truth and the
mark Of pity is on THE FEAST
OF LUPERCAL Gittle Brown,
$3.75).
Brian Moore seems to have
set himself the task of study
ing the anatomy Of loneliness
against the background of his
native Northern Ireland today.
He began brilliantly last year
with THE Lonely Passion of
Judith Hearne," a heartbreak-
ing story of a hopeful, doomed
Irish spinster. He continues
the sad work with this pain
full account of an Irish bach
elor and his dream of love.
Perfect love. we are told,
casteth out fear. No such love
has ever entered the dreary,
decent life of Diarmuid De-
vine. an English teacher in a
Belfast boys school. Fear re-
mains. Dew is afraid of what
people will say. of the priests,
Of ridicule. And since romance
is particularly fraught with
peril. Dew has experienced sex
only in his own mind. That
way. no one could laugh.
Outrageous Joy
Yet il Dew is cautious, he
Is not mean. When he meets
Una Clarke, a colleagues
niece from Dublin, his with
cred heart is seized with "out-
rageous Joy" Haltingly, trem-
blingly. he pursues his hearts
desire. aghast as he is at the
knowledge that Una Is a Prot
estant, is fast" has been, by
Evening star., 1957-04-21
CRIME AND MYSTERY
BY BETTY MILES

about the late swain Of his
teen-age sister. Not as original
as THE Faceless Adversary"
of a few months back. which
also was denied the Norths'
presence. it is. after all. by the
Lockridges. who apparently
are incapable Of being dull.
THE PUB CRAWLER. BY
Maurice Proctor. (Harper e.
Bros; $685. We liked THE
Ripper" better. although Mr..
Proctor has not failed as a
story teller. Bill Knight. a
new. college-trained police
man. working as an under
cover man in Airechester's
Champion road slum section.
finds his duties broadened
from gambling to murder when
the owner of the Starving
Rascal pub is dispatched with
blow to the skull. and his
coin collection stolen. Enter
the suspects - for the most
part, the Byles family. who
speak in Snarl. Good enough,
but innocent that we are. We
prefer believable fantasy to
mundane fact.
BOGUE'S FORTUNE. BY
Julian Symons. Harper a.
Bros; $685. But then--life
is never simple. Here is fan
tasy. staggering fantasy, no
put-level plot this. Murder in
a progressive school for de-
linquents - the setting Is
dragged in by the heels--is
only the beginning. It's all
tied in with the death Of a
man named Bogue. a scoundrel
to be sure, a former member
of Parliament who later served
a prison term. Bogue once
owned Bramley Hall. where
the school is located. and
Bogue had a fortune which
was. never found. Charles APP
plegate, mystery writer. tries
to solve the real life puzzler
of Bogue and his fortune, as
Bogue's friends arrive on the
scene like delegates to a con-
vention. The finale is a dis
jointed nightmare. The whole
thing left US reeling.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Sidewalk Loqic
GUIDES To ST

GUIDES TO STRAIGHT
THINKING BY Stuart
Chase. (Harper: S3.50.)
This is one that Madison
avenue would have every rea-
son to try to suppress. And
certainly there are many poll
ticians this year who would
prefer not to see it widely
circulated in their constitu.
encies. 1t is not only a guide
book for congenital suckers,
but also a manual for the or
binary folks who are only
occasionally taken to the
cleaners by fast talk. Mr..
Chase's latest is q readable
study Of everyday sidewalk
logic. ID. K.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
THE LIVING AND THE
DEAD. BY Pierre Boileau

IhE LIVING AND The
DEAD. BY Pierre Boileau
and Thomas Narcejac. lives
Washburn. Inc; S2.75.)
The authors Of the book on
which the moving picture
'Diabolique" was based have
produced a tale both different
and good. It's theme is the
unknown. Monsieur Flaviers,
a former detective. is asked by
a friend to follow his wife.
Madeleine. whose memories
and patterns are those of a
long dead great-grandmother.
Madeleihe's perfume smells
like flowers and new-turned
earth. and she is given to con-
templating her ancestors
grave with envy. Her an
cester killed herself--Made-
leine falls from a church tower.
Then Flaviers spots her four
years later in a newsreel. The
surprise and completely ac-
ceptable ending still leaves the
reader bemused.
4
METHOD IN MADNESS. BY
Doris Miles Disney. Double
day e. Co.: $2.95.) When a
daughter tries to see her
mother. a guest at a santa
rum for the mentally Ill for
IA years. and fails. she checks
with an insurance company
for details not forthcoming
from her stepfather. Mrs.
Carroll is conveniently stricken
with a fatal heart attack after
insurance adjuster jeff Di-
Marco asks for an outside
opinion in her case. The book
has depth and pace. with the
characterization Of gentle Mrs.
Carroll a coup.
\
THE TANGLED CORD. BY
Frances and Richard Lock-
ridge. u. B. Lippincott Co.:
$2.75) Mr.. and Mrs. North
aren't on hand for this soiree.
but Capt. William Weigand is,
as a middle-aged playboy's
death disrupts several lives.
At the heart of things is Car
toonist Clark Benson, who
fees from his fiancee and the
police to hide what he knows
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Spanish Punorumu
THE WOKE ANN TUE An

IHE YOKE AND THE AR
ROW. A report on Spain.
(Braziller; s3.75) is an an
alysis Of the Franco regime.
its history and the uncertain
future of the country by Her
bert L Matthews, a veteran
foreign correspondent of the
New York Times.
Mr.. Matthews is an en-
thusiastic liberal, but he is too
good a reporter not to give
facts and arguments on both
sides Of the issues involved.
His own conclusions some
times are illogical. But he
covered the civil war and
knows Spain very well. Opin-
donated as his book is, it is
judicial compared to the angry,
uniformed book on Spain
which Richard Wright re-
Gently issued-"Pagan Spain"
He Knows Spain
Mr.. Matthews is as strongly
against Franco as Mr.. Wright
was. but at least Mr.. Matthews
knows Spain. He denies that
Spain would have gone Com
munist If the Loyalists had de-
feated Franco. He points out
that communism was a neg
ligible force in the republic
that proceeded the civil war. He
processes as great a horror Of
Russian communism as any,
one has, but admits to a tre-
mendous admiration for the
international brigades that
fought for the Loyalists. He
estimates the brigades were 80
per cent Communist. But it
should be remembered, he con-
tends. that back in the '30s
many young Communists, in
cluding many Americans, were
idealists who did not realize
the menace Of Russia. May
be so. But he does not regard
them as naive.
Mr.. Matthews draws a dis
tinction between the Catholic
Church In Spain and what he
calls the more liberal, enlight-
ened policies Of the Vatican.
He also speaks Of a powerful"
Catholic lobby In Washington
which helped prevent this
country from aiding the Loyal
lists.
His book has some valuable
information on Spain II you
can weed out his prejudices
and disregard his flaws OF
logic.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Anniversary Edition
ALEXANDER HAMILTON. p

Nathan Schachner. CThomas
Yoseloff Publisher: So
This is a reissue for Hamil-
tons 200th anniversary Of a
biography originally published
in 1916. Widely acclaimed at
that time 1t is still one Of the
best OF biographies Of the man
who founded our financial sys-
tenn and managed to lead a
very lively life. -E. T.
Evening star., 1957-04-21

the peSC historical novels I've
read in a long time:
ALABAMA EMPIRE. BY
Welbourn Kelley. (Rhine-
hart: $5.r
Mr.. Kelley writes Of the
years following the American
Revolution-1789-93. The
story moves from New York
to the home of the Creek Ma
ton, the wilderness that later
became Alabama, finally to
Philadelphia.
AS an overtone to the story,
the romance, Mr.. Kelley de-
scribes medicine as it was
practiced in that era. His main
character. John Fyfe. who tells
the story, is a doctor, a grad
uate of the University Of Edin-
burgh, which then contained
the finest medical school.
Youthful DR.. Fyfe resigned his
commission as a surgeon in
the British Navy to practice in
New York. Before long he
was involved in an adventure
that took him to the primitive
Alabama River country,
To me. the most interesting
part of the book is Fyfe's ex-
periences as a doctor. Mr..
Kelley. whose careful research
for the book is obvious, un-
doubtedly gives an accurate
picture Of medicine then. While
1t Is easy to make fun of some
Of the procedures Of that day,
such as bleeding for nearly
every ailment and drafts of
devastating medicine, the sur
prise to me was that Fyfe and
other doctors of like back
ground did so well in the
light of current medical knowl-
edge. They knew anatomy
and quite few remedies still
in use; they could diagnose a
good many diseases, and their
surgery. performed with lau-
danum and rum as substitutes
Tor anesthetics, often was
amazingly effective.
Yellow Fever
One Of the best things in
the book is a vivid, heart
breaking description of the
yellow fever epidemic of 1898
in Philadelphia.
The romance is more in the
groove. We have that oft-met
character. the noble prosti-
tiite; another girl. a hell-cat,
part Indian, whom DR.. Fyfe
adored; a handsome villain
who aspired to be king of
the Alabama River country.
Most of the characters are his
torica' including Gen. Nc
Gillivf<y. the half-Scottish,
half-Indian ruler of the Creek
Nation. There are plenty Of
fights and other excitement.
There is a not-very- -fiattering
portrait of George Washing
ton.
This 500-pager could have
been cut sharply in places. But
1t is a tribute to Mr.. Kelley's
powers as a narrator to say
that the story most of the
time is absorbing. The way
the Greek Indians lived is
described in colorful detail.
Evening star., 1957-04-21

Of fame in that decade, among
them Edward Arlington Rob-
inson. Theodore Dresser, Sin
clair Lewis. Sherwood Ander-
son. F. Scott Fitzgerald. John
Des Passos and H. L. Mecnken.
In a brief final chapter, Mr..
Brooks describes his crackup
in the middle '20s and several
nightmare years he spent in
various sanitariums. This
striking chapter. called "A
Season in HE'LL" surely would
make a book if Mr.. Brooks ever
cared to recall his breakdown
and recovery in more detail.
The heartening thing is that
when he emerged. his spirit
pale and doubtful, into the
world. his best work lay ahead.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Corcorun Lecture

The painful interlude when
Artists Paul Gauguin and Vim
cent Van Gogh shared a house
in Aries In 1888 will be the
subject Of q lecture at the Cor
coran Gallery next Thursday
at $40 by the assistant d.
rector, Henri Dora.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
BY FLORENCE s. BERGMAN

Glamour and the theater are
synonymous terms to many Of
us. But glamour is by no
means entirely contributed by
the seductive personalities
whose gifts have immortalized
them. Much of the glamour is
created by the artists of the
theater-the scene and cos
tune designers who produce
the sets. illumination, atmos-
phere. dress and other in
gradients Of illusion and ex-
citement.
Drama is a dual art, Of time
and space. The esthetic ap-
peal Of Its spatial aspects Of
the past four decades in the
United States is the founda-
ton Of the Corcoran Gallery's
recently opened exhibition
"The American Stage" which
VIII remain through May 26.
Some elements Of theatrical
glamour which heightened the
preview of this show on April
IL. at the Night Of Stars"
annual ball given by the
women's committee Of the gall
lery. have been removed: The
star-studded 'sky" in the
lower atrium. the Toulouse
Lautrec posters and the life
size figures on the grand stair
way. clad in costumes worn
by famous actresses in notable
roles.
Upper Atrium
But the exhibition on the
second floor needs no such
frills. delightful though they
were. It stands foursquare on
its own merits. Visitors with
a serious interest in getting
the most out Of a tour Of this
show. should begin with the
display in the upper atrium,
leading into the iive galleries
at the front of the building.
Influences" which began
nearly a century ago in the
United States, Germany, Swift
zerland. Britain and France,
are glimpsed in the opening
sections colorful set designs.
The show proper is COM
posed Of five sections. "Pio-
neers" has early set designs
(of 1915 to '19D by the three
outstanding Americans, Robert
Edmund Jones, Lee Simonson
and Norman Bel Geddes, who
were leaders Of the new stage
craft in the United States.
World Classics" aims to
illustrate foremost American
stage designers new ways Of
presenting the masterpieces Of
world literature. Originality of
conceptions and approaches is
illustrated by the paintings of
sets and costumes by different
designers.
Particularly exciting are Bel
Geddes' project for Dante's
Divine Comedy" its blazing
Inferno. Purgatory and Para
disc being brilliant watercolors,
abstract in effect: Robert
Edmund Jones "Oedipus Rex"
especially the three towering
marionettes. heroic archety-
pal figures" which have tre-
mendous impact; Donald
Oenslager's "Prometheus
Bound" and Lee Simonson's
Hamlet"
Opera" the next large coll
orful section, illustrates how
1t has been getting away from
Sitting Academism" with sets
and costumes, in some in
stances. by world-famous
painters. Eugene Berman's
Barber of Seville" series be-
ing outstanding.
Modern Drama
Modern American stage de-
sign and playwriting began
practically simultaneously
about 1915. with the creations
Of Robert Edmund Jones and
Eugene O'Neill, respectively.
Modern Drama" is a COM
prehensive section ranging
from their early works to this
year. 1t seems improbable that
anyone visiting the exhibition
has not seen one or more Of
the plays here illustrated, in
cluding such popular titles as
Evening star., 1957-04-21
An Author Writes
To Her Reviewer

The following letter has been
received from the. author Of
LITTLE BROTHER FATE"
which was reviewed in The
Star of April z:
I feel myself under obliga-
ton to make corrections of
certain statements that you
offer as fact-not, please un-
derstand, of anything you Of
fer as opinion in the review
OF my novel. Little Brother
Fate" I am unwilling to do
this for I recognize that you
were within your rights in ac-
cepting the publishers word.
That ought to be accurate. 1t
it not.
! refer to the announcement
on the book jacket, which you
quoted, that the novel is based
on three famous murders of
the 1920s. That is not true.
The novel is based on the
theme Of fate. as the title
indicates. It is part of a tet-
ralogy planned years ago, to
treat of the four themes that
are subject to creative inter-
pretation-death, love. fate,
hope. This is the second of
Of. the series to be published.
The first. THE Abbot Sisters"
dealt with death.
In Little Brother Fate" I
showed three groups of differ
emily circumstanced people in
escapably forced into one
course by circumstances be-
yond their control. The idea
has been literarily respectable
for several thousand years.
AS for the alleged deriva-
ton from the famous crimes
OF the 20s - Snyder Gray,
Hall Mills. Loeb Leopold
there is only this much like
ness: When I came to the
actual commission of the MUIR
ders. ! used the physical out
lines Of those in general terms,
though not in detail. / did
this because / have never
studied the methods Of mur-
derers and felt more secure in
relying on history than in
inventing after the manner of
the mystery writers. But the
commissions of the crimes
come at the end of the stories.
All that goes before, which is
virtually the whole book, is
imaginary. I know nothing
whatever about the people in
volved in those crimes. / did
no research on those crimes.
/ have read nothing about
those crimes since they oc-
CURED. and then read merely
the newspapers. am not
even sure Of the dates, but 1t
must be 80 years ago.
! request that you publish
this. because your review has
made me realize how powerful
preconception the publishers
misleading statement creates.
For instance. you referred to
one Of my characters as Mrs.
Snyder" There is no one by
that name in my book. OF
the real Mrs. Snyder's his
tory, prior to her appearance
as an accused murderess, !
know nothing whatever. / do
not know where she lived,
what her family was. her edu-
cation-anything. Yet most
Of my story about Mildred
Hummel--who you identify as
this woman--is given to de-
scribing those circumstances.
And so 1t is in all three
episodes.
AS to why I chose crime
to demonstrate the unifying
theme Of fate. my reason was
that crime is the farthest
limit from normality. And Of
all crimes, murder is the ex-
treme one.
MARY-CARTER ROBERTS.
RiYa. Md.
Evening star., 1957-04-21

such titles as "Miseries of So
cial Life" "Of Domestic Life"
OF Travelling" etc. Besides
the so etchings in the show.
there are many more available
In a portfolio along with
prints by some of Rowland
sons contemporaries. particu-
larly CruikShank.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Hessiun Letters

REVOLUTION IN AMER
ICA. translated and annotated
by Bernhard A. Uhlendorf
(Rutgers University Press; $9)
contains confidential letters
and journals of Adjutant Gen.
Maj. Baurmeister of the Hes
sian forces who fought for the
British. Baurmeister looked at
the war from the impartial
perspective Of a professional
soldier, with little interest in
the issues, and his observa-
tions and reflections are de-
cidedly interesting.
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Fame in the 20s

In DAYS OF THE PHOE-
NIX tDutton; 1885, Van
Wyck Brooks. the literary his
torian and critic, gives his
recollections OF the artistic
side Of the l920s. There are
fine personal impressions OF
writer's who found q measure
Evening star., 1957-04-21
Novel Of EorIy America
Wins OUTSTANDING Proise
By CARTER BROOKE JONES

It has been temptation pass over historical
novels In favor OF novels in the sharp cung
in book reviewing Historical novels too often fol-
low pattern while those with themes
greater variety less predictable and thus offer more
adventurous reading However can commend one of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-26

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Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-26
BRlARCLIFF AREA TOWN HOUSE

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Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-26
MISCELLANEOUS WANTED
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crystal, iewelry, silver. rugs, etc.
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Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-26

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auto, h.-w.h.. cleo. range. dish
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