Correspondence
With Apologies to Some
Sirs:
I find that I unwittingly did an in–
justice to John Dewey in my article,
"The Future of Democratic Values," in
the July-August
1943
issue of PARTISAN
REVIEW. In criticising his article in the
"New Failure of Nerve" symposium, I
objected to his exclusive concern with
the religious aspect of the problem, as
indicative of an unhistorical and poli–
tically co,nservative approach.
The fact is, as I knew at the time
but failed to recall, his article was orig–
inally written for book publication and
not for the PR symposium. It was thus
unwarranted to make the criticism I
did-although I think it fair to give
some weight to Dr. Dewey's agreeing to
publish his article in the "New Failure
of Nerve" context. My criticism there–
fore applies fully only to the articles
by Sidney Hook and Ernest Nagel.
Thank you for printing this note of
correction and apology.
DwiGHT MACDONALD
' New York, N. Y.
One Hit, One Error
Sirs:
May I tell you how thoroughly I en–
joyed and was stimulated by Mario
d'Andrea's penetrating review of
What
To Do With Italy
by Salvemini and
La Piana in your September issue. It
alone was worth the price of the mag–
azine many times over.
I can't refrain from commenting on
the snide little crack about Patchen in
your new department "Variety." I
know that everyone I have talked to
about this was disgusted by this under–
handed "schoolgirlish" gibe at about
the only American poet left who has
any courage and integrity.
Jersey CitY.
ARTHUR H. STURCKE
PR at the Front
Sirs:
It may please you gentlemen to know
that some soldier or sailor has lugged
a couple of copies of your magazine
half way around the world until they
are now in position where a husky chap
could hit a J apanese Imperial Marine
quite easily with one. It was quite a
surprise to see a magazine of this type
out here, for the kind matrons who
send out their old magazines ·seem to
have an inordinate predilection for
Bernarr McFadden and
The Reader's
Digest.
Suffice to .say that ·I was very
pleased and enjoyed your articles
greatly.
EuGENE L. BuRDICK,
LT. (j.g.) USNR
A Voice from Texas
Sirs:
The Saul Bellow story in your Sep–
tember-October issue was quite good,
but the Bogan article seemed to lack
punch.... The Fondane thing-one
of the fellows down here read it and
said it was "cute"-and that's about
what it came to. The Auden poems
were certainly a comedown for him....
He abuses his forms something fierce,
5eems to think that form is an end in
itself, that it covers any amount. of
sterility, frigidity. "W. H. Auden" 1s a
good name to have on a cover, but why
not have it as a by-line for his me–
moirs? And why not print Eliot him–
self, not these renegade repentants who
give such amateur impersonations?
I hope that you will go on printing
people like Bellow and find others like
him. And for godsake, tie a can to
Sidney Hook
&
Co.! Otherwise, you
have a helluva good magazine and I
think it will get better
now~
The only
thing that ever spoiled it for me was that
"Voice in the Whirlwind" tone it used
to feature. This issue softpedaled that
at least, so it wasn't half so windy as
usual. The good thing about PR and
what keeps my interest up is the search
for the good things that are
buried
in it. They are
buried,
but they are
good.
CPL. HALSEY DAVIS
Moore Field, Texas
I
1: .
J
