tinction, above all, that I wanted to put
on the record.
I agree also that the definition of the
objective correlative as it appears in
my piece turns out to be skimpy and
askew; the "escape from personality"
aspect is psychological, and isn't in–
tended
to
be part of the definition.
Unfortunately, my attempt at a
rounder definition was curtailed as
possibly too dense or academic for a
general readership - and so the
weakness you observe resulted .
But you are absolutely on the mark
when you conclude that I do agree
"with the defense of literary tradition
and the emphasis on the distinction
between a writer's life and work."
I thank you for that understanding;
and also for your beautiful generosity.
Cynthia Ozick
New Rochelle, New York
To the Editor:
William Phillips, in his
Comment
on my
book
The Liberal Conspiracy (PRJ, 1990),
claims that I have made several
"significant errors." I believe him to be
wrong
111
every case.
1. Mr. Phillips writes that it is false
to
say that
Partisan Review
received funds
from the Congress for CultUI-al Free–
dom. In referring to the magazine as
having been "partially supported" by
such funds, I relied on the fact that,
to
quote Daniel Bell: "For several years,
Partisan Review
received some financial
support from the Congress for Cultural
Freedom, in the form of subscriptions
bought for individuals overseas who
received the magazine free." (See his
letter to John Leonard, Editor,
New York
Times Book Review,
October 16, 1972, in
archives of the Congress for Cultural
Freedom, Chicago, Illinois.)
2. Mr. Phillips says I give "a false
impression by not giving a full account"
of his disagreement with the Chairman
of a session on "mass culture" at the
Congress's conference in Berlin in
1960. I cannot accept this charge. The
issue is summarized on page 175 of
The Liberal Conspiracy,
and Mr. Phillips's
memoir
A Partisan View
is also cited for
those who want more details of his
position.
3. I am also said to be in error in
stating that Dwight Macdonald re–
signed from
Partisan Review
because he
opposed the support which Mr. Phillips
and Philip Rahv gave to the war
against Hitler. Mr. Phillips says he re–
signed "because he wanted ... to take
over the magazine" or start a new one.
But almost evel-y commentator refers
to the War as the decisive factor.
Macdonald himself does in his letter of
resignation. So does William Barrett in
The Truants.
So does Sidney Hook in
Out of Step.
And so on and on.
4. Mr. Phillips also says that
"Coleman ... invents a debate in the
American Committee" about the
virtues and vices of the mass society.
But my account from which he quotes
was not about the American Commit–
tee at all.
It
was about the international
conference in Berlin 1960 referred to
above.
5. One small final point. Mr. Phillips
says that I erred in including Mary
McCarthy among the debaters within
the American Committee. Again, when
mentioning her, I was not refen-ing to
