And then there were the critics as artists who adorned England during the eighties and nineties, who refused even the judicial functions of their trade, confining themselves to the publication of highly polished reactions upon other artists' creations. There was the author of The Scholar Gypsy, who wrote that criticism was "a disinterested endeavour to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought in the world." His definition was good as far as it went, but it stopped short of indicating the method by which the learning and propagation was to be done. One cannot sufficiently define commuting by calling it a disinterested endeavour to get to town every day and attend to business. Somewhere in one's definition one has to make mention of the means of conveyance, the train or trolley car by which the endeavour is made. And I am sure that psychoanalysis is the train or trolley car of the man who would learn and propagate the best that is felt and written out by the poets.

Poets beget poetry because environment causes their nerves to purpose putting pen to paper and forming certain tangible words and verses and stanzas. The new-born baby has need of immediate medical attention. So, one is tempted to conclude has the new-born poem. The law does not permit a doctor to put an ill-conceived and ill-born baby out of its inevitable misery, and to save the world the trouble such a baby will ultimately cause. The law does permit, and should encourage the psychiatrist-critic to reduce to a nice pile of clean white ashes an unhealthy and dangerous poem.

Summerfield Baldwin.

Extracts from Letters Received in Regard to Our

Department of Criticism

* I was much pleased with this new feature and think Dr. Rieder particularly fit as a critic, as he is not familiar with any of our contributors. I do not agree with him, however, in the choice of the best poem. In my opinion Prof. Hedges' work is the best. H. B.

*** The "Critical Notes" is a good idea, only let the good doctor beware. Unfavorable criticism, whether merited or not, hurts. In general, he seems to be pretty sure of his ground, but on some points I would disagree with him, and so might others of good taste-much of it is a matter of personal taste. The only serious suggestion I would make to him is to avoid calling a piece of work "good" or bad, without giving more definite or particular qualifications. Better ignore them altogether. Sometimes I think our language would be better off without any degrees of comparison, as is the Japanese. *** The doctor says, to find one genuine poem in a list of twenty-five justifies printing the rest. But I would have found a different one-perhaps "Artists Impulses" -from the one he found. Again, it's a matter of taste or mould. *** Well, anyhow, it was an interesting number and you deserve our thanks and a lot of credit.

J. K.

*** Had Dr. Rieder stopped after saying that "The Listener" by Mildred Plew Merriman is a genuine little musical lyric, none would have challenged the statement. When he goes on to say by inference, that it is the one genuine poem in a list of twenty-five that justifies printing the rest, he is talking tommyrot. I hold no brief to defend the verse of Chas. Winke, Mark Forrest and several others, that are fully capable of doing that, and their work speaks for itself but I have no doubt that many competent critics would pronounce some of the poems severely criticized by Dr. Rieder fully equal to the one he selects as the best. A. H. P.

* What a splendid idea. I am delighted, and hope that you will continue. You are to be congratulated for finding so suitable a person for this work. I am now very anxious to have my own poems appear in your publication, just to see what he will say. I think it will be lots of fun. M. A.

*** Are Dr. Rieder's Critical Notes to be a regular feature of the magazine? If so they should certainly have a very tonic effect on the contributors. F. R.

You are to be congratulated on the last number of The American Poetry Magazine, it is certainly worth while. The criticisms by Dr. Rieder are exceptionally good and I hope they will continue to be a feature of the magazine, his opinions are clean-cut and to the point, and appear to me to be without malice_or_favor, which is as it ought to be. R. T. D.

"Summer in France: 1918" is simply a jewel. There is so much said in these four short lines, without apparently the slightest effort on the part of the author, so much that appeals to every human faculty, that it appears to me this little poem should be given a chance to work for its originator. The war is over, yet it isn't forgotten: and it can do no harm to keep its memory fresh for some time to come. Yet, it seems heartless to remember it when all nature is forgetting, as shown by

"The indifference of the flowers,

And the laughter of the leaves."

R. W. M.

***When the Dr. Critic comes "whiffling through the tolgy wood" it does not behoove either the editor or the poet to "gyre and gimble" without due consideration of the consequences. I am perfectly delighted with the page of criticism-"work-notes." That is the very best part of the whole thing; it adds spice and variety; it attracts notice, calls attention to defects which young poetswe young poets-are likely to overlook, and induces in the reader pleasurable feelings of self-approval, if he happens to come out unscathed, and of salutary rage resulting_in_the_katharsis of egotism, if he happens to be trampled upon. Let us have more of the Dr.'s ravings; I like them. You ought to tell him, I think, that this is not constructive criticism; it is merely a pleasant variety of whip-lash-not always of correction. On with the war, en avent!

W. C. C.

It will no doubt be of interest to all our readers to hear that the department of criticism has aroused a great deal of friendly comment. During the week following the appearance of our July number one hundred and twenty-two poems were submitted, which surely proves that our contributors do not resent criticism. An attempt was made to ascertain which of the poems published in the first two numbers would meet with the greatest favor among our reading circle members. It was impossible to reach all, but of those solicited the votes were nearly all in favor of "Verses" by William Grant McColly in the May number, and for the "Lyric" by Kenneth M. Ellis in the June number. We do not wish this department of criticism to be in charge of just one critic, but invite others to help us.

Announcements

The September number of The American Poetry Magazine will be devoted to Humorous Verse. All serious matter, including Book Reviews, will be held over until October. If any of our contributors have selections of humorous verse, we would be very glad to see them.

Enlarging on the idea of the critical notes which appeared in our last number, we announce a department of criticism and discussion, to which all are invited to contribute. In the new department will be published criticism of the work of our poets, correspondence, and discussions of such matters as shall prove of gen eral interest to our members. In inviting criticism of our poetry we do not wish to be understood as implying a lack of faith in its quality. We are applying to every poem submitted to us for publication the test of merit. We feel, however, that the criticisms will be helpful in many instances and that they will interest and enlighten the reader. To be of the greatest value, all comment and discussion should be written in a spirit of fairness and toleration. Hypercriticism and mere fault-finding should be avoided. greatest poems are not always without fault or flaw. It should be remembered, too, that predilections in poetry, as in all other things, vary, and personal preferences should not be permitted to lead contributors of critical articles to condemn indiscriminately what may not particularly please them, but which may nevertheless appeal strongly to others.

The

C. H. W.

The 14th of September marks the birthday of the American Literary Association. On that evening a year ago the first Poetry Group was organized with nineteen members at the home of Miss Muriel Bruett. We expect to celebrate this occasion with a banquet, and most cordially invite all out of town members who perhaps can arrange to be in the city, to spend the evening with us. While it is not customary that the birth-day child asks for gifts, we are going to do that very thing, and herewith express our wish-our birthday wish: That each member may send us one new subscriber. We hope that all will be able to grant this little thing and shall with great joy count our birthday letters when the time arrives.

Milwaukee is to have a dramatic treat during the first two weeks in September, when Clifford Devereux and his company of Players will present a repertoire of plays at the Pabst Theatre under the auspices of the Wisconsin Players. The repertoire is to include Sheridan's School for Scandal, Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, Rostrand's Romancers, Shaw's Arms and The Man, and Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet. The company is scheduled to appear at the University of Wisconsin before coming to Milwaukee.

!

Inaugurating the presentation of artistic drama on the new stage of the Milwaukee Art Institute, The Wisconsin Players will soon present Bernard Shaw's The Man of Destiny, with a cast including Miss Beatrice Barnes, and Messers Jack Burr, Walter John, and Kenneth M. Ellis. The play is to be staged under the personal direction of Kenneth M. Ellis, and will exhibit the newest ideas in stage lighting.

The Boris Anisfeld collection of paintings, which have created such a furore in art circles in the East will be on exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Institute early in the fall, the definite date of the exhibit to be announced later.

One of the most gifted women sculptors of the present day is Miss Malvina Hoffman. Only recently her work called "Russian Bachanalia," which we are presenting in our picture this month, brought to her a National academy prize of $300. Her plastic representation of the dance has such harmony of curve that it produces an increasing interest on the part of all art lovers. There is a certain strength and delicacy in her work, and she is especially successful in depicting action.

Persons interested in the production of a motion picture in Milwaukee are requested to communicate with Miss Sara Nikov, at the Wisconsin Players, 455 Jefferson street, or telephone Broadway 2372.

NEW BOOKS RECEIVED

A Treasury of War Poetry, edited by George Herbert Clarke; Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass., $1.50.

The Khaki Hosts and Other Verses by Frank E. Herrick; Privately Printed.

BOOK REVIEWS.

"Gargoyles," by Howard Mumford Jones, Cornhill Co., Boston,

Mass.

er.'

A collection of poems distributed under the headings "At the Dunes," "Chicago," "From the Mississippi," "University Sketches," and "Gargoyles." There are, also, several poems outside of these groups, including a sequence of sonnets with the title "His MothMr. Jones is a Wisconsin writer although he has not resided in Wisconsin for several years. He writes in both the old and new verse forms and is an excellent craftsman. Many of his poems in the old forms evince grace and music. The series of pieces giving his impressions of the sand dunes of Lake Michigan are hauntingly beautiful. In these and in the "University Sketches" Mr. Jones is at his best. The sketches, for the most part in free rhythms, are forceful and virile. The series of grotesques called "Gargoyles," which gives the volume its title, is peopled with skeletons and ghosts, whose "shadowy lips grin sardonically.' The conceptions are fantastic and entertaining, but they lack power and do not grip the imagination as one might expect them to, and as they might had a genius such as Poe undertaken to write them.