Why the Bookshelf Editor Left Town

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

We have read Kenneth, Macgowan's book on The Theatre of Tomorrow and your startling review of that book. But in our humble opinion there seems to be a few discrepancies.

In the first place we would remind your reviewer that there is a slight difference between impressionisum and expressionism--the hardly discernible difference, let us say, between a sunrise by Monet and a ballet set by Picasso. J.M.B. had better wake up or the day after tomorrow will be here before he knows what has happened in the field of art. Mr. Macgowan does not even mention impressionism whereas he is constantly referring to the new expressionistic movement.

In the second place "the fundamental importance of the dramatist" is by no means ignored. One-third of the volume is devoted to the dramatist of tomorrow. Doubtless the reviewer is not aware that in a letter to the New York Times of January 22 Mr. Macgowan expressly makes this clear. He never tires of blowing his trumpets for Georg Kalser and for Evreinov. He takes a whole chapter to analyze Kaiser's From Morn Till Midnight.

In the third place we fail to see how the book can possibly be taken as a "perfect tribute to the results that Professor Baker has been able to gain at Harvard." Does J.M.B. attribute the imagination and inspiration of Robert Edmond Jones to Professor Baker in America or to Professor Reinhardt in Germany. It may be our ignorance, but we have never heard of sets like those Mr. Jones made for Macbeth being used in the productions of the 47 Workshop. Moreover we fail to trace any signs of the excellent technique of such plays as Mamma's Affair and Common Clay in Eugene O'Neill's most original work. The Emperor Jones. Finally, neither in Moderwell's book nor in Macgowan's do we find reference to the inestimable contributions of Professor Baker to the theatre in America.

In conclusion we can only suggest that in the future the CRIMSON entrust its reviews on things artistic to men who have a passing acquaintance with artistic things.

We remain, most humbly and all that, EDWIN SEAVER '22   E. PINCETON GREENE JR. 1S.A. January 27, 1922.

(In order to do full justice to the writers, we feel obligated to announce that the above communication, as received by us, was written with the red half of a typewriter ribbon,--Ed.)