It' Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

The may not float down with her par-headed umbrella, but Mary Poppins is coming to Radcliffe next year.

L.L. Travers, creator of the world's beloved, most-feared magical governor will spend next fall as a visitor in residence at the 'Cliffe, Barbara M. Sonn, Dean of East House, announced yesterday.

In accepting the invitation, Miss Travers wrote that she expects the time that at the 'Cliffe to provide her with be to write and just live among the taking the days as they come. Just breathing the American air is a delight one," she said, "and daily life--insight what other life is there, a Mary Poppins might well say--is enough."

Though she does not claim the ability make chalk drawings come to life or to build a stairway to the stars, she admits that "children sometimes identify me with Mary Poppins. Of course," she adds, "I have a china hen on my hall table that lays candies instead of eggs."

A close friend of Helen Keller, the author said that she has a "special feeling for Radcliffe, because of the picture I have of a blind, denf and dumb girl passing its examinations. No fairy tale was ever more heroic."

Made the Children Cry

It is uncertain whether the writing Miss Travers will be doing while at the 'Cliffe will result in a new Mary Poppins book.

"I can't write to order and I don't know if there will be any more Mary Poppins books," she said.

At the end of the third book, in fact, the "practically-perfect-in-every-way" nanny announced that she wouldn't be returning. At that time, a small boy wrote to Miss Travers, "Nadum, I've just read the third Mary Poppins, you're awful . . . Madum, you shouldn't have done that, you made the children cry."

"I'm not surprised that you cried," the author replied. "I cried myself when I was writing it."

While at Radcliffe, Miss Travers will be living in a suite prepared for her in Whitman Hall. According to Anthony G. Oettinger '51, Master of East House, she will be the first of a number of "visiting artists" who will hopefully be occupying the suite in the future.

"We are very excited about the prospect of Miss Travers' visit," he said last night. "We hope it will give the girls a chance to talk to her about everything, especially writing."