 | Studies in bibliography |  |
UNRECORDED WRITINGS BY G. K. CHESTERTON, H. G. WELLS,
PADRAIC COLUM, MARY COLUM, T. S. ELIOT,
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, AND WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
by
Arthur Sherbo
Despite their attempts to document exhaustively the work of particular
authors, scholars often overlook the contributions of those writers to
periodical publications. One result is that close inspection of periodicals is
likely to yield a trove of unrecorded material. In what follows I would like to
present my own recent gleanings from four such sources: The Nation of
London, The Freeman and The Measure: A Journal of Poetry, both of New
York, and the Dublin Magazine.
While the findings are of varying significance individually, they are
valuable cumulatively for the point they drive home about the need to investigate
newspapers, magazines, and journals when considering the output
of a writer. Though I confine the list below to primary materials, the entries
point to the wealth of secondary comment that can also be found. Incidentally
included here, for instance, are previously unnoted reviews of Willa
Cather, John Galsworthy, Aldous Huxley, James Joyce, Rebecca West, Gertrude
Stein, and Virginia Woolf. (The same pages of these journals contain
additional responses to these writers as well as to people such as Joseph
Conrad, Theodore Dreiser, Thomas Hardy, D. H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound,
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edith Wharton.) The discoveries here also hint
of other primary sources not yet fully identified. Copyright notices accompanying
two articles of G. K. Chesterton, for example, suggest earlier publication
in the New York World, a newspaper now extremely difficult to
find. Periodicals that print letters to the editor provide still another opportunity
for scholars, because such columns sometimes include reactions to a
writer's publications.
One important source for the records that follow is the London publication
The Nation. While the contents of some periodicals may be neglected
because they are not indexed adequately, this one may have received less
than its due because it is sometimes confused with a New York periodical of
the same name. Its presence may be further obscured by the numerous shifts
in its identity: founded in 1907, it absorbed The Athenaeum in 1921 (adding
that name to its own title) and then merged with The New Statesman in
1931 (to become The New Statesman and Nation). Henry William Massingham,
who previously had written for or edited some five newspapers, was its
influential editor from 1907 until April 1923; his role extended to reviewing
most of the productions of the London stage. The report below is based on
a survey of volumes 8 through 22 (from October 1910 through March 1918).
The Freeman, published in New York, was founded by Helen Swift
Neilson. It ran weekly from 17 March 1920 through 5 March 1924, appearing
in eight volumes of 208 numbers. The editors of A Literary History of
the United States describe it in the fourth edition of their Bibliography
volume (1974) as "a liberal weekly magazine of political and literary criticism
which achieved great distinction" (p. 63). Frank Luther Mott devotes twelve
pages (pp. 88-99) to it in volume 5 of his History of American Magazines
(1968), the best account in brief compass. The most prominent member of
the editorial staff was Van Wyck Brooks, who wrote a volum titled "A Reviewer's
Notebook." Likewise prominent, as reviewers and essayists, were
the Colums, Padraic and his wife Mary.
The Measure: A Journal of Poetry began in March 1921 and ran for
sixty numbers to February 1926. Its nine-member editorial board included
Padraic Colum, who remained in that role throughout the journal's lifetime.
Colum was elected the quarterly "Acting Editor" for numbers 4, 5, and 6
(June, July, and August, 1921), succeeding Maxwell Anderson.
Earlier in these pages I have reported the results of a search in the original
Dublin Magazine, which ran from 1923 to 1958 ("Padraic Colum in The
Dublin Magazine," Studies in Bibliography 49 [1996], 284-290). The current
treatment is less ambitious, adducing only a letter signed by T. S. Eliot,
George Bernard Shaw, and ten others, though it might be noted that the
magazine is also a rich source for unreported reviews of Eliot's writings.
G. K. Chesterton
The following items by Chesterton serve as addenda to John Sullivan's
standard account, G. K. Chesterton: A Bibliography (London: Univ. of
London Press, 1958).
"The Jews in Modern Life," Nation 8 (18 Mar. 1911), 1004; 8 (25 Mar. 1911),
1040; 9 (8 Apr. 1911), 58-59. Letters.
" `He That Hath Ears,' " Nation 9 (29 July 1911), 642. Letter protesting London
noise.
"Socrates and Moral Force," Nation 10 (11 Nov. 1911), 242. Letter.
"Peter Pan as a Novel," Nation 10 (18 Nov. 1911), 314. Review of Peter and
Wendy, by J. M. Barrie.
" `The Nation' and the Church of England," Nation 10 (25 Nov. 1911), 346.
Letter.
"The Danger in Female Labor," Nation 11 (4 May 1912), 162-163; 11 (11
May 1912), 215. Letters.
"The Crime of Being Inefficient," Nation 11 (15 June 1912), 402; 11 (29 June
1912), 475.
"The Weird Sisters," Nation 11 (20 July 1912), 591. Review of The Three
Brontës, by May Sinclair.
"The Amateur Gipsy," Nation 12 (12 Oct. 1912), 108. Review of George
in Chesterton's final two paragraphs recur in his discussion of Borrow in
The Victorian Age in Literature (1913, p. 151).
"Some Fallacies and Santa Claus," Nation 12 (7 Dec. 1912), 459. Review of
The Story of Santa Claus, by S. R. Littlewood.
"Dickens and Little Bethel," Nation 12 (22 Mar. 1913), 1026. Letter in response
to one of 8 March (p. 926) by Richard Mudie-Smith.
"Swinburne on Dickens," Nation 12 (29 Mar. 1913), 1068. Review of Charles
Dickens, by Algernon Charles Swinburne.
"A Challenge to Liberals," Nation 14 (18 Oct. 1913), 136. Letter.
"Two Critics of the Army," Nation 17 (21 Aug. 1915), 655-666. Review of
Who is to Blame for the War, by Houston Steward Chamberlain, and
Enlistment or Conscription, by A. M. B. Meakin.
"The Undoing of Democracy," Nation 17 (4 Sept. 1915), 728-729. Review of
Peace at Once, by Clive Bell. Replies by Bell in the same number (pp.
738-739) and by George Bernard Shaw on 11 Sept. (pp. 769-770); response
to Shaw by Chesterton on 18 Sept. (p. 801); and further response
by Shaw on 25 Sept. (pp. 833-834).
"Approaches to Peace," Nation 18 (30 Oct. 1915), 181-182; 18 (13 Nov. 1915),
243; 18 (4 Dec. 1915), 355-356. Letters, occasioning a spate of responses.
"Liberty and Mr. Haynes," Nation 19 (12 Aug. 1916), 599. Letter in response
to editorial remarks the previous week (p. 561) on The Decline of Liberty
in England by E. S. T. Haynes [Grant Richards].
H. G. Wells
The following items may be added to those recorded in J. R. Hammond's
Herbert George Wells: An Annotated Bibliography of His Works (New York
and London: Garland, 1977).
"Pot-Shots as Criticism," Nation 11 (22 June 1912), 437. Letter, protesting
his depiction in editorial remarks on his The Great State (in "Pot-Shots
at Utopia," 15 June, pp. 396-398).
"The Great Community," Nation 15 (4 July 1914), 531. Review of The Great
Society: A Psychological Analysis, by Graham Wallas.
"Opportunity," Nation 15 (15 Aug. 1914), 732-734.
"The Liberal Fear of Russia," Nation 15 (22 Aug. 1914), 755-757.
"The War of the Mind," Nation 15 (29 Aug. 1914), 788-790. Hammond
records (as item L 9) a reprint of this item.
"The Need for Strength and Cleanness at Home," Nation 15 (5 Sept. 1914),
812-814. A footnote, "Copyright, 1914, by the `New York World,' "
suggests earlier newspaper publication.
"Two Ways," Nation 15 (12 Sept. 1914), 834-836. A footnote, "Copyright,
1914, by the `New York World,' " suggests earlier newspaper publication.
"Mr. Wells's Pacifist State," Nation 16 (3 Oct. 1914), 15-16. Letter in response
Wells's 12 Sept. article "The Two Ways."
"Ideals of Organization," Nation 17 (24 July 1915), 534-536.
"Reconstruction in Higher Education," Nation 21 (2 June 1917), 225-226.
Review of Higher Education and the War, by John Burnet.
"James Joyce," Nation 20 (24 Feb. 1917), 710, 712. Review of Portrait of the
Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. Also printed in New Republic
10 (10 Mar. 1917), 158-160.
Padraic Colum
The following are addenda to Alan Denson's checklist "Padraic Colum:
An Appreciation with a Check-List of His Publications" that appeared in
the (new) Dublin Magazine 6.1 (1967), 50-67. I have listed other unrecorded
pieces by Colum in the 1996 SB article cited above and in "Contributions to
the Canon and Text of Padraic Colum's Writings," PBSA 94.1 (Mar. 2000),
49-79.
"The President of the Irish Republic," Freeman 1 (16 June 1920), 326-327.
Letter on Eamonn de Valera.
"The Hornet's Nest," Freeman 1 (4 Aug. 1920), 496. Poem; reprinted with
revisions as "Hornets" in his Creatures (1927; see my "Contributions,"
pp. 51-52).
"The Perjurer," Freeman 2 (6 Oct. 1920), 86-87. Letter on David Lloyd
George.
"A Latter-Day Mediævalist," Freeman 2 (5 Jan. 1921), 404-405. Review of
Domnei, by James Branch Cabell.
"The Wild Ass," Measure 1 (Mar. 1921), 3. Poem; the opening item of the
periodical; no subsequent revisions found.
"The Poetry of Mr. Conrad Aiken," Freeman 3 (13 Apr. 1921), 117-118. Review
of Aiken's The House of Dust and Punch: The Immortal Liar.
"Three Young Poets," Measure 2 (Apr. 1921), 21-22. Review of Poems, by
Haniel Long, Young Girl, by Hildegarde Flanner, and In American, by
J. V. A. Weaver.
"Waste and Illusion," Freeman 3 (11 May 1921), 212-213. Review of Satan
the Master: A Philosophic War Trilogy, by Vernon Lee.
"The Old Toy-Booth," Measure 3 (May 1921), 6-7. Poem; reprinted with
revisions in Colum's Dramatic Legends and Other Poems (1922) as
"Reminiscence IV" (pp. 35-37).
"Poetry and Publicity," Measure 3 (May 1921), 23-24.
[Review of The Cairn of Stars, by Francis Carlin (i.e. James Francis Carlin
MacDonnell)], Measure 5 (July 1921), 21-22.
"For an Extension of the Poetry Movement," Measure 6 (Aug. 1921), 15-17.
"A World in High Visibility," Freeman 4 (14 Sept. 1921), 18-19. Review of
Legends, by Amy Lowell.
"Miss Millay's Poems," Freeman 4 (2 Nov. 1921), 189-190. Review of Second
April and A Few Figs from Thistles: Poems and Four Sonnets, by Edna
St. Vincent Millay.
"Irish Poets," Measure 9 (Nov. 1921), 17-18. Review of Irish Poets Today:
An Anthology, compiled by L. D. V. Walters.
"Looking Towards Parnassus," Freeman 4 (7 Dec. 1921), 307-308. Review of
Two Mothers, by John G. Neihardt, and A Canopic Jar, by Leonora
Speyer.
"The Art of the Pantomimist," Freeman 4 (1 Mar. 1922), 595. Review of
Blood of Things and Plays for Merry Andrews, by Alfred Kreymborg.
"Japanese Artistry," Freeman 5 (22 Mar. 1922), 43-44. Review of Selected
Poems and Hiroshigue, by Yone Noguchi.
"In the Carolina Woods (To Dr. E. C. L. Adams)," Measure 13 (Mar. 1922),
5. Poem; reprinted with revisions in Dramatic Legends and Other Poems
(1922), which also omits the dedication to Dr. E[dward]. C. L. Adams,
later the author of Congaree Sketches: Scenes from Negro Life (1927).
"Moby Dick as an Epic: A Note," Measure 13 (Mar. 1922), 16-18. Includes
Melville's second footnote to chapter 42 presented as a free-verse poem
entitled "The Albatross."
"The Poetry of Edward Thomas," Measure 15 (May 1922), 15-17. Review of
Collected Poems of Edward Thomas.
"Out of Lost Cities," Freeman 5 (28 June 1922), 367-368. Essay on translations
of The Thousand and One Nights.
"The Poor Girl's Meditation," Measure 18 (Aug. 1922), 11. Poem; reprinted
in Dramatic Legends and Other Poems (1922); reprinted with revisions
in Colum's Poems (1932).
"The Mabinogion," Freeman 6 (3 Jan. 1923), 393-394. Essay.
"The Situation in Ireland," Freeman 6 (3 Jan. 1923), 402-403. Letter about
A. J. Reilly's view of the British in Ireland; response by Reilly on 31
Jan. (p. 498).
"Heroic Poetry—The Wrath of Achilleus," Measure 25 (Mar. 1923), 17-19.
Review of The Wrath of Achilleus Translated from The Iliad, by George
Ernie.
"Kerry Nursing Song," Measure 30 (Aug. 1923), 9. Poem; no reprintings
found of this 24-line poem ("Len the Smith—he lives below . . . Look,
my dear, the cranes are flying!").
"Naturalism and Fantasy," Measure 30 (Aug. 1923), 15-17. Review of For
Eager Lovers, by Genevieve Jaggard.
"A Visit to Madame Pele," Freeman 8 (19 Sept. 1923), 36. Story; not the same
as "The Fire-Goddess" in Colum's Legends of Hawaii (1937), which is
likewise about the volcano "Pe-le."
"The Log of a 'Forty-Niner," Freeman 8 (19 Dec. 1923), 357-358. Review of
The Log of a 'Forty-Niner, by Richard L. Hale.
"Plovers," Measure 35 (Jan. 1924), 5. Poem; subsequently revised from nine
lines to three four-line stanzas.
"Robert Frost's New Book," Measure 35 (Jan. 1924), 13-15. Review of New
Hampshire, a Poem with Notes and Grace Notes, by Robert Frost.
"A Chinese Story Teller," Freeman 8 (27 Feb. 1924), 597-598. Review of The
Wallet of Kai Lung, by Ernest Bramah.
"The Burial of Saint Brendan," Measure 50 (Apr. 1925), 10-14. Poem;
fourteen-stanza version revised to nine stanzas for Colum's Poems (1932),
Collected Poems (1953), and The Poet's Circuits (1960).
"Louise Townsend Nicholl: An Appreciation," Measure 53 (July 1925),
17-18.
Mary Colum
"A Woman of Some Importance," Freeman 2 (23 Feb. 1921), 572. Review of
Margot Asquith: An Autobiography.
"The Quality of Mr. D. H. Lawrence," Freeman 3 (22 June 1921), 357-358.
Review of The Lost Girl, by D. H. Lawrence.
"Mr. Tarkington and the Critics," Freeman 4 (28 Sept. 1921), 66-67. Review
of Alice Adams, by Booth Tarkington.
"Literature and Journalism," Freeman 4 (30 Nov. 1921), 281-282. Review of
The Triumph of the Egg, by Sherwood Anderson, and Erik Dorn, by
Ben Hecht.
"John Dryden, Redivivus," Freeman 4 (25 Jan. 1922), 475-476. Review of
The Poetry of John Dryden, by Mark Van Doren.
"Three Novels," Freeman 4 (8 Mar. 1922), 618-620. Review of The Beginning
of Wisdom, by Stephen Vincent Benét, Brass, by Charles G. Norris,
and To Let by John Galsworthy.
"Certificated, Mostly," Freeman 5 (26 Apr. 1922), 162-164. Review of The
Beautiful and Damned, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Briary Bush, by Floyd
Dell, and Rahab, by Waldo Frank.
"The Confessions of James Joyce," Freeman 5 (19 July 1922), 450-452. Review
of Ulysses, by James Joyce.
"Two Irish Story-Tellers," Freeman 5 (2 Aug. 1922), 497-499. Review of
Vocations, by Gerard O'Donovan, and The Hounds of Banba, by Daniel
Corkery.
"In the Great Tradition," Freeman 6 (24 Jan. 1923), 474-475. Review of
Mortal Coils, by Aldous Huxley.
"Three Women Novelists," Freeman 7 (18 Apr. 1923), 138-140. Review of
The Judge, by Rebecca West, One of Ours, by Willa Cather, and Anne
Severn and the Fieldings, by May Sinclair.
"The Reviewer Looks at the Doctor," Freeman 7 (15 Aug. 1923), 549-550.
Review of The Doctor Looks at Literature, by Joseph Collins.
"Where Realism Ends," Freeman 8 (26 Sept. 1923), 56-58.
"The Moderns," Freeman 8 (17 Oct. 1923), 139-141. Review of City Block,
by Waldo Frank, Waldo Frank: A Study, by Gorham B. Munson, Jacob's
Room, by Virginia Woolf, and Geography and Plays, by Gertrude Stein.
T. S. Eliot
The following items are not recorded in the "Revised and Extended
Edition" of Donald Gallup's T. S. Eliot: A Bibliography (New York: Harcourt,
Brace & World, 1969) and appear not to have been noted elsewhere. I
have reported other forgetten items by and about Eliot in "Eliotiana," SB 50
(1997), 401-407.
"War," Nation 21 (23 June 1917), 299. Letter quoting a young officer who
praises an article in the 2 June number by H. M. T. (probably Henry
Major Tomlinson) on the horrors of war.
[Letter soliciting monetary gifts for the eightieth birthday of Arthur Machen],
Dublin Magazine 18.2 (April-June 1943), 82. Signed by Eliot and eleven
others; dated 19 February 1943.
George Bernard Shaw
The following item does not appear in Dan E. Laurence's Bernard Shaw:
A Bibliography, 2 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982), or his "A Supplement
to Bernard Shaw: A Bibliography," Shaw 20 (2000), 3-128. In "Shaw's
Forgotten Lecture (and Other Matters Shavian)," SB 47 (1994), 221-230, I
resurrected some other pieces by and about Shaw.
George Cohen, "The Red Devil's Disciple," Freeman 3 (27 Apr. 1921), 154155.
Quotes from an unidentified speech by Shaw.
[Letter soliciting monetary gifts for the eightieth birthday of Arthur Machen],
Dublin Magazine 18.2 (April-June 1943), 82. Signed by Shaw and eleven
others; dated 19 February 1943.
William Butler Yeats
The following item is not listed in Allan Wade's A Bibliography of the
Writings of W. B. Yeats, 3rd ed., rev. and ed. Russell K. Alspach (London:
Hart Davis, 1968) or in K. P. S. Jochum's W. B. Yeats: A Classified Bibliography
of Criticism, Including Additions to Allan Wade's Bibliography of
the Writings of W. B. Yeats . . . (Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1978).
"The Yeats Family," Nation 21 (30 June 1917), 324. Letter in response to
comments by Edward Dowden quoted on 23 June (p. 302) about Yeats
family genealogy.
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