Page 2 University Daily Kansan Thursday, March 12, 1964 Memo from Mac Letter from my literary agent: Dear Mr. McCormally: I am returning the manuscript of what you describe as your first effort at writing crime fiction. I'm afraid I have bad news for you. The book has been around to several publishers. They all agree that you show promise, but they are passing up this offering. You have some very good ideas for your plot, but I'm afraid you have a tendency to overdo. But to have the murder take place right in the basement of the police station, with the victim surrounded by policemen. That, Mr. McCormally, is just a little too far-fetched. Even readers of science fiction expect some minimum of credibility in the plots. Crime fiction readers are even more incredulous. The fiction writer is, of course, expected to take some liberties. But you go too far. FOR EXAMPLE, it is a logical plot development for you to choose Dallas as the setting for the murder in your book. It is well known that Dallas has the highest murder rate in the country. You compound this later on in the story when once again you seem to be trying to ridicule the police by having seven prisoners break out of jail and terrorize the courthouse during the trial of your murder suspect. Of course readers are used to reading sequences of this kind, but you can't expect them to believe that a police department which had world attention focused on it, would be so lax a second time. Then, this business of having the escape attempt led by a fellow with a pistol made from a bar of soap. You know that is such old stuff—such a who-dun-it cliche—that even your most juvenile readers will not believe it. OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE AWARE that modern fiction, if it is to sell, must be sprinkled with cuss words. But again, while your intentions were good, you go to extremes. For example, first you have the policeman shouting at the killer, while the crime is taking place: "Jack, you son of a bitch." Then, later on, you have the killer telling the policeman, "I hope the son of a bitch dies." You appear to be trying to make people believe that everyone in Dallas addresses everyone else as "son of a bitch." While my acquaintance with Dallas has been brief, I do not believe this is true. You also are right on the old beam in realizing that a successful story needs sex. But, once, more, you let your imagination get the best of you. YOU START OUT FINE by having your killer be the owner of a strip joint. This provides endless opportunities for injecting sex into the story. But, my goodness, how you muff it. The very first sex character which you develop to any degree is this witness, a strip tease dancer named Little Lynn (and I must say you do not show much imagination with the name). But how do you describe her? As pregnant. Now, who ever heard of a pregnant strip tease dancer? And, as if that weren't ridiculous enough, you have her three days overdue, and have the chief defense attorney suggest that he may deliver her in the courtroom. You clearly misunderstand the proper use of sex in fiction, which should be more concerned with the possible beginning, rather than end of gestation. You also properly inject religion into the story, which is always good for a few extra readers, who may have tired of Fulton Sheen and Norman Peale. But your attempts are pretty clumsy. You have your main character boast that he did the killing to prove "that Jews have guts." Are you trying to flatter Jewish publishers, or appeal to the anti-Semitic readership. No, Mr. McCormally, I believe you'd better stick to editorial writing. No one would ever believe your fiction. John McCormally The Hutchinson News The Victors Carl Foreman has made something of a name for himself with such screenplays as "High Noon," "The Mouse That Roared," and "The Guns of Navarone." "The Vietors," which he wrote and produced, is the first film he has directed. IN AN INTERVIEW for Saturday Review, Foreman said: "it is axiomatic that no studio is interested in what a film has to say; I happen to be interested in a film's meaning." Unfortunately, conscientiousness and good intentions are not sufficient to produce a good film. "The Victors" may be considered Foreman's personal statement on the subject of war and more specifically on its effects on people. For close to three hours he bombards the audience with proof that war is a horrid business, that it does horrid things to people, and that in the end there are no victors. He even says at the last of the film that he considers it his warning to the world. To get his point across—and it comes across relentlessly—he relies in large part on the technique of irony. But his use of it is artificial and exaggerated. Instead of following naturally from the events of the film, it is forced by arbitrary juxtaposition of sound and image. For instance, while a deserter is led to the site of his execution, we hear Frank Sinatra singing, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." AS IF THIS were not sufficient to overwhelm the audience with what the director is getting at—after the shot is fired, a chorus bursts into a jubilant rendering of "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." This was so absurd and so obviously contrived that the audience broke out in laughter. Mr. Foreman quite obviously has something to say, and one cannot deny the importance of his subject, but it is unfortunate that he so underestimates his audience. — Byron Leonard Polish Puppets I was very amazed to read in your March 5th issue that Poland has a "communist puppet government" and that the Polish people "fear the Russians who rule them." To be a socialist state and a member of the Warsaw Pact does not imply being ruled by Russians. For someone who has enough interest in international politics to read newspapers from time to time, it should be obvious that the Polish government does not consist of Russian puppets. I do not think I have to mention the events of October 1956. By the way, students in Poland do not pay a "minimum tuition," but pay no tuition at all. I am sure that Dean Kenneth Anderson was misquoted by the unsigned author of the article. Akiraze Bartke Poland graduate student \* \* \* Tibetan Brigade Those few of us members of the Tibetan Mobile Loyalty Brigade remaining on this campus wish to register a protest. Our Anti-Military Ball, held in 1962 and 1963, has been connected with the infamous Un-Military Ball. We wish to disassociate the former from the latter. Those persons responsible for the Un-Military Ball stressed prior to the occasion that the name was being changed because they were not anti-military. Who after all is anti-military and who is un-military? We of the from the morgue The University Daily Kansan asked the University Senate in 1919 that one of its reporters be permitted to attend the meetings of the Senate and report them for the paper. In making this request the Kansan desired to give University news to the entire University. The objection to make the doors open for the Kansan reporter was that some members of the Senate felt that the permission would hinder the proceedings of the Senate. Protesting the Senate regulations, the UDK commented editorially: "The proceedings of a legislative body must be made public to its constituency. Nowhere in the history of the nations of the world can be found a successful legislative body which has existed for a number of years and kept its proceedings secret. Should the legislative body of the University of Kansas be an exception?" The People Say... Dailij Hansan University of Kansas student newspaper 111. Flint Hall UNIVERSITY of 4-3198, business office Founded, 1889, became biweekly, 1904, died in 2016. Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York, NY. Represented by National Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the university holidays, and University holidays, and examination periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas. UNiversity 4-3846, newsroom University 4-3806, business offices Mike Miller Managing Editor Russ Corbitt, Jackie Helstrom, Wilkins Cormack, Dennis Helstrom, Assistant Managing Editors; Fred Fralley, City Editor; Leta Cathecr, Social Editor; Marshall Caskey, Society Editor; Charles Corcoran, Picture Editor NEWS DEPARTMENT EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Tom Coffman Editorial Writer Hughes Assistant and Hughes Assistant Editorial Editors Brigade have never picked ROTC. We do not hate the military. Many of us have been in the service, and are just glad to be out. Lawrence graduate student Kenneth C. King Bob Brooks Business Manager Joanne Zabornik, Advertising Mgr; Mike Barnes, National Advertising Mgr; Jonathan Burris, Advertising Mgr; Bob Phinney, Classified Advertising Mgr; Ken Costich, Promotion Mgr; Dana Stewart, Merchandising Mgr. BUSINESS DEPARTMENT * * Prophet Schmidt it certainly is reassuring to know that the UDK has on its staff such a practical thinker, authority, and prophet as Larry Schmidt (re: Halo on a Stick). Quote a contrast from "see-all, hear-all, know-nothing" Blaine King. Pity all KU students are not as analytical, cautious, and sane as he. For if they were, perhaps we could keep the prevailing bourgeois, Bible-beltish, cow-townish, stagnant Kansas atmosphere around for another hundred years. Wayne Inada Bridgeport, Conn. junior * * Rock Chalk Revue Dear Mr. White. Your accusation charging Miss Hughes with misusing the power of the fourth estate sounds like the “pot calling the kettle black.” If Miss Hughes has social responsibility, and she does, then you, as the producer of Rock Chalk Revue, also have social responsibility. If Miss Hughes deflated your ego by her honest appraisal, you might consider the probable effect of the Sigma Chi-Gamma Phi Beta skit on the Dean of Women as she sat in the audience last Friday night—the defenseless target of a cruel, malicious, and unwarranted attack. No one will contest the superiority of the winning skit, but many were appalled by its lack of consideration and responsibility. If Rock Chalk Revue forfeits its responsibility, and it does have such responsibility, the producer has failed. I realize that the staff of the Rock Chalk Revue has made a "great effort" to clean up the Rock Chalk Revue. If this year's production was the result of such an effort, then perhaps a new approach is needed. Why not listen to what made this year's Rock Chalk Revue "so great a success"—the "brand new witticisms," and "original humor" dealing with the college puns and off color jokes of thirty years ago? I failed to comprehend your criticism of Miss Hughes on grounds of terminology. If "Rock Chalk Revue is put on by amateurs" as you say then Miss Hughes' use of the word "amateurish" would appear most appropriate. She could hardly have called those skis professional, now, could she? I am sure that you, as the unprejudiced producer of Rock Chalk Revue, were correct in stating "All four skits were of better quality than some of the skits which have appeared in past Revues." I should hope so. When you have the total number of skits from 37 years, it would seem highly probable that one could find one or two skits that were even of lower quality than 75 per cent of the skits this year. --- Mr. White, in reference to "room for improvement," next year's skis should easily win a prize for the most improvement in one year—in comparison to the skits of the previous year. Finally, I must admit that Rock Chalk Revue did not bore everyone. I am sure that the members of the participating Greek houses, the Rock Chalk Revue staff, and the freshmen who have never been exposed to a Rock Chalk Revue production were highly entertained. However, for the majority of the student body, who have seen and who have heard the same thing (and of better quality) before, it was a waste of time and money. Mr. White. I believe you should be extremely thankful that Miss Hughes was as lenient as she was. The majority of the student body has not been. John Hassig John Hassig Kansas City, Kansas junior Wm. H. Spencer West. Chicago, Ill. junior *** Editing Service I have been told that any campus event will be listed in the **Rulletin** if the UDK is told about it. But isn't a newspaper more than an editing service? What about finding out what's going on, reporting? It would be quite useful to KU students if the UDK would expand its reporting of campus events of general interest. Guest and faculty lectures, symposiums and debates, club and group meetings, concerts and film abound on campus. Yet one might infer from reading the UDK Bulletin, itself cleverly hidden in a new place in each issue, that the only extracurricular activities at KU are Western Civ discussions and chess club meetings. Charles R. Hook Topeka freshman I have been told that the effort required to find out what's happening on campus is unfeasible, given the UDK reporters' limited time. Would it be so difficult? The news bureau in Strong, the Union office, and the various bulletin boards are packed with information. One reporter working a few hours a week ought to be able to collect the information. If he did, the UDK would be performing a useful service for which all KU students would be grateful. "This Was A Railroad Job, In My Opinion"