THE CRIMSON BOOKSHELF

A new thing has come into our hands. We are surprised that it has not been discovered by Cambridge ere this; and hereby introduce it with a generous meed of praise. It is "The Measure", a journal of poetry that has just published its twentieth number. And not the least admirable thing about it is the fact that Joseph Auslander and Padraic Colum are among the editors thereof.

We quote from Auslander, who is acting editor for the present quarter: "In order that the editorship shall not be one-sided, the nine poets who founded the magazine . . . elect an acting editor quarterly and give him power of life and death over submitted poems. . . . We are all somewhat tired of Whitmanesque mock heroics and bangwhanging; tired of stereotyped rhymes and consolations; tired of seven-day reputations stuffed with bran and hung with cowbells . . ."

We are glad to see "The Measure". Its poetry has no moaning pseudo-intellectuality about it--and the quarterly change of editorship assures it that constant freshness without which all poetry might as well go hang itself. The October number is especially interesting because of contributions by Malcolm Vaughan and Royall Snow both recent Harvard graduates.

Following in the footsteps of Don Marquis, we also add our feeble praise to the "admirable catholicity of taste" of "The Measure". It seems to be one of the few very few, publications that has so far kept its fingers free from the taint of Midas and its mind clear of the mists of materialism. It should be better known in Cambridge.