Updike Captures Dana Reed Prize For Best Writing

John H. Updike '54, former president of the Lampoon, has won this year's Dana Reed Prize for the best writing in an undergraduate publication.

Updike's entry consisted of seven pieces of light verse. The longest of these, entitled "Reverie," was "a Miltonic treatment of television advertisement," Updike explained. His other work, mainly satirical, included one piece on Helen Traubel, one on "Yesterday's Socks," and another on Igor Stravinsky's statement that mountains don't mean anything to him.

This marks the second time that a Lampoon writer has won the prize since it was initiated in 1948. In that year it was awarded to Clement B. Wood '47 for a story entitled "The Very Young Rabbit." The Advocate has won the prize once, in 1950.

The judges for this year's Dana Reed prize were Jean Stafford, novelist, Louis Kronenberger, novelist and critic, and Edward Streeter, banker and author. The prize itself amounts to $100. It is the only award that is given specifically to encourage undergraduate writing.

Honorable mention was given to Frederic M. Kimball '55 for his story entitled "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam," published in the Advocate.