Not Seven, Not Lively, Not Arts

Gilbert Seldes’ The 7 Lively Arts has been reissued with new annotations by the author (Sagamore Press, $4.95). When it was first published in 1924, it created an uproar among the critics. According to the dust jacket, reasonable men, such as Edmund Wilson, took it quite seriously. This is harder to justify than to explain.

The following are fairly typical of Mr. Seldes’ ideas and his general approach: “. . . Al Jolson is more interesting to the intelligent mind than John Barrymore and Fanny Brice than Ethel.” “. . . Ring Lardner and Mr. Dooley . . . are more important than James B. Cabell and Joseph Hergesheimer . . .” “Florenz Ziegfield is a better producer than David Belasco.” . . the circus can be . . . more artistic than the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

EH

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Ernest van den Haag

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Gilbert Seldes’ The 7 Lively Arts has been reissued with new annotations by the author (Sagamore Press, $4.95). When it was first published in 1924, it created an uproar among the critics. According to the dust jacket, reasonable men, such as Edmund Wilson, took it quite seriously. This is harder to justify than to explain.

The following are fairly typical of Mr. Seldes’ ideas and his general approach: “. . . Al Jolson is more interesting to the intelligent mind than John Barrymore and Fanny Brice than Ethel.” “. . . Ring Lardner and Mr. Dooley . . . are more important than James B. Cabell and Joseph Hergesheimer . . .” “Florenz Ziegfield is a better producer than David Belasco.” . . the circus can be . . . more artistic than the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.