The Petal paper. [volume], February 12, 1959, Image 1

About The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1959 SINGLE COPY TEN CENTS VOL. 6, NUMBER 14
“ I I
• '«*■ *** *
East Side
-By P. D.
To me, one of the most humorous things I've eveffteard
came from the mouth of a babe. It happened that her parents
would; upon seeing the society section of the daily paper,
make various comments about who was going to get mar
ried, and to whom, etc. It happened one day that the child
was riding along with her parents in their car and picked
up a copy of the Baptist Record which was on the seat. On
the front page was a large picture of Christ. The little girl
looked at it for a few seconds and then informed her parents,
"Well, I see here where God is getting married."
\ The ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States
has really played hell with our fine Southern Way of life.
One friend told me that now when he gets ready to count
sheep to go to sleep, he has to do it himself. Until the ad
vent of the NAACP and the Supreme Court ruling he had a
little Negro boy count sheep for him.
i __
Noted with Interest recently a news story about there
being a shortages of college presidents. Now, that is most
serious, but just think, it could have been a shortage of foot
ball coaches.
As an ardent television fan I fell inclined to make a min
or criticism of one program I watch every Sunday afternoon.
The program is Zoo Parade. To date I've seen every kind of
animal thus far captured, including, on one occasion, hear
ing the recorded heart-beat of a rodent and an elephant.
Now, this is interesting, as well as educational, I'll grant.
But why have they failed to show "Our Gem" on the Zoo Pa
rade? And that's my gripe!
It is certainly the privilege of a newspaper to do what
it feels is best for those it serves. (Most of 'em are the stock
holder!) But Lem somewhat amused by some of the journa
lism coming from the South today. One newspaper has made
a great issue over the fact that in the North they have racial
problems, too. They have sen reporters up to check on the
North, and have pointed out to their readers all the faults of
northern states. I wish I could see it, but I don't. Why go to
the trouble of calling the North one too? Why not let's clean
up our own backyard, then we would be in a little bet ter posi
tion to point out the mess in the backyards of the Yankees.
It little matters what the northern press calls us here in the
South. We know we have problems. Reminds me of two small
boys calling each other names. One boy says, "You're a
double-barrel, 14 karat, 21 jewel so-and-so." The other boy is
unable to top this, so he says, "Yeah, and you're one, too."
Since growing up I have found it advantageous to do a little
self-examination when called a name. Generally, I have found
the accuser to be right. Such an attitude would work to our
advantage on a larger scale, if we but had the guts to face
facts.
Should one of the Jackson TV stations decide to televise
the meetings of the State Legislature I'm sure they would
have no trouble getting a sponsor. Seems to me like a perfect
setup for a manufacturer of headache pills or powder. It
would be^n excellent comedy program, too.
In the beginning the Lord created the Heavens and Mis
sissippi, and all there is in it. And in five days He was finish
ed, so He sat down to rest. And, Lo, He saw something was
(Continued on Page 2)
A Book
Review
-w ? 'w* .m
MKpfllf9i 11
HERBLOCK
"The Nation's Best • • • "
By Perry Morgan
Herblock’s special for today,
Simon and Schuster, 255 pp.,
$3.95.
Herblock’s best when caught
in the act of pricking bureaucra
tic bubblehe«ds or unsettling the
sanctimonious. There’s no place
like a newspaper fairly hot off
the presses for displaying the
work of a newspaper cartoonist.
Every day’s distance between the
event and the cartoon that came
out of it saps the cartoon of some
of its flavor and shapness.
But who wants to be a nitpick
er? If the loss of immediacy is a
problem for the reader of this
book, it isn’t much of a problem.
For with a 30,000-word text Her
block does an excellent job of
stage-setting for the 430 cartoons
covering the behavior of poli
ticians (mostly U. S.) at home,
abroad and in the air during the
last three years. Across from a
cartoon of a deepfreeze stocked
with “frozen attitudes, frozen
platitudes and Foster’s frosted,
iruitiess policies, xrex uiucis. ic
marks in text on a well known
diplomat who “keeps going at a
great clip and has frequently
traveled trc nendous distances to
sit tight.”
It all comes back, you see. The
juices bubble, the tension rises,
the page turns and ZOWIE! Her
block has nailed ‘em again.
If this is a partisan reaction,
the book is a 255-page parade of
partisan reactions. But the only
unfair thing about it is the pub
lisher’s blurb suggesting the
book “will be relished by all,
connoisseurs of pointed words
and pictures, whether or not they
share the author’s point of view.”
Come now, Messrs. Simmon and
Schuster. This is hardly the sort
of surprise package sympathiz
ers should send to members. of
the numerous and still growing
band of Unhorsed Crusaders.
Herblock has been something
less than enthusiastic about the
conduct of the federal govern
ment these last few years. Some
times in anger, always with
sharp preception, he looks back
on the neglect of education, the
abuse of non-conformists, the
disdain for intellectuals,' the at
tacks on the Supreme Court, the
mania for secrecy, the glorifica
(Continued on Page 2)
Part Two Of Three Parts—
For Those In School
In this space last week I ran the first draft of the piece I did
for HARPER'S (January 1959) and that which follows today is first*
a letter received from John Fischer, Edilor-in-Chief, after having
read the copy I'd sent and, second, my reply to his letter.
Next week I will print the final draft of the piece. In case
you missed the issue last week, the aim here is to show to students
of English and journalism who subscribe to this paper how a piece
of copy was written, the steps from beginning to end. And once a
gain I deny that I'm trrying to make like a teacher . . . just filling
space.
P. D. East
HARPER'S MAGAZINE
Editorial Rooms
Harper & Brothers 49 East 33rd SlrMl
Publishers New York 16, N. Y.
September 11, 1958
Dear P. D.: j
All of us like your piece, but
we think that just a little more
work can make it a good deal
better. What it needs more, it
seems to me, are a few brief in
serts to answer questions which
are sure to rise in the readers’
minds. For example, they will
wonder where you came from,
what you did before you bought
The Petal Paper, what your pres
ent situation is, and what plans
(if any) you have for the future.
The manuscript gives the impres
sion that the paper already had
folded, or at least may fold any
minute, since you say you have
neither subscribers nor adver
tising. Is this literally true? If
so, how do you keep going?
What reaction have you had
from the Negroes in the commu
nity? Have they given you any
• support — either financial or
moral?
How are the members of your
family taking this situation?
Your suggestion that we re
produce the ad is a good one,
and I think we can handle it
without any serious technical
difficulty. If you could work in
a few more brief .quotations from
the editorial columns of the pa
per, they might help give the
reader a little better idea of its
character (and yours).
I’m. holding your original man
uscript here,..on thn assumption
mat you nave a esrDop ana, 11
you agree with my • suggestions,
that you can take care of them
by sending me inserts or revised
pages. If this is wrong, let me
know and I’ll send my copy of
the manuscript back.
Incidentally, some of the edi
tors felt that in one or two pas
sages a little cutting might be
indicated, to eliminate over
writing or an occasional too
corny phrase; if you have no ob
jection, we could take care of
that chore here—without, I trust,
drawing too'much blood.
Congratulations on a nice piece
of work. I hope our comments
don’t strike you as altogether un
reasonable.
Best regards,
(s) John Fischer
Mr. P. D. East
Box 349
Hattiesburg, Miss
Box 349
Hattiesburg, Miss
- - September 14, 1958
Dear John:
Inasmuch as money is involv
ed, let me assure you ypur com
ments are not in the least un
reasonable. I find myself quite
fond of commercial comments,
John. And please feel free to cut
anything you wish, except the
amount of my check.
John, there are a few prob
lems connected with the ques
tions you’ve asked me. First, I’m
not at all sure I know how to go
about inserting factual matter
into the piece I’ve written. An
other thing is the fact that I have
a tendency to get angry when I
try to write about the situation
as it really is. Generally speak
ing, I stay angry about some
thing, but in this case it might
very well leave the impression
that I think someone owes me
something, which, of course, they
don’t, damn ’em. Another prob
lem is the fact that I have a hell
of an ego and 1 hesitate to quote
myself for fear of leaving a bad
taste. I do the best I can to cover
up the existence of an over active
ego.
This brings me to a request, an
imposition, I suppose. Would you
let me supply you with the an
swers to your questions, and
while you’re cutting the article
would you insert what you feel
is necessary wherever you see
fit? I would be^most grateful if
you’d do that. If there is any
reason you don’t want to or can’t
please call me at Hattiesburg and
let me know. I have a carbon of
the original manuscript and of
this letter. Now, to the answers:
I came from all over South
Mississippi, having been born in
Columbia, a small town in Ma
rion County. While growing up,
I lived in a number of logging
camps, and they moved from
time to time.
Before I began The Petal Paper
in November of 1953, I edited tw<J
union publications. I
bor, but not to >1.
think labor can do no v.
They can, and do, a hell of a lot !
of things that are wrong.
My present situation is consis
tent with my past situation . . .
just one continuous crisis after
the other. I am at work on a
book to be titled You Can’t Get
There From Here, an effort to
show the effect of the Magnolia
Jungle on our thinking, etc. I
have been given an opportunity
to write a daily column for the
Bell Syndicate, at least submit
copy to them, but I’ve done noth
ing about it and don’t think I
will. I feel that I have no choice
but to see this Magnolia Mesg
through, as best I can. I intend
to stick with my paper, doing aa
occasional piece for magazines,
etc.
No, the paper has not folded,
but it has been reduced in size
from a full 8-column page to a
tabloid. Over the five years I’ve
had it the circulation has aver
aged out at about 2000. While,!
haven’t a single subscriber ijg
(Continued on Page 2)