SPUN SEQUENCE.
By John Varney '09.London: Villiers Publications, 1960. 188pp. $3.25.
John Varney writes a kind of talkative, objective, prosaic travelogue through the works and biographies of men and poets of these times.
He is keenly interested in objective facts, which he weaves together and evaluates with meticulous care. He has the motive and the interest of an old-fashioned preacher exhorting or of a professor lecturing. He stands as commentator from "Leadbelly" to "F.D.R." and talks about writers as recent as "Welsh Dylan" and Robert Lowell.
In Spun Sequence he has a series of pieces called "Hanover Sequence" about the College and the town of an earlier day. Therear are other pieces in the book about DartmOuth. A trick of style in his densely packed lines is to omit the articles.
His mind is filled with all kinds of lore which he beats out in prose-like, informative works interesting as a kaleidoscopic, personalized history of the times. Here is what he has to say about Hopkins Center:
Fancy Freed
Baker Library steps up awareness of self and style.
New Hopkins Center to house drama, music, painting may prompt Dartmouth men to literacy in the arts, put their sports, proms, frats in right perspective.
RecentRecently Richard Hovey's grave is found; strangstrange how this excites my classmates, who neglected living poets such as our valedictorian, a young suicide.
Hopkins open-house of art, studio doors ajar, may entice student in - later he may visit exhibitions.
Men who as students found the arts a pleasure, may keep innerly alive, reduce their Envy, Muscularity; thread adult sequences and reject safe concepts for those of Tuckers who teach spirit-enter-prise.
