"WE NEW ZEALANDERS"
Sir,-In his review of my inoffensive little book, We New Zealanders, F. L, Combs quotes me thus: "You (New Zealanders) need a good stiff kick in the pants to bring you round." What I actually said was this: "It is still possible for people who were born in New Zealand, and have never been out of the place except to go fishing in a dinghy, to become sentimental about ‘Home’. . . If your heme is 12,000 miles away from where you've spent all your life, then there’s something wrong with you, You want a psychiatrist-or a good stiff kick in the pants to bring you round." There is a difference. In having a piece of me in your lastissue, Isobel Andrews says: "Our packcry on the football field probably does
come through a yattering mesh of false teeth; but we seem in spite of all this to have acquired some smattering of social conscience." This might be taken to imply that I said something about football or yattering meshes. On the contrary, I consider it something of a feat to have written a book about New Zealanders without once having mentioned football or false teeth, and I am not letting Mrs. Andrews or anybody else deprive me of the credit for it-.
A. R. D.
FAIRBURN
(New Lynn).
Sir,-I have read the contentious and rather foolish defence of A, R. D. Fairburn’s book published in your June 16 issue. Also Isobel Andrews’ scathing remarks and your review in recent issues. Then I read Fairburn’s book myself, and must congratulate him for his uncompromising courage and clear vision. . The fact that his essay has received such denunciation lends force to his statements. We don’t like them, and are rushing to the rescue of our hurt pride. We could ignore him were his criticism unjustified. If a few more men had the intestinal fortitude-putting it nicely, to give us a good kick where it hurts, this smug little community might wake up. But I doubt it.
SAM
RIX
(Walton).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19440630.2.8.1
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 262, 30 June 1944, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
339"WE NEW ZEALANDERS" New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 262, 30 June 1944, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in