Heywood Broun (1888–1939)

This is the best bio I have found of Comstock; there are not many others to choose from. I can't say it is unbiased, or is it the truth that is biased against him? Trumbull's biography is equally biased, but in Comstock's favor. Comstock's own books indict him as unbalanced.

What you think of Anthony Comstock depends upon what you think of censorship. If you think smut is dangerous, as he did, then his extremes of behavior are perhaps understandable. And you have to consider the times he lived in. But this was a man who thought that scientific treatises on the propagation of marsupials were dangerously lubricious! That unclad mannikins menaced public morality! That smut dealers deserved death. There was never a dull moment when Comstock was official vice hound of the U.S. Post Office. He clashed with some interesting characters. The chapter on George Francis Train is especially entertaining.

Heywood Broun summed him up best when he said, "Any given censor is a fool. The very fact that he is a censor indicates that." This is a book about censorship. The authors were against it. Good for them!… (more)

Baseball season closes with the boys of summer facing longer shadows and complicated relationships. The Sun Field by Heywood Broun is a novel he finished in 1923. The main characters are newspaper columnist George Wallace (a pseudonym for Broun), Judith Winthrop (Broun’s wife Ruth Hale in real life) and John “Tiny” Tyler (as Babe Ruth) in a fictionalized account of their interactions. Or, maybe, we have a glimpse into their private lives with a tale of truth!

A famous line in the book describes Tiny Tyler, “His only weakness is a fast blonde on the outside corner of the park.” The same held true for the Babe Ruth, as he also was known as a player among ladies. Tiny had a penchant for gambling, drinking, and womanizing. His fallible personality would almost destroy the wonderful relationship he had with Judith. Then, when most stories would end, situations would miraculously pop up ending a rally, which would start a new inning. George would often have private meetings with Judith as he tried to woo her. Each time they met, he found her using him as a sounding board for ideas or as a companion. Conflict ultimately develops between George and Tiny and always Judith would smooth things over between them.

One of the shortcomings in reading this vintage book is the shifting language from generations back to present. Connotations of “queer” or “gay” have evolved from meaning ‘out of sorts’ or ‘happy’, which gives the reader a real feeling of the 1923 era. Unless you are familiar with these expressions, it might be difficult to understand what is intended.

An interesting side note is explained in the Introduction by Darryl Brock. He depicts the author’s wife as being a feminist by retaining her maiden name Ruth Hale, even though she married Broun. In the book, Judith does the same thing when she applies for a passport to visit Tiny in Cuba; she could not obtain one in her name Judith Winthrop, but would need to use Wallace as her last name. She did not go to Cuba. In real life, both Broun and Hale were supposed to go to France to cover a story, but the State Department refused to issue a passport in the name of Hale. They did not go to France!

This is the only fiction novel written by Heywood Broun. It conveys feeling, insight to personal interactions, and respect for the women’s’ rights movement, which makes this a classic worthwhile read.… (more)