OLSTOftJ'S 66
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How much do you know
about Nebraska? For many, a
junior high school course
where one learned about the
Pawnee Indians and the
Unicameral and perhaps a
mention of Willa Cather in high
school literature is all that they
have been taught of the state's
history and literature.
Sometimes, it seems, we are
unconsciously led to believe
that we are living in an
intellectual and literary
wasteland. We see ourselves
sitting "out in the boonies"
having our literature shipped in
from Boston, San Francisco or
Europe. We are not encouraged
and therefore do not look at
the contribution of Nebraska ns
to the field of literature.
It is entirely natural for
people to write about , the
experiences around them.
Therefore, much of Nebraska's
literature deals with pioneer
and frontier conditions.
Very few of us realize the
true nature of what the pioneer
and frontier heritage was. Here
were people who left their
homes, whether in another
state or a foreign country, and
came to live on the frontier,
where the barest of necessities
ot lite were the products of
hard effort It was a promising
experience but at the same
time a very traumatic one.
They left friends and
relatives behind knowing that
almost certainly they would
never see them again. It was a
mixed culture; Germans,
Swedes, Czechs, French,
English, Northerners and
Southerners all thrown together
in the frontier situation. Much
can be learned from their
feelings and experiences, that
would be relative today.
One must realize that the
land we live on has been settled
for barely a hundred years.
However, for this short period
of time and the relatively small
size of the population,
Nebraska has much to be
proud about in this field.
Compared to other western
and midwestern states such as
Wyoming, Nevada or
Oklahoma, it is considerably
far ahead.
Most people have heard of
the three giants of Nebraska
literature: Willa Cather, Mari
Sandoz and John G. Neihardt.
The recent national .attention
that Mr. Neihardt has been
receiving is good indication of
the quality of literature that
the Nebraska environment has
produced.
In addition to these,
however, there are many others
who deserve study: Alvin
Johnson (author of Pioneer's
Progress and founder of New
Republic magazine), Elia W.
Peattie (who wrote about the
intense loneliness felt by the
frontier woman), Kate Cleary
McPhellan, Wright Morris and
L. C. Wimberly. Not all of
Nebraska's literature is a thing
of the past, either. Several
Nebraska poets (Roy Scheele,
James Cole and Greg Kuzma)
have had their works published
recently.
The University's literary
review, Prairie Schooner, is
considered a distinguished
quarterly and is read all over
the world.
In the past there has been
only a graduate level course in
Nebraska literature taught now
and then under a title such as
"Writers of the Plains," etc.
According to Bernice Slote of
the English Department a
si m iliar course for
undergraduates is in the
planning stages in conjunction
with the American Studies
Program and will hopefully be
ready for the spring of 1973.
torn bradcn
The bench warmer
WASH INGTON-There is a sense in which
politics is like football and in that sense the
pressure on Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is
now becoming severe.
The analogy is simple. Considered as a
football team, the Democratic Party is not
moving the ball. Quarterback Edmund Muskie
is losing ground; McGovern, Jackson, Lindsay
have not done as well as he. The crowd is
yelling for Kennedy who has been on the bench
for two years with an injury once considered
serious. The question is whether or not he is fit
to play.
The crowd seems to think so. Matched
against Richard Nixon, Muskie has fallen six
points in the polls while Nixon has gained
three. The comparable figures for Kennedy are
Kennedy up one; Nixon down three. "It's a
funny thing," said Larry O'Brien, chairman of
the Democratic Party, the other day. "Here in
Washington we all assume Kennedy is not going
to run; we don't even talk about it anymore.
But everytime I get out into the country, the
first question I get asked is, 'What about
Teddy?' "
Meantime, political life for Edward Kennedy
must be more fun than political life has ever
been. Note the Kennedy speeches of the last
few weeks. First, he pointed out that President
Nixon was willing to go 9,CC0 miles to China
but was doing nothing to normalize relations
with Cuba, 90 miles away.
Next he complimented Mr. Nixon on his
willingness to use television to demonstrate his
leadership and asked why he didn't appear on
television when the country really needed
leadership-as when it was confused about
whether it was backing one China or two.
When Mr. Nixon broached the names of the
unsuitable six for the Supreme Court, Kennedy
said, "Let me be Hunt. The men who are
involved in the selection of Supreme Court
nominees, Richard Nixon, John Mitchell and I
understand, John Connally, remind me of the
people who used to put 'Impeach Earf Warren'
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1S71
signs on the highways."
One week he says the American Medical
Assn. is more interested in keeping the supply
of doctors low than it is in a good health
program; another week he says the President is
responsible for the defeat of foreign aid
because the President was busy taking cheap
shots at the United Nations. Kennedy says all
the bright things; and winds up with his picture
on Page One.
The moment Kennedy becomes a candidate,
the television cameras will cease to follow him;
his most intelligent lines will appear on Page 32
as do those of Edmund Muskie and George
McGovern; the injury which sidelined him two
years ago will be discussed with less
compassion. Up to a point, men will not speak
ill of the injured. When the injured run for
President, the point is exceeded.
Can Kennedy take that point? Can the
Democratic Party take it? If the answer to the
question is "no," then they must refuse to heed
polls which show him the most popular of
Democrats and the only one moving against
Nixon. Shall they leave it to time and hope that
Ed Muskie or George McGovern can do better?
What if they don't?
Edward Kennedy has the best staff in the
Senate. Kennedys always do. It is not a national
staff. It contains no well-known delegate
hunters, but it is issue-oriented, and when the
senator wants to know something about health,
crime or transportation, he has instant
expertise. Perhaps that is the way it will all
end-with Kennedy pointing out weaknesses
from the sidelines while somebody else tries to
move the ball.
But the political history of the last , few
weeks suggests that the time may come when
the pressure is irresistible, when a party about
to lose an election looks down its bench and
says, so to speak, "Injured or not, let's put in
the first team."
Copyright 1971, Los Angeles Times
KARATE & COXIMQ
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