THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

                                                        From an Age Gone By

On May 31, 1930, publication of "The Girl Who Had Been Presented." The New Yorker. The Doctor's Son.
                        
   Simultaneously, as though they had rehearsed it, the young ladies reached in their purses and pulled out packages of Lucky Strikes. They smiled as they offered each other cigarettes, and smoked their respective own. There was a moment of silence while two minds groped for a topic. Nellie won.
   "Did I tell you about New Haven? No, I didn't, did I?" she said.
   "Boat races," said Nellie. "Phil Clark asked me. I just about got there in time for dinner Friday night and then of course we went dancing. Awf'ly good orchestras this time. I forget who they were, but they were awf'ly good, and I had a grand time ... "

                                                          World War Two

From a May 31, 1942 letter:

I hope you will b e able to see New York soon, under dim-out conditions. We had a pretty good blackout last week, and an air raid alarm rehearsal yesterday, but I'd like you to see the town, Times Square, for instance, under present conditions. It's just a historical phenomenon I don't want you to miss. There's a kind of dark holiday sprit to the town. I now think the Nazis intend to bomb the shit out of New York before the summer is out ...

                                                        On Academic Liberals

From a May 31, 1966 letter to Richardson Dilworth, who several year later was Governor of Pennsylvania:

As a group they may be the most offensive devotees of liberalism. They are protected by their quasi-clerical standing in the community, but they are no better than bus drivers or those arch crybabies, the farmers. I make little distinction between private and public school teachers, on the grade, high school, or college levels. They fall into the habit of despotism, with the power to flunk, and any kid who wants to get anywhere had better play it their way. You don't suppose for one minute that a student who stood up to the New Deal economics professor is going to get as good marks as another student who is anti-conservative?