THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

On May 15, 1964, publication of "The Neighborhood." The New Yorker. Waiting for Winter. Gibbsville, PA.

The first paragraph:

"Some of the houses on Tuscarora Street were numbered and some were not, but it was not necessary to look for the number of the Rellinger house. Across the street from it were standing perhaps a dozen men and women., the women clutching their shawls across their chests, the men standing with their hands in their pockets or their arms folded; and whether they were in conversation or silent, they all kept theer eyes on the Rellinger hluose. Directly in front of the Rellinger house, on the skimpy front lawn, was a policeman in uniform, chatting with two young men in civilian clothes, Every once in a while the policeman would leave his post on the lawn and tell some slow-moving pedestrian to keep moving. Or there would be a man or oftener two men who turned in at the Rellinger footpath and the policeman would stop them and take a look at their credentials, and if they satisfied him, he would let them proceed to enter the house."

It so happens the owner of the house, Mr. Rellinger, has (gruesomely) murdered his younger wife and her mother.

The story unfolds by way of very skillful dialogue between Mrs. Schumaker, the next-door neighbor, and Allan Rogers, a newspaper reporter.

John O'Hara gives the impression that this is a very easy story to write, that anyone can do it. This is the mark of real talent. However, I have never read the word "oftener."