THE NEW BLACKMAIL [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR, —May
-I illustrate my recent letter by an example from The Thnes Literary Supplement, July 23rd, page 489 ? Herr
the reviewer, having mentioned certain oddities in his author's manner, goes on : " Such an affectation . . . can only have its explanation in some form of inferiority complex—some lack of self-confidence which the author is successfully hiding from himself," though not, of course, from the all-seeing eye of the reviewer. But the precious only in that sentence is as good an instance as I could want of the glib self-assurance with which psycho-analytic back-chat is handed out as literary criticism.
When I add that the subject of these strictures is Mr. Ezra Pound, I shall not be suspected of allowing my judgement to be influenced by any perverse or exaggerated sympathy
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