Olympia in Swinging London SIR,—Am I the only Englishman to
feel a deep sense of shame that the Olympia Press, no longer welcome in France, should be coming to this country ? If. as we are told, pornography is so dull, why does it pay to publish it?
Mr E. D. O'Brien (Letters. May 13) appears to agree that, on adolescents at least, pornography has a bad effect. All, however, pass through adolescence and so may well remain affected throughout life.
W. M. NEWTE
Ripley Court School, Ripley, Surrey
SIR,---it is a singular—even celebratory--occasion to be denounced in adjoining columns (Letters. May 20) as a book-burning fascist prude (by Maurice Girodias) and as an effete liberal softy (by Auberon Waugh), but I feel I must humbly own that my capacities won't stretch to well-roundedness of such dimensions.
At this tedious stage all I'd wish to add is that my original points were (a) that Mr Waugh was trying to pay off old scores and (b) that Mr Girodias was trying to cash in on new angles. Perhaps henceforth Mr Girodias could publish Mr Waugh: they plainly have much in common. On the subject of mediocrity I cannot, of course, question Mr Waugh's judgment, for he speaks with the authority of long personal experience, but in reply to Mr Girodias's implication I really must insist that the only books I have ever been tempted to burn are those of Auberon Waugh. As that seemed a gesture of unbefitting drama, they merely went into the dustbin.
KENNETH ALLSOP
Gurneys, Holwell. Hera
[Auberon Waugh writes: 'If I was trying to pay off old scores. 1 think I have succeeded.']
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