How might one describe Max Beerbohm to someone who knows nothing about him? Well, for a start, one might imagine D.H. Lawrence. Pi...cture the shagginess of Lawrence, his thick beard, his rough-cut clothes, his disdain for all the social and physical niceties. Recall his passionateness--his passion, so to say, for passion itself--his darkness, his gloom. Think back to his appeal to the primary instincts, his personal messianism, his refusal to deal with anything smaller than capital "D" Destiny. Do not neglect his humorlessness, his distaste for all that otherwise passed for being civilized, his blood theories and manifold roiling hatreds. Have you, then, D.H. Lawrence firmly in mind? Splendid. Now reverse all of Lawrence's qualities and you will have a fair beginning notion of Max Beerbohm, who, after allowing that Lawrence was a man of "unquestionable genius," felt it necessary to add, "he never realized, don't you know--he never suspected that to be stark, staring mad is somewhat of a handicap to a writer."LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Utopias are presented for our inspection as a critique of the human state. If they are to be treated as anything but trivial exerc...ises of the imagination. I suggest there is a simple test we can apply.... We must forget the whole paraphernalia of social description, demonstration, expostulation, approbation, condemnation. We have to say to ourselves, "How would I myself live in this proposed society? How long would it be before I went stark staring mad?"LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Those whispering guns--O Christ, I want to go out And screech at them to stop--I'm going crazy;... I'm going stark, staring mad because of the guns.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
[T]he most artful method [of courtship] would be this, to tell her that what she doth not possess is useless and contemptible, tha...t weakness and imperfection is the perfection of a woman, that I am stark mad in love with ignorance; and thus shall I allure her by calling her [a] fool.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Mad about the boy, I know it's stupid to be mad about the boy,... I'm so ashamed of it But must admit The sleepless nights I've had about the boy. On the Silver Screen He melts my foolish heart in every single scene.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Make 'em cry. Make 'em laugh. Make 'em mad, even mad at you. Stir them up and they'll love it and come back for more. But for heav...en's sake, don't try to improve their minds.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
My own voice spoke to people, anyone, friends, strangers on the street, saying,... "I am Mr. Rabbit." The flesh itself had become mad and at three mirrors this was confirmed.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »