Reprint: Letter to the Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald by Miles Franklin

By Perry Middlemiss on March 24, 2010 8:19 AM

A. G. STEPHENS.

Sir, - As the second anniversary of the death of A. G. Stephens approaches, those interested in Australian literature would like to see some memorial to this outstanding Australian, Joseph Furphy, with whom the name of Stephens is for all time associated has been recently remembered by a tablet. Something of the kind might be erected by subscription to Furphy's contemporary. A. G. Stephens is admittedly our most notable critic. He was independent, percipient, original, witty, and had a true perspective of the relation of Australian literature to its parent stores, as well as vision and enthusiasm regarding its indigenous importance and achievement. His credo for critics is expressed in a passage in his last booklet, "Chris Brennan": - "When a critic denies or delays due praise of good work, or due blame of bad work, because an author is not or is a blood-brother or a sodality-member, then his justice is clouded, his arc is tarnished, and his criticism is shamed."

I am, etc.,

Sydney, April 3. MILES FRANKLIN.

First published in The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 April 1935

[Thanks to the National Library of Australia's newspaper digitisation project for this piece.]

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