Gyre196723long

^r^

LONGWOOD COLLEGE VOLUME

2,

NUMBER

3,

1967

Cloudy,

My

thoughts are

scattered

And

they're cloudy.

They have no borders,

No

boundary.

They echo and they

From Tolstoy Tinker

swell

to

bell.

Simon and Garfunkel

EDITOR freda richards

EDITORIAL STAFF features

—

myers

phyllis

poetry—donna barnes

—nan

short story art

—

kelly

emily gillespie

BOARD

LITERARY

Vivian gale

elaine

owen maxey

linda

speed

pixie

{udy leach

BUSINESS martha kay

CIRCULATION marilyn green

HEAD

TYPIST

marshall overby

ADVISORS mr. herbert blackweli mrs. ruth taliaferro

FROM THE EDITOR This

Issue

"the gyre" calls to an end an-

of

other year at Longwood. This has been a year to

remember

brought

for

all

Vietnam,

us

Savio, the C.I. A., I

Want

to

for the student

Get

W&L,

Itself.

A

accustomed

to

wood that

this

marks.

hall,

Tech, VMI, and above

has

burners,

all,

sentimental,

but

H-SC

is

we

second year

KA,

Long-

year deserves more than passing

This Issue marks the

Longwood Is

student

not feel

re-

of the

gyre; thanks to the support of our student body,

We

body,

hope

feel

that you, the

that

our survival

worthwhile.

Special thanks must

World

Alfie,

magazine such as the gyre being

It

Hall, grain parties, color

cup. Miss Longwood, the dining Virginia,

card

draft

Frank, Stop the

Off, LSD, Halght-Asbury,

weekend, Stubbs

finals

the

Gia &

body.

the gyre has survived.

Literary contest

ren

Eyester,

—

go

to our judges for the

Dr. Patton

Lockwood, Mr. War-

Miss Barbara Melton,

and Miss Renee Fishburne. Thanks

Miss Leitch, also to

all

of

the contributors.

The

last editorial

of this year

Is,

for once,

not

dedicated to promoting circulation, contributions, or even to protesting something. the gyre staff dedicate this of 1967.

Instead,

last Issue to

we

of

the Class

1

TABLE

OF CONTENTS POETRY *

10 maru mari 1

a familiarity

1

one security

17 untitled 1

FICTION 4

the

maple

tree

*

katherine yancey

14 alone among many

20

untitled

*

7 untitled

19 untitled

*

27 sleep linda

*

linda long

* donna * donna

barnes barnes

* emily gillespie * janet sturgill * donna barnes linda long

speed

martha via

NON-FICTION 8

ART

WORK

2

emily gillespie

7

leslie

9

janie ragland

sedgewick

12 emily gillespie

16 susan rooks 18 marylyn bates 21

emily gillespie

23 emily gillespie

26

linda shell

27

linda shell

life is just

a

bowl of cherries

*

linda gayle oliff

13 review

22 review

— —

garden

to far to walk

i

*

*

judy leach

never promised you a rose judy leach

24 the war drags on

*

martha via

The Maple Tree "It

an ugly, beautiful world," thought Judith

is

Monroe

Street

towards the University. She had decided

at the

Roan

last

else

to walk to the school

drove and she

morning. Then, too,

autumn day. the year.

It

along

sauntered

she

moment

one this

as

like

felt

seemed

especially on days

had been clinging

to

lovely, lazy

of

one. "There

is

some-

Judith

campus, her eyes

fell

all

of the trees that she

on a large maple tree across

the street. She stopped suddenly to look at of

All

It.

were elegantly adorned with

leaves

its

frightened.

as

side,

if

trees

were

She

for this one.

eyes away from the fascinating object.

preoccupied

so

sur-

towering over her,

and panicky but could not take her

stifled

felt

con-

in

but gradually she be-

was

vaguely threatening except

all

attractive

was now same way. These thoughts

first,

It

rounding her on every

passed and wondered what there was about them that disturbed her so. As she was approaching the

it

colored

still

certain that the tree she

felt

looking at would be the

came

could not quite define.

among

bare one.

only puzzled her at

that she

a

the branches would drift

appeared more

trees that then trast to the

autumn leaves," she thought. Something

at

like

then stood naked and abrupt

thing very tragic in the beauty of richly colored

She looked curiously

air

few leaves which

being different

such a sad season to her,

like

like this

pervade the

Finally the last

wearily down. Left with only a skeletal body,

was such a

it

Serenity would

still.

heavy exhaustion.

because every-

was Judith's favorite time

Fall

all

She was

that she did not hear the

man approaching. He stopped beside

young

He

her.

looked with curiosity and concern from Judith

From the expression

shades of gold and vermilion. So Intense was the

to the direction of the tree.

color that Judith Imagined

on the young woman's face, the man decided

halo of

light.

ing

this

at

She stood fixed

one.

Its

It

put forth a brilliant

some

for

wondrous spectacle.

she had lived

of

it

one

was the

It

was somehow

first

all

like

shed

to

its

this

the rest because

poignant beauty, however,

Brief,

it

time, gaz-

every town

there had been a tree

in

always stood out from

beauty.

In

for

leaves. For Judith,

painful to watch the disrobing of

such a great tree.

break away. Then

leaves

Its

ground, one by one all

at at

first,

fell

as

silently if

to

the

reluctant to

once thousands

of leaves

would tear away and come rushing down with startling ferocity. Then silence, tree, sky and earth

must see something that he did

she

that

Perhaps

her

thought.

A

kitten

was stranded up

student passing by at

this

stopped beside Judith and the man they were looking there

for

some

at.

not.

he

there,

time also

to see

what

The three of them stood

time.

Then,

perceiving

that

Judith was not going to offer any Information, the

man

"It's

finally

a

spoke.

very pretty tree

Judith, startled, turned

isn't

it.

Miss?"

around and said

In

a

"No! It's horrible. Can't you see? There's something wrong!" loud

trembling voice.

The two men stood gaping

mo-

at her for a

ment, unable to speak. Then she turned and ran

campus and

across the

into the nearest building.

herself for having

She despised

spoken aloud to

men. They didn't understand. "Fools," she

the

"Shallow

thought. little

town,

lazy,

uncultured,

she

had

too.

She hated

fools!" of

All

people were

the

and unambitious. She

nothing

common

in

dirty

this

alike:

felt

them.

with

that

They

shared none of her dreams, ambitions, or longings for something better.

was

It

as

if

she lived

another world.

in

The tered

noisy

the

and noticed

She looked around

classroom.

that the rows of desks

She did not

were unusually lecturing

and

sun

To her

tree.

delight,

enchanting

the

made no

Seeing

rostrum.

the

at

it

seem

less

through the window

it

strange, less startling, though

captivating.

less

The students, who had been chattering

when she entered, began a hushed silence

over the room as the curi-

fell

She had been stand-

ous faces turned on Judith. for several

window

of the

minutes

now gazing

as

a

if

in

trance.

to her peculiar

quite

would

might have gone on

be gone

weekend

the

for

like

could dismiss class early.

She

so

that

she

disliked this class

even more than the others because they were unresponsive,

particularly

boys,

who made up

constantly seats.

The

Most

them kept

of a

thumping

knees and elbows

their

and bumping against the she

girls,

thought,

were even

them were completely unattenand whispered among themselves. The rest

worse. tlve

The

Occasionally a few near the back would

asleep.

fall

group.

the majority of the class, sat

and yawning,

fidgeting

boring

a

of

their

heads constantly bowed over

down every word

notebook, frantically taking

that she spoke.

Today, though, Judith could not have cared less

about the students

sitting

before her. Her

thoughts were far removed from the classroom for

now

that she

had

safely

reached the build-

students, It,

found her quite amusing to observe. They were,

never

feel

Intently out

The

seeing that she was not going to snap out of

by now, used

Friday.

for a

freely

down. Soon

to quiet

today and had hoped that most of the students

full

maple

discovered that she

she

could view a portion of the tree while standing

ing

had already rung when Judith en-

bell

her mind was free to return outside to the

ing,

warm autumn

acted

this

ways but she had

strange.

The

Indefinitely, but

situation

one of the

mischievous boys on the back row decided to try

luck,

his

long

and

hie Intentionally cleared his throat

Everyone

loud.

held

his

Judith turned her eyes directly on the

breath

as

boy with

a cold, penetrating stare.

"Keats was a beautiful child," she said

faraway voice, "but he was a

In

a

liar."

Several of the students looked at her with be-

wildered

been

Perhaps

surprise.

something

different

because there about

her

had

voice,

a

muted and hidden violence. The boy who had coughed shifted uneasily In his seat. One of the conscientious notetakers who had mechanically begun to write the moment Judith opened her mouth, raised her hand without looking up and said

In

a

whining

that please. Miss

voice,

"Would you repeat

Roan?" (continued on page 6)

(continued fronn page 5)

As

if

the

girl's

Judith

ears,

that 'Beauty

words had never reached her

"You

continued, is

Keats

see,

said

But he wasn't

truth, truth beauty.'

By

this

time the students had recovered them-

and decided

was

that this

another of

just

However,

their

composure was

short-

lived.

"hie

about

forgot

destruction

the

beauty.

of

Like

and

isolation

bitter

maple

that

tree,"

Judith said as she stared again out the window.

and

"It's

really ugly

truth

and beauty are

lost,

cries out to us that

it

tragic the tree

uneasiness

"But Judith

know about

I

she

as

is

your

The students blankly at

A for

nap, concluding that

a

The

lectures

majority

about uneasily

of

the

this

was another

no one

which

class,

in their seats.

An

air of

more audacious boys

"I

don't

squirmed disturbed

Finally

one

of

what

you're

talking

only too well," sighed

"That poor bleeding but

beautiful it

that

however unpleasant

way.

may

it

sat silently in their seats glancing

one another. Without taking her eyes

all

softly.

"That

The and

will

for today."

class

hurried awkwardly out of the Left alone In the

into the hall.

room

room

Judith,

with hushed tears falling from her eyes, looked at

the sun-drenched

to the

its

maple

tree.

She noticed that

leaves were beginning to

ground,

like

fall

silently

the tears that streamed from

her burning eyes.

about.

"Of course you don't," oddly at him. "You are dreams aspire

be

a few of

said.

understand

themselves.

of

understood.

though,

apprehension pervaded the room. the

themselves

settling

The

Increased.

among

from the window Judith spoke

few of the boys began

her vague

it

continued.

truth,

really

be."

horrid, miserable, pathetic.

They cannot survive here."

class

and dying tree could have been ugly, and they made it's not.

It's There

already

comforts and

So you couldn't

the

in

have

small

is."

began whispering

students

Miss Roan's peculiar statements to attract their attention.

for

even smaller ambitions.

The

You

nothingness.

into

up your dreams

given

know how

telling the truth."

selves

dissolve

to great

replied Judith, smiling

"It's

young ones whose

listen."

all

heights,

then

fizzle

and

no use," she whispered. "They

just

won't

Katharine Yancey

Life

Just a Bowl of Cherries

is

The chosen

title is just

one

many

of the

expressed by Sister Mary Corita, a

opinions

.

.

Sometimes

.

conglomeration.

delightful

addition

In

using

to

sister of the

these happy, care-free colors, Sister Corita has

Innmaculate hieart and head of the art depart-

chosen various often Ignored and off-beat sub-

ment

Angeles,

head

in

Heart

College

In

her unique op-art. Not only

of this

Los

she the

is

particular art department,

become an

has

also

Immaculate

at

but she

international figure

in

art.

.

.

.

Esso

.

body up cherries

.

recipient of over 50 ings.

Year art

of the Los

for

and human

some

in

to

these are

deep perspective emerges.

Is

It

an art

indeed

showing

work recently. Seeing

manner

that

the

being preached these

paintings

viewer he

to;

cannot help but

the

imaginative

the

silk

tastic.

uncommon medium

of the

for her art

screen printing process. The colors and

Shades of green,

yellow,

orange, pink, red, purple and

all

life

Is

simply fan-

fuschia,

blue,

the other colors

rainbow are mixed and mingled

in

a

most

times, but

—

that "love

Is

just

and

Is

be

In

unaware

such a

he

that

Is

drawn

appeal at the

art life.

mes-

little

instinctively

him

Is

it

to

same

to his

time.

and be fascinated by

like

and

one should have and

may

When

new

a

because

they

inspire

refreshing

Corita. Seeing her works

forget. Life

Is is

because

and yet

One

keeping with her use of op-art. Sister Corita

blending of them which she uses

of

full

uses,

Subtly interwoven Into her art are

is

some-

.

bowl of

her serlgraphs.

In

sages or "sermons." These are given

a

.

a few of the multi-

of the

have

.

just

here to stay and

is

Sister Corita

thought-provoking experience.

—

love

is

with the brilliant colors

practicality

also uses a rather

bread wrapper

a

life

.

.

.

and pictures

combined

these works of art was certainly a stimulating and

In

.

—

your tank

the fields of

Longwood

been able

of Sister Corlta's

was named

Women

Angeles Times'

relationships.

been the

her various show-

her outstanding work

fortunate to have of

in

the year 1966, Sister Corita

In

one

as

awards

at various

also has

.

.

farious texts

She

us

likes

in

— sometimes —these are only

approximately 150 one-man showings universities.

put a tiger

enough

that's

and

.

there

During the 1965-66 academic year, she presented

galleries

For Instance

jects for her art.

is

art

of

Sister

an experience every-

one the viewer can never a bowl of cherries some-

as Sister Corita says

—do

not forget

here to stay and that's enough."

Linda Gayle Oliff

'

"*S^i^--,

f.^yA ,:VJ;

^'M^%:i%iDt^'.

I

%

$i

f-c

^}f'ji*^M

MARU MARI Maru Mari under the African Follows the Zhanowhi's

trail,

And blooms of strange

seeds

Dance

o'er

tall

sky

weeds

While a hot breath whispers by.

Maru Mari tonight will die Lost

in

grasses

now there

tall;

peace Though the drums never cease But

And

is

a hot breath whispers by.

A single cloud, a

paper thin shroud.

Gauzes the moon hung high.

While a vined screen Hides flecks

And

of

green

a hot breath whispers by.

Now a

fiery shield o'er the stretching field

The African sun dips nigh.

Making grasses parch black And bloom petals crack And the blood on the trail to dry.

Later

'twill sink in

jungle pink

Coloring the western sky.

Leaving weeds and blooms With the bamboo that looms To pray for the soul of Mari.

Linda Long

10

—

—

.

A Familiarity A

record repeating

POUNDing

in

a Time

Sunshine

in

the .

.

its

BEAT,

memory

of

.

the rain

with a rainbow glaring bravely worldly, through a glass

—

Asking what you were to gain.

A promise to always keep the warm blanket of childhood until you knew you could Stand in the very deep.

Remind YourSelf that life is a game with Odd rules which you may continue to switch unTil you meet THE strife.

The record POUNDs its BEAT to a tune you tried to write / the string of your childhood kite Broke.

Gone memorous

BEAT

Donna Barnes

One noThing seems

left

Security

to say

the sky gets gray

but always there

is

an alWays out

A laugh, a whim

.

.

Donna Barnes

REVIEW

Too Far

to

Walk. By John Hersey.

New

York:

Too Far

Walk

io

Catcher in the

a

Is

book

Rye and

Hersey expressing

a

that

reminds one of

Dr. Faustus.

search

for

It

Is

Identity

John in

a

hitting

Is

typical of

many

what

Is

commonly

referred to as "sopho-

Its

criticism.

faculty

eye, he

Is

As he begins

college students

to look at Sheldon,

and students, and himself with a critical faced with the question of whether the

struggle for acceptance was worthwhile.

Now

John

Fist

life.

a session with

be a standard

about any college campus.

plumbing.

He

Is

He

to

Fist Is

fixture

on

goes along

calculating.

artificial.

looking

for,

he

After

order to

realizes that In will

have to

on himself, not outside forces. Running from school and his family will not help him any more rely

than Breed and

his

John Hersey John

dorm rooms, and

attractive,

LSD

find the answers he

Fist's

promises.

offers

problem.

one experience

faulty

Through Breed he hopes

experiences Breed gives him are

victim to the promises of a fellow-student.

with the Institution food, dingy

for the

all

life,

Fist's

chance

completely removed and un-

feels

—

just

and experience

himself

John

Is

his offer of a

price of his soul for a certain length of time.

he has arrived, where does he go? Disillusioned and life In general, he falls

to

accepts

that

with Sheldon, himself,

Jim Breed seems

Fist

find himself, but like Faust, he discovers that the

Fist

more slump." The awe-insplring newness of college life has been replaced by disillusionment and

to find

Involved with

chaotic world.

John

mysterious, and sinister. Jim Breed

Mephistopheles.

Alfred A. Knopf, 1966.

free

living,

Fist

sexual

cannot run away from

John ing

Fist

will

far to

no concrete solution to knows what will not work

pleasure, his

drugs.

Since

he

problem, nor rush from

to another In search of a solution,

has to decide

be worth the

If

the answer he

effort. Just

how

far

is Is

seek-

"too

walk?"

Judy Leach

ALONE AMONG MANY The

As

lights of the airport

runway

up the

lit

sky.

looked at them, she rennennbered the

Ellen

me

no matter what has happened.

all

of the others

I

have

who have believed

time she had thought they had been beautiful.

cannot go a

Now

other than darkness and failure for

they formed a pathway into the unknown

darkness.

be traveling alone," boarded the jet. not too late," was all the

pretty late for you to

"It's

forget

only

hope

it's

was

this trip to

It

wondering why she was making

still

ed

add greatknown; but she know

had

just

Ellen

felt

the crumpled letter

in

brought

It was the culmination of the and fear she had experienced during the year Tom had been at school. She remembered every word as if she were reading it

utter loneliness

I

am

Maybe this

there

world.

shown getting

me

I

I

I

come

true.

life.

stopped climbing; and as

lights

searching the darkness. She had often been

were

there

millions

of

others

the

feeling

sudden

jerk in the

plane brought

Ellen's

mind

and

and

the fact of their marriage after college.

had planned to do failed you, the

what joy and peace

out of

her

a sick

you with

I

last

year.

life,

in

It

one who has I

had

left

the

her alone, and she feared being alone

more than anything

should be

and who has believed

Now

had kept her awake so many nights had proved itself. Something had come between them. fear that

will join

can find a place for myself

have

finally

He was

not doing well at school

instead of going back next semester, the Marines as

She had wait-

so long for her dreams to

back to her own trouble. She had been dating Tom for several years. They had always accepted

writing this letter to

am

to her eyes.

looked down, she saw nothing but tiny house

A

I

always love

not alone.

Ellen,

lonely heart.

will

I

Ellen

for the first time:

Dear

I

life.

do not

same way. No matter where she looked, everyone was quite alone. She often wondered where people could really have a heart-felt bond between them and if there was a time when a person was

arrival.

its

brought tears

faithfully

that

back the tremendous pain she had experienced since

I

awed by her thought that in each house a family was facing its own lonely problems, quite unaware

her hand as it

still

The plane

how much fear and doubt held her back, she must go on. Her future depended on the outcome of this trip. that no matter

she fastened her seat belt. The sight of

that

my

please

Ellen,

me and remember

She would never forget.

the Midwest. She feared to

er hurt to that she

be home again.

me.

can see nothing

I

Tom

hostess received for a reply.

Ellen

and

failed

you.

the hostess told her as she "I

not

will

failure,

in

the ultimate of love relationship with

in

14

else.

She had experienced

and joy

Tom, but

in it

the security of her

was quickly being

Her eyes mirrored her

destroyed by something she could neither com-

others.

bat nor comprehend. She had noticed the change

could see not only

in

Tom

at Christmas.

but he had

Now

future.

He

left

At

seemed

first all

also

the same,

had

to offer

fulfill

He

dreams.

his

he was the best

to Ellen,

life

to offer.

began

Nov/, as Ellen

to

Tom opened had opened

asleep

in

in

thing

Ellen

remembered was

was nearly dawn. The cornfields were from

shadows

dark

green ponds of dew.

It

going

to

golden glory to it

An

was going hour

the

same way

take

that he

a second, the puzzled look on

In

shocked recognition,

to

A moment

later,

Ellen

arms, and each was holding on to

to

soft,

dreams and

love, Ellen

knew

and

was

life.

In

that they

was a land made

fill

to

later she

right.

eyes beneath the heavy years since they had

the loneliness

be

in

together.

was too

v/as

rising

not

the dorm office, facwoman. Mrs. Wilson come to the dorm to save a in

that Ellen

Now

was not

It

had been

just ten

like

the school

they never would part again.

standing

children life

It

make

fill

searched the faces of

beside

they

until

the void

made left

her. their

coming darkness

at

left

They would own, but they

by Tom. They could

her forget her loneliness.

gone, and she was

ing a small, understanding

had seen many girls lost love. She soon saw

veil.

come home from

late this time. Ellen

could never

her heart.

beautiful.

was

prayer for

for

the

The sun

final

Ellen raised her tear-laden

mistily

golden

share her

Yes,

late.

in

"Never part again," ended the

be a beautiful day."

The stewardess was in

it

few times he had brought

the

Captain Thomas Davis.

dreams, but there were no dreams now.

"It's

broken

not take

the

stewardess, reminding her to fasten her seat belt.

It

did

would never part again.

next

changing

his

a land of

her

thoughts.

The

it

then to aching joy.

those memories, nor did she intend to give up fell

finally

It

stair.

door

the

changed

face

his

shared together. She did not want to give up her dreams for the future. She

home

Ellen

herself in sleep,

lose

determination.

heard Tom's step on the

With

the wonderful times they had

remembered

of

her long to fade into the inner office when she

him, she forgot her loneliness.

she

and strange

love,

long for her to find their cause, nor did

made him

did not realize that

had

barrier

that

decide to give up the one thing that would be able to

compassion,

She saw also the tears which had

she knew that he too had been afraid.

feared failing her. The thought that he could life

the

of

Wilson

and doubt but

kind of determination that Ellen held within her.

her with a definite doubt of their

not give her the best

all

heart. Mrs.

of the fear

all

Her

alone to kneel

in

life

was

the on-

the foot of the small white

cross which did not stand alone.

Linda Speed

the

15

—

faith Is

believing that the world

is

refreshed by one

dewdrop and illuminated by a single firefly

Emily Gillespie

Life

is

a merry-go-round,

each an animal

Going up and down, chasing

in circles;

Stopping only to trade partners.

Janet Sturgil

'r^>i

t&-

'^'X-f'^-i

m

.^ p.p>%':

-|j

W

See the window Stained glass, you know.

Pretty.

Beautiful.

It

is

difficult

for tfie

Sun

the Light to

come

in.

The more bright windows the less Light.

No Light.

No God. Pity.

Donna Barnes

19

— walked out onto the beach alone

I

1

wanted

one

way

with the

carefully

bare feet as

clear evening I

or excitement.

spirits

enough any

to seek

made my way

I

edge, kicking the sand

the water's

to

my

quite alone.

satisfied

felt

I

—

good

very

in

were going not

things

diversion

over

was

I

those rare times

of

new

that way.

It

went.

I

was a

It

beautiful,

and by facing toward the ocean

my view

could remove from

the motels which

beach and would have destroyed the

lined the

moved on slowly, making my way toward the pier, and enjoying the tide washing over my legs and feet at regular Interpurity of the night.

As

vals.

1

passed the rear of the Beach Club

I

combo and

heard the blasting of a I

frequently went there,

appeal

but tonight

hlowever,

pictured the noisy crowd Inside and

ened my appreciation

When

had reached the pier

I

height-

it

of solitude.

searched Inside

I

pocket for the quarter that was charged

my

no

held

It

did enjoy listening

I

sounds that were emitted from the Club.

to the I

me.

for

I

loud voices.

admission and passed

The bright

to the

It

man

for

at the gate.

which lined the pier spoiled the

lights

perfection of the scene. The lights had frequently Irritated

me when

I'd

date, but that night ing.

I

want anything

didn't

I

come

headed toward

to the pier with

a

found them especially annoy-

I

my mood and

to spoil

the end of the pier where the

lights

weren't so bright. The scene which was be-

fore

me

filled

sensations.

me

tried

I

grand enough

fill

me

tion. ually,

I

I

wonderful

mysterious,

thoughts that

think

were

for the

occasion but soon found

my

attempts to be profound.

myself laughing at

After that

with to

didn't try to think, but

let

the

ocean

deny explanaseveral minutes. Grad-

with tumultous feeling that

stayed

like this for

however,

I

could

feel

my mood

slipping

away and though had enjoyed the outing very much, knew that soon would head for the I

I

1

Beach Club. This caused

me

basically gregarious nature

Taking one

last

to

contemplate man's

...

I

laughed again.

look at the ocean,

made my way toward

I

turned and

the exit.

Martha Via

REVIEW Never Promised You a Hannah Green. New York:

Garden.

Rose

I

By

Rinehart and

Holt,

Winston, 1964.

I

Never Promised You a Rose Garden

colors are vivid.

a trip

is

through the frightening and fascinating world of

Hannah Green presents the story of a overcome nnental illness that the reader beyond the locked doors and

insanity.

to

young

come

girl's fight to

takes

barred windows

a

of

nnental

institution,

into

As

a child

or

home became more is

imagination colors,

ever,

—

in

Idle

daydream

Deborah grows

Yr

in

in

order to over-

to gain this under-

Yr destroy

her.

The reader sees glimpses

illness.

life

that

helped create Deborah's

psychiatrist,

and community,

and the reaction

of a family,

The picture

to mental illness.

not especially pretty, but neither

Into de-

of the

illness, life

a mental institution, the relationship of a patient

and her

and a strange, private language. How-

manding nightmare

world more real

a

I

home

a world of fantastic shapes, brilliant

Yr changes from an

for

demands, and she has

its

mental

his

in

Is

Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Hannah Green presents a realistic approach to

than she could handle.

the secret world any child can build

understand her need

In

Deborah Blau had created a world be used as a retreat when school

Yr

her mind,

standing before the forces

a

world of despair, hate, darkness, and death.

of fantasy to

In

than the world of reality ever was. Deborah has

is

the subject.

is

The book poses a rather unique

situation

for

The

the reader. Deborah's struggle for sanity arouses

characters she had created grew strong enough

sympathy, but the horror and nightmare quality

as

to control their creator,

older.

and Deborah discovers

involved

she can no longer retreat and return at her con-

venience. She becomes a

prisoner of her

It

own

mind, and her attempts to escape Yr take her to

own us.

Never Promised You a Rose Garden

is

more

the

than the story of a fight for mental health. Unable to control Yr,

demands Yr

Deborah

is

for self-sacrifice

the real world

forced to succumb to

In

the struggle raise opposite feelings.

In

"Yr,"

and

However, causes,

not to

our

lives it

Is

the

as

become

Involved because

each of us has created our thought that frightens

this

reader gradually explores

understanding

develops.

It

is

understanding that Dr. Fried hopes Deborah

its

attain,

and death. To Deborah,

enabling

her to

between returning

her

life.

In Yr there is hope, despair, happiness, and pain. The forms In Yr are distinct, the sounds are clear, and the is

in

difficult

sometime

the edges of death.

I

Is

to

make

the

Yr or facing

final life.

this will

choice Neither

choice promises to be a rose garden for anyone.

Judy Leach

22

ON

THE WAR DRAGS 1964 the average American

In

became aware been Involved

of In

war

a

that

since the early

awareness came after more than to a

new dimension

No

year.

that the

has

That

this

fifties.

a

decade

war acquired

Communism and

scope.

In

the front tor what was

tween

country

is

due

In

that

longer a local territorial dispute, the war

had become international

come

suddenly

citizen this

its

participation

war, Americans could no longer remain effects.

They wanted

war be-

World. As the

the Free

United States stepped up

had be-

It

reality a

In

in

the

immune

They overwhelming-

to

Its

ly

voted down a Presidential candidate who ad-

vocated It

all-out war.

was evident

velopment Thus

In

to

reality

that

by the end of the year.

But

measures

all

of full-scale

In

Viet

Americans.

A

war

this

change

come changes

In

In

to

avoid the de-

warfare would be

1964 a war

been raging ten years

With

to.

finally

that

"began."

life.

shocked

world

affairs past the international social

News magazines News broadcasts

extending

are

read.

are listened

24

their

Maps to.

war have

Citizens

been

into

a

had already

the state of the

American

futile.

Nam became

have

interest

are

in

columns. studied.

The topic

of sex

of Saigon.

has been replaced on campuses by talk Acconnpanying the American's search

information

equally

an

Is

for factual

search

intensive

for

moves are questioned. Protest songs flourish. Draft cards burn. Americans have found themselves caught up in a war for meaning.

Political

which they can find no alternative, but

for

which

they can find no justification.

Everywhere the atmosphere of prevails.

a nation at

Young men contemplate

war

the uncertainty

of their futures.

Families of soldiers shrink from

opening

looking mail.

calls

official

making

false reports of

war has provided

a

new

frustration

page

is

a

phone

with garish

A

suffering.

permeates the minds

This frustration

of

sensationalistic aspect

after

of the war, filling

photographs of

wave

diversion for sick minds.

Magazines capitalize on the

page human

A

death indicates the

feeling

of

Americans.

of

unique characteristic of 20th

century-type warfare where there

little

is

to gain

and everything to lose, where there will be no real victory, where there will be no real peace.

In the midst of this confusion, Americans adapt

condemn

themselves to a war they can neither

nor condone. The despondency created by the war is evidenced as Donovan, a popular folk singer,

wails

drags on.

.

in .

.

a

flat,

nasal

"The war

voice,

The war drags on.

.

.

.

The war

drags on."

Martha Via

25

Sleep Sleep, you sweet barbituate,

Much more you To

cousin

kin

that eternal slumber

Which

all

Come

engulf this seared mind

men pay for sin.

Blind in day's cruel light,

And

usher

in

that velvet black

Your cloak that wraps the night.

Your cloak of downy velvet Ah, embrace me Lace me in the folds And let me drowse serenely there

A slumber world of souls.

Linda Long 27

PATRONS Farmville Manufacturing

Company,

Farmville

Shopping Center Chappell's, 212 N. Main Street

Longwood Jeweler, 216 N. Main

Street

Grants, Farmville Shopping Center 105 N. Main Street

Princess Beauty Salon,

144 N. Main Street

Burger's Market,

Weyanoke Book

Store,

Leese's Pastry Shop, First

I

202 High Street 19

N. Main Street

National Bank, 200 N. Main Street

Gray's Drug Store, 219 N. Main Street Carter's Flower Shop, Lanscott's,

One

block from hospital

408 High Street

Cedarbrook Restaurant, Rice Road James Madison Inn, Prospect Road Tastee-Freez, Prospect Road WFLO Radio Studios, Cumberland Road Farmville Herald,

I

The College Shop, Newman's,

INN.

14 I

North Street

14 N.

Main Street

Main Street

Owen-Sanford, Farmville Shopping Center Leggett's Department Store, Main Street Crute's Drug Store, Main Street Collins Florist,

119 N. Main Street

Martin the Jeweler, 123 N. Main Street

Hollywood Beauty Salon, 102 N. Main Street Mr. Walter Eyster, Faculty Longwood College Miss Bland, Faculty

Longwood College

28

Hey I

Sunshine

haven't seen you

in

a Long time.

Why don't you show your face And bend my mind?

Simon & Garfunkel

29