1961: Catch-22 to The One Day of the Year

Purpose of this blog: Brief summaries of World, British and American literary classics for English majors.

Joseph Heller. American. 1961. Novel. Catch-22. Anti-hero Yossarian attempts to survive fanatical lunacy of bomber squadron’s commanders. If he flew, he was crazy and didn’t have to; if he didn’t fly, he was sane and had to. Catch22. Dilemma.

Denise Levertov. American. 1961. Poetry. The Jacob’s Ladder. Need for poetry to deal with human issues.

Allen Ginsberg. American. 1961. Poetry. Kaddish and Other Poems: 1958-60. For the poet’s mother. Classical elegy from grief to reconciliation. Hebrew prayers for the dead.

Robert Bolt. British. 1961. Play. A Man for All Seasons. Sir Thomas More vs. Henry VIII.

Alan Seymour. Australia. 1961. Play. The One Day of the Year. Generation gap and basic human need for illusions.

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