MR's Fifteenth Anniversary: Birthday Speech, Birthday Song; Birthday Messages

Abstract

The fifteenth anniversary of the founding of Monthly Review was celebrated at a most successful "birthday party" at the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York on Wednesday, May 13th. Barrows Dunham acted as master of ceremonies, and speakers included, in addition to the editors and Scott Nearing, Lorraine Hansberry, H. H. Wilson, Carey McWilliams and Corliss Lamont. E.Y. Harburg, assisted by an able supporting cast which included young singers from a Brooklyn high school, entertained with songs and poems, one of which he wrote especially for the occasion. A highlight of the evening was the announcement by Louise Berman, chairman of the volunteer committee which organized the meeting, that the campaign to raise money to send MR Press books to Negro college libraries brought in $7,428. The committee invited to the meeting all the authors whose writings have appeared in MR since the beginning. Many were present, but many of course could not make it. A number of MR authors living abroad sent special greetings which were read at the meeting. We print below Barrows Dunham's opening remarks, E.Y. Harburg's "Birthday Song" and the messages from abroad which were read at the meeting. - The EditorsThis article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.