MR. BERNARD SHAW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20496, 22 February 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

MR. BERNARD SHAW.

FURTHER SELF-REVELATION.

A series of lectures on " Bernard Shaw, in Life and Letters," is to be given for the benefit of Leicester University College students. A copy of the syllabus of those lectures was* forwarded to Mr. G. 15. Shaw, who has commented upon it as follows: —

"1. I never cultivated anything. From a horribly shy and diffident young man, producing an impression of brazen impudence, because, I suppose, the ability of which I was unconscious asserted itself through the disadvantages and the ignorances of which I was too conscious.

"2. I repeat, I was not conscious of my powers any more than I was conscious of the taste of the saliva that was always jri my mouth. I wanted to bo a painter, and even an opera singer—not a writer. I wrolo because I could do nothing else, and had to do something. "3. Karl Marx died just beforo I heard of his existence. I heard Henry George speak, and was shunted by him on to the economic track which led me to Marx and Socialism, but I never made his acquaintance. .■" 4. As to ' enjoying hammerings,' I don't think this is true. Cashcl Byron, wheiiv ho said that ho Nearly killed his first opponent because ho did not know his own strength, explained the savagery of soino of my early criticisms. It is true that I was, and to some extent still am, very sensitive; but on tho other hand, 1 can stand up to, ai)d even enjoy hammerings that drivo other men to fury or reduco them to tears; And I often fail to conceivo how they c;m bo hurt by blows that make mo laugh when 1 nap them myself. " When, as a critic or debater, I 'have* to inflict pain, I do it like a dentist, with great reluctance and with all the anesthesia 1 can produce. But noto that, as nothing is so maladroit as any show of sparing the victim's feelings, I always hit as excellently as I can, with an air of hitting as hard as I can. I have a horror of humiliating or discouraging people. I like my man to feel that ho has had a good fight, and been worthy of my steel; and not that I have been showing off my good taste at his expense. That is tho lino that leaves the least malice. " P.S.—Only n keen or fairly erudite musician can deal with tho artistic sido of my career. I was quito well educated, musically and graphically."