Life, 1926-10-28 · page 34 of 36
Life — October 28, 1926 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page announces Life magazine's upcoming "Odd Number"—a deliberately absurd special issue. The left side features a stylized illustration of three fashionably dressed 1920s women by John Held Jr., promoting the issue as "frankly cuckoo" and "the weirdest, craziest" issue ever published. The text lists prominent satirical writers (Benchley, Parker, Sherwood) contributing comedic pieces. The right side contains a poetry review of Mary Webb's novel *Precious Bane*, summarizing its tragic plot about rural Shropshire characters. Below is a brief joke playing on modern language: a "Football Fan" misunderstands "kick off" as an injury rather than the game's opening action—likely satirizing non-sports enthusiasts or the emerging radio broadcasts making football terminology accessible to general audiences. The page primarily advertises upcoming special issues and book reviews rather than presenting political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The ODD NUMBER This is positive'y guaranteed to bz the weirdest, craziest, most utterly cockeyed issue that LIFE, in all its dignified career, has ever published. The ODD NUMBER is frankly cuckoo, as the cover by John Held, Jr., will instant‘y indicate. There are other insane pictures, poems and prose pieces by Russell Patterson, Percy Crosby, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Ra'ph Barton, Herb Roth, Leonard Holton, Baron Ireland, Garrett Price, R. E. Sherwood, H. W. Hanemann and (as we always say) “many others.” The Football, Thanksgiving and Radio Numbers And — Christmas Number with a cover by COLES PHILLIPS comeee [BUSH TERMINAL PRINTING CORPORATION, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Rhymed Reviews Precious Bane By Mary Webb E. P. Dutton & Ca, OT many books have half the worth Of this, so clearly, finely written Of Shropshire folk’ who tilled theig earth When George the Third was King in Britain. ° ‘Tis like a moss-rimmed mountain tarn Where mist-wraiths gloom, but sunbeams glister— The tragedy of Gideon Sarn, The brave romance of Pruc, hi sister. Young Gideon sought the precious bane; To sordid toil his youth was given; For gold alone his dogged brain And sinewy strength were sternly driven. . And when his glittering idol chose More victims still, he did not falter To lay the very lives of those Who loved him well upon. that altar. But though he seemed all steel and ice, Remorse prevailed; and, owning dimly His sins and crimes, he paid the price Unflinching, fearlessly and grimly. But Prue, who chose a nobler part Than seeking gold, the bright de- eciver, Bewitched the valiant, gentle heart Of — Lullingford’s _ progressive weaver, Prue herself that tells the tale With lovely, homely terms and phrases As flavorsome as Shropshire al As bright and quaint as English daisies. How strange! this book delights the wise And yet the simple have not spurned it; And stranger still, it gained a prize; And what is strangest, richly earned it! Arthur Guiterman. KOOTBALL FAN (at big qame): They say the fullback is going to kick off. Mopern Otp Lapy: I didn’t know he had been injured. comicbooks.com