Idolatry & Confusion , 1944 March

Idolatry [and] Confusion by Jacques Brunius and E.L.T. Mesens. An essay attacking English critical attitudes to the "patriotic" poetry of Aragon and Eluard. Published by the authors after being rejected by the review "Tribune." Among those under fire are Arthur Koestler, Kathleen Raine and Cyril Connolly. The essay is followed by a savage cartoon by Brunius and a satirical poem (in French) by Mesens, both attacking Aragon. (Bertram Rota Inventory 1974, Pg. 40)

"Was it not a mistake that the article on 'Literary Idolatry' by Arthur Koestler was not written by a Frenchman? Whatever may be Koestler's knowledge of France none but a writer, French in expression and formation, could throw much light on this subject (Which seems to have been wantonly obscured) provided that he was as much as Koestler and even more, free from the current political and literary conventionalities..."