The Yale Literary Magazine (Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 8, May 1923)

A snapshot of Yale’s intellectual life in the spring of 1923, this collection gathers essays, poems, and reviews that capture the campus’s restless curiosity. Contributors such as Laird Goldsborough, Arthur Milliken, and Morris Tyler offer a range of voices—from lyrical meditations to sharp commentary—reflecting the diverse talents nurtured at the university. The pages also include lively book reviews that reveal the literary tastes of the era.

The opening editorial, a spirited “leader,” takes on the campus debate over compulsory Sunday chapel services, using humor and philosophical riffs to probe student attitudes. It sketches a portrait of the “Troubled Spirits” who question authority while also acknowledging the lingering appeal of tradition. The essay’s blend of wit, earnestness, and rhetorical flourish sets the tone for the magazine’s broader conversation.

Interspersed throughout are poems titled “Chopin,” “Rhapsody,” and “The Bells of Antwerp,” each echoing the modernist impulses of the time. Listeners will hear the cadence of early‑twentieth‑century verse and the thoughtful critiques that shaped a generation’s literary sensibilities, all delivered with the earnest, slightly mischievous spirit that defined Yale’s campus discourse.