Eyes on Pollock

After reading most of the books and more than 100 articles on Jackson Pollock, I expected the next one I read to be poorly researched and unbalanced. The cover story in your Summer 2007 issue (”For Art’s Sake,” by Jane Whitehead) was very well done. Ms. Whitehead obviously did her homework and she provided some new information very effectively.

Donald Wigal
New York, New York

The writer is the author of Jackson Pollock: Veiling the Image (2006).

At the risk of appearing painfully naïve, irredeemably unsophisticated, hopelessly lacking in good taste, and possessing of no appreciation for the finer things, I nevertheless must admit that I fail to understand why Jackson Pollock is said to be an artist while Norman Rockwell is merely an illustrator.

Paul Bourke ’69
Ashland, Massachusetts

Incident recalled

It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of Officer Thomas Devlin (“For Boston,” by Cara Feinberg, Summer 2007). I was a resident assistant in the neighboring Walsh dorm in September 1988 and recall the great chaos as we tried to move the residents of Edmonds to safety and assist them in finding a place to stay while their building was cleared of tear gas. Perhaps those involved will finally have the courage to come forward and acknowledge the consequences of their actions.

John Kawczynski ’90
Haddonfield, New Jersey

Construction crew

Re “This Old Stadium,” William Bole’s account in the Summer 2007 issue of the 1956–57 effort to secure a new venue for BC football (and track): Ten years later, on a warm spring morning, I and many classmates put down the forms used in replacing the cinder track with a “high tech” rubberized version. I believe we had about a 20-yard head start on the machine that laid down the product, and probably finished with no more than a one-yard lead. It was an all-day project, producing lots of sweat as the day grew warmer. No idea what we were paid, but I’m sure it was all spent on cold beers (off campus, of course).

Hank Anderson ’67
North Stamford, Connecticut

Under the linden tree

The Summer 2007 issue carried a letter from Bob McAndrew P’98 asking for an explanation of the term Linden Lane, which the editors correctly described as the campus road that starts at the main gate on Commonwealth Avenue.

The first local reference I know of to a connection between the Jesuits and linden trees is an account from Worcester, Massachusetts, where the main entrance to the College of the Holy Cross, founded in 1842, is called Linden Lane. Why was the linden chosen? In pre-Christian times, the linden tree was thought to have some kind of magical power against evil and catastrophe; this legend was later incorporated into Christianity as the linden became known as the tree of the Blessed Mother. Many wayside shrines were placed under linden trees, which were considered to be “lucky.”

In April 1862, lindens were planted in Boston’s South End alongside Immaculate Conception Church and the newly erected Boston College (see the photograph taken by Oliver Wendell Holmes in James O’Toole’s article about Fr. McElroy—“The Old Man”—on page 37 of the same issue). According to Fr. David Dunigan’s early history of Boston College, the two trees directly in front of the church were called Mr. and Mrs. Carney in honor of two generous benefactors to both the church and the school.

The planting of linden trees on the new Chestnut Hill Campus took place in the early 1900s, some time after the construction of Gasson Hall (1913) and St. Mary’s Hall (1917). In Fr. Charles Donovan’s History of Boston College, published in 1990, a photograph shows “young lindens lining the road in 1924,” providing the background for a nostalgic World War II poem by Thomas Heath ’43 that asked of the graduate gone off to war: “What are you dreaming, Soldier, What is it you see?/ A tall gray Gothic tower, And a linden tree.”

Thomas H. O’Connor
University Historian

Role players

Ben Birnbaum’s Prologue in Spring 2007 assigns roles to scientists (”How do we do it?”) and artists (”Should we do it?”). My worry is that having watched the “how” of our country’s dismantling of Iraq for years now, I have yet to hear a strong, official voice from our bishops addressing the “shouldness” of this destructive and expensive episode. Did the just war theory (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2309) go out of Catholic teaching?

Philip Stephan P’99
North Clarendon, Vermont

Content in context

Re “Charitable Intent,” by Jane Whitehead (Spring 2007): I was pleased to read an in-depth report on the work of Catholic Relief Services. I have contributed to CRS for years, and found the story very in­formative. Also informative was James Carroll’s “On Authority,” in the same issue. Growing up in Boston, I heard and read a great deal about Fr. Feeney, our wonderful cardinal, Richard Cushing, and John Courtney Murray. I have shared Mr. Carroll’s well-written article with my children and friends.

Cynthia Monaghan Rabanera ’62
Sunset Beach, California

On primacy

Re James Carroll’s “On Authority”: The Church has recognized that souls seeking Christ may not have had his Gospel proclaimed to them in its fullness, and that, through no personal fault, they see his love in an imperfect but sincere manner. We are taught Christ will lead these souls to eternal glory also. Yet nowhere has the Church disavowed Peter’s primacy. If the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ, it is the deposit of truth and the path to salvation and thus cannot entertain nor be subject to individual interpretation on matters of morality.

Ralph Benware ’59
Carlsbad, California

Foley recalled

I was saddened to see the announcement of Jack Foley’s death in the spring issue. I worked with Jack in the audiovisual department for my work study job in 1981 and 1982. I sat in his office on occasion and took a couple of wild rides with him to deliver equipment. He looked after his AV crew and had funny ways of showing his fondness for us. Jack took to announcing “Ah, the Queen of BC-AV!” whenever I checked in at his office.

In the fall of 1982 he gave me a ticket to the Eagles’ football game against Penn State. During a lull in the game, to my embarrassment and delight, these words flashed on the big scoreboard: “Who is the Queen of BC–AV?” Followed by: “ALICE ALICE ALICE.” I had not known he ran the scoreboard.

Alice Schreiber O’Donnell ’83
Chesterfield, Missouri

Corrections and updates: In the Summer issue, page 21, the caption for the photograph at bottom left should have read, “Pollock with, from left, Alex Matter, Mercedes Matter, and Lee Krasner.” Also, in Chris Berdik’s report on marital greed (page 92), the General Social Survey cited as a source should have been identified as a product of the University of Chicago, not the University of Michigan. Finally, we are pleased to share news of the 22nd Fulbright scholarship awarded to a Boston College graduate this year (a record): Edward De Barbieri ’03, now a student at Brooklyn Law School, will explore the Irish cooperative movement as a visiting student at the Faculty of Law in Cork.

BCM welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and must be signed to be published. Our fax number is (617) 552–2441; our e-mail address is bcm@bc.edu.