A quirky 1944 Australian book of satirical verse , on sale in the latest list of Douglas Stewart Fine Books , Melbourne, took the mickey out of modern art . Its author , Ame Perdue , aka William Joseph Carroll (1882-1975) , was an East Melbourne publisher, magician , ventriloquist and inventor.
Researching this offering, it was discovered that "Bill" Carroll was a most interesting activist . A revealing item about him appeared in the February 1977 edition of the Recorder, newsletter of the Melbourne branch for the study of Labor history, which sold for 10 cents .
Written by Peter Love, of Old Plenty Road, Yan Yean , in part, it read:
W. J. CARROLL AND THE CENSOR-1918
During World War 1 Bill Carroll, appearing under
various pseudonyms such as Ame Perdue, Ve Suvius, and
Latinus, wrote many satirical and somewhat polemical articles for the radical press.
The pseudonyms were not
merely for effect but were thought necessary during
these emotional years to escape the sometimes draconian
penalties which the courts might visit upon writers who
questioned the wisdom or management of the war.
Under
his satirical pseudonym Ame Perdue he launched 'his most
scathing attacks on the Bumbles and Pecksniffs of Society,
and the mad Mullahs of militarism'.
As Ame Perdue, he
wrote short books of satirical verse such as The New
Rubaiyat, The Goitre,and Cui Bono; as well as an ironically
toned attempt at settling the more general philosophical
questions of his day entitled The Humour of the Grinning Skull,
In later years, writing under his own name, he
produced some popular novels with such titles as The
Strange Dilemma of Gordon Holmes and David the Avenger
which were respectively described by his publisher as,
'A thrilling story of romance and adventure, with a
startling denouement,* and 'An absorbing mystery detective
story, replete with novel twists and astounding climaxes'.
His article 'The New Ideal', a fairly representative
example of his World War 1 writing, was submitted to the
Socialist in June 1918, On 11 June the Censor subjected
the galley proofs to his tender mercies, the result being
an illustrative example of how such attention may produce
something completely different. It was not published. "
The Recorder ran the extensive article showing the large part which had been cut by the Censor . It is hoped to run the article in full later in this blog.
The Elemental Woman was the name of a play Carroll wrote. The above foxed , with compliments , presentation copy , is on sale for $35.
