Mrs. Julia Peterkin, mother of Black April, Scarlet Sister Mary and a few more novels basd on Negro life and defects, recently completed the much heralded "Roll Jordon, Roll," and I had the pleasure of reading the story and picture book last week in Hampton, Va. Mrs. Ullman, an amateur photographer has supplied this record with seventy snap shots, most of which are too dim for recognition. The studies deal with chain-gangs, water boys and wrinkled old women in white head rags. The pictures by Mrs. Ullman and "reports" or sketches by Mrs. Peterkin are hailed by some literary critics as a new venture, but seasoned readers of Negro literature will remember that the famous Mr. Paul Lawrence Dunbar illustrated over two-thirds of his poetry and prose with actual photographs taken in the deep South.

"Roll Jordon, Roll" will appear stale to the host of Dunbar readers and admirers, but should be of vast interest to the thousands of readers who have no idea as to what primitive South Carolina is like and Mrs. Peterkin has made the work enjoyable by using less dialect than is found in most of her novels.

If you are interested in deep South voodooism and violent ladies who kept their men by slicing them with razors, then read, by all means, "Roll Jordon, Roll," for Mrs. Peterkin has incurred much expense in bringing to the re ading world, "first hand" material with pictures, to spice the reading, portraying the primitive South Carolina Negro as a ghost fearing, sincere people who cling to the old while enjoying what they wish from the new.