SOURCE: "Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland," in The New Invitation to Learning, edited by Mark Van Doren, Random House, 1942, pp. 206-20.

Van Doren, the younger brother of the poet Carl Van Doren, was one of America's most prolific and diverse twentieth-century writers. Van Doren's criticism is aimed at the general reader, rather than the scholar or specialist, and is noted for its lively perception and wide interest. In the following excerpt, Van Doren chairs a discussion of the Alice books with American novelist Katherine Anne Porter and English philosopher Bertrand Russell. The discussion was originally broadcast nationally on Columbia Broadcasting System radio. Van Doren: Miss Porter, you may wonder why you were asked to come this morning to discuss Alice in Wonderland. One reason I might give you is this: I was curious to know whether you, like other women of my acquaintance, were horrified by this book...