The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-01-28
Julian Hawthorne's Ideas.

H1C. Julian GaWJnOrnC, inc nOSGllSt,
was recently interviewed by a Chicago
Datly Nes0s reporter. The conversation
turned upon the estimation placed by
Europeans on American works of fiction,
and the question was asked:
DO you think the American novel is
growing in popularity abroad, and what
arc its distinctive features thought to be
by foreignersP"
THE American novel is certainly
growing in popularity abroad, especial
ay in England as, will be seen by the
frequent English reprints of our better
are at present so few tolcrable novelists
been written to death, and, as even
novel-readers must have occasional nov
city, they turn to our hooks with relief
The distinctive features Gf our work
probably appear to them to Sc new sit
uations, social conditions, and types of
character and n certain minute accuracy
of treatment from the literary point of
view. Average English novel-writing
is very s1ip-shod and careless"
"What is your opiaion OF the school
OF mental viviseetion'?"
IL am not myself in sympathy with
that school Mental viviaection' is easy
writing, but hard writing. ] think it
is due to a lack of mental energy and
of imagination in those who practice it.
1t amounts to importing your note
books into your story, instead of SHOW
ing only the results and embodiment of
a previous analysis, and is done iby
Shakespeare and the best writers.n
'Do you consider this departure of
literature part of the progress of the
time or morbid outcome of days too
prosperous for romanccp'
81 think it has nothing to do with the
progress of the time. 1t only indicates
that our novelists make less use of their
imagination than any other class of our
community. Perhaps the recognition
they receive is too faint to stimulate
them. The difficulty is certainly not on
the side of any deficiency of stirring
times. Timidity and lack of sclf-confi,,
dence have more to do with it. Our
writers consider their audience too much;
no audience that they can reach is
worth considcrings as literary tri-
bunal. Inspiration is deprecated, as if
1T must be either Enthusiastically or i'll
bred. A masculine poet or novelist is
much needed, and it might DO we'll at
this stage of our literary history, to make
it penal offcnsc for any woman to
write 8 story"
Do modern novclsts make their men
and women do nothing but sit still and
talk because there is nothing else for
them to dop"
II shall rather say because it is easier
TO write clever Dialogue than to portray
characteristic action"
What arc your methods of working?
Do you depend principally upon your
observations or on your imaginationp
"Observation is always Of assistance
in imaginative work if it can be suili-
cicntly cmancipated from individual in
stances. On the other hand, nothing
spoils a ncultioua, h"racter so surely as
to make it conform too clvso,,, ~ anv
real model The requirements of ,.h,;
story must be allowed to mold and
adapt it or the story will be ruined.n
DO you have regular hours for work
or do you wait for an inspiration?'
81 never wait for an inspiration, and
am not aware Of having every been WIS.,
tied by any, generally take walk in
the morning and write in the afternoon
and evening. But l kcepno strict rule
in such matters"
do you know what the terrible Sc
crct of The Marble Faui.' was, or what
the mystery that surrounded Miriam?"
'1f | knew | wonl1 tell with pleasure.
My father never explained it. because it
did not come within the design of the
story that the secret should be ANYTHING
but a typical sccrct--a human being
polluted by involuntary association with
the sin of others. The Cenci tragedy is
an instance ef such an occurrcncc. and
is therefore made prominent in the
story, but whether or not Miriam was
the victim of a similar castrophc was
her private business, and of no import
to the moral OF the talc.n