The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-08-30
". H. TilIinShaSt, D. D. S,
22O WESTMINSTER ST..
PROVIDENCE, X. |.
TWAIN ON INTERVENE.
why the Famous Iiumorid Considers
Them Absurd aud yalucicst

Why the Famous IIumoriN Considers
Them Absurd aud vaiucicss.
Mark Twain writes 90 corresponds
ent who wanted 90 "intorvlow' him;
No. not Is like most interviews,
pure twaddlo and valucoss
For several quite plain and simple
reasons an interview" must, ~
rule. be nn nbsurdity Aud chiefly for
this reason: II is an attompt 10 use u
boat on land, or a wagon on water. 90
speak ngurativcly. Spoken spooch is
one thing. written speech Is another.
Priut Il proper vehicle for the latter.
but II isn't for the former Tho mo-
mcnt talk Is put into print you roc
ognize that IL Is not what II was when
you hoard H.; you perceive that nn inn
mcnso something has disappeared from
it That Is ts soul. You have nothing
but dead carcass left on your hands
Color, play OF feature, the varying
moduutions OF voice, tho laugh, ~
smile, the informing infections, ovory
thing that gave body warmth. grace,
cd IL 20 your affection, or nj loast 10
your tolerance, Is gone. and nothing Ii
left but n pallid, stiG and rcpulsivo
cadayor.
Such is "talk" almost invariably, ns
you sec IL lying In state In an "intcr-
view The interviewer mcrcly puts
in the naked remark and stops tboro-
When one writes for print his methods
nre very different IIo follows forms
which have but littlo resemblance 90
conversation, but they make the rend-
or understand what the writer is try
ing 20 convey. And whom tho writer
Is making n story, aud finds II necessary
20 report some Of tho talk Of his charac.
tcrs, observe how cautiously and anx-
iously he goes at that risky and diff
cult thing:
III hc had dared 10 say that thing In
my presence" said Alfred, taking
mock heroic attitude and casting AN
arch glance upon the company blood
would have flowed" III ho bad dared
20 say that thing In my presence" said
IIawkwood, with that In his eye which
caused more than one heart In that
guilty asscmblagc 10 quake. "blood
would have flowed" III he had dared
20 say that thing In my presence said
the paltry blustcrcr. with yalor on his
tongue and pallor on his lips. "blood
would have flowed
G. y..f.f,tII., 4. H.. ypy,ftaN
that naked talk In print conveys no
meaning that ho loads and often over
loads almost every uttorance OF bis
characters with explanations and Ia.
torprctations II IS loud confession
that print IL a poor vehicle for talk"
IL Is a recognition that uninterproted
talk In print would result In confusion
30 tho reader. not instruction.
Now. in your interview you havo
certainly been most accurate You
have set down the sentences ! uttered
as said them. But you have not
word Of explanation; what ny manner
was at several points IL not indicated.
Therefore, no reader can possibly
know where was In earnest and
where ] was joking; or whether WINS
Joking altogether or In earnest alto
gether Such a report of n conyersa-
tion has no value IL can convey
many meanings 10 tho reader, but never
the right ono To add interpretations
which would convoy the right mean
Ing Il "A something which would re-
quire-what? An art 20 high nud
nno and difficult that no possossor ~
Il would ever be allowed % waste IL
on interviews
No; spare the reader and spare me;
leave the whole Interview out; 10 is
rubbish wouldn't talk IN my sleep
II ! couldn't talk better than that
n you wish ~ print any thing print
this letter; IL may have some value.
Tor II may explain b. reader here and
there Why 10 IL that IN interviews ns n
rule men seem go talk like any body
)ut themselves.