The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-10-04

stand the wear and tear that the aver
age writer or newspaper man has to put up
WITH
"With regard to newspaper work, you
have served an apprenticeship to the news
paper!"
''Yes, 1 have done my share. In fact
have had turn at every branch Of literary
twenty years.
"And would you advise q young man or
woman, with fair talent, to go in for a
literary life!"
THAT, of course, depends on their fit
ness. There is no doubt that it is q very
hard life, and it is not too well paid. More
fail than succeed. 1t is precarious."
You have rather a pessimistic opinion
of literature as bread winnerln
That's because Eve seen a lot Of it,
suppose. However, l can't object to it
very strongly, as my son is suo-editor on
both my periodicals, and
MY DAUGHTER WRITES NOVELS FOR U.s."
''Do you think the standard of literary
work now produced is as high as it was
formerly"
mo, do not To use an expression that
Americans will understand very well, we
have some pretty good tall hills, but there
is no Mt. Shasta. That is about what the
matter is on both sides of the water"
"How do you account for this! Do you
think it is the high pressure at which work
has to be produced nowadaysw
mo, don't think it is that. l don't be-
licve in the high pressure. People do a
great deal of work, but they do it in a
shorter time than they used to, and think
they take great many more holidays.
suppose it is the simple fact that we can't
be always producing the same excellen-
cies.'
You have positive views on American
| litereture"
well, 1 can't say that have any, except
| that l don't care much about the Howeils-
James school of writing. But in point OF
fact l don't read very many novels for
| pleasure. l have to read so many as mat
ter of business that it does not give me any
pleasure to read a novel at all. l always
feel inclined to take my blue pencil and cut
them good bit as my eyes wander over the
pages: l read them from an editorial point
Of view, which is of course disastrous tt
any comfort or satisfaction
| American poetry:n
America has produced very many good
poets. For myself, l have always beer
| fond of Longfellow. l think he was the
best poet America has produced"
What of poetry as paying commodity
is there any demand for it?'
VERY poor. l don't think the present
| generation cares very mucn 1or poetry
There are so many people who can write
deceutly good verse. which passes fol
poetry, that there is no demand for verse
unless the writer strikes new note. Take
it all in all, writing for the public is no
what some people imagine it to be. Ont
must have great talent to succeed"
And so the son OF the Wizard OF Gadshil
chatted on, showing that shrewd common
sense all the while which was character
istic OF his father in all his business trans
actions. If you read any of the variou
books that are called Lives of Dickens
from Forster's down, you will conclude tina
in addition to being genius, Dickens wa:
q rare business man. Had he been merel,
a genius he would never have prohted 81
enormously as he did from his writings anC
his readings, nor would genius who wa!
not also a good business man have beer
able to successfully establish a popular
magazine such as AL the Year Round was
and is, as now edited by Charles Dickens, ir