The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-26

| view Is opposed by great manyenthusiast.
| but 1t is my judgment that the most
artistic work IS produced by the man Who
Is IN the clearcst possession of all hi.
faculties and VINO Is the least swavsJ
by MS emotions in the pursuit of purelv
intellectual work. What would be said -
sculptor engaged in the modelling of a
figure If he gave way to his emotions
closed his eyes To an outside view Of the
general proportion of his work. and
plunged into general passion of execu.
ton without any regard To the appearance
of his work as whoie?"
l asked Mr.. Howells if he ever took
real character from life for any of his
stories, or did he take various elements
various characteristics of people he knew
to group them into composite character
TO represent type.
He said: Il never COPY the charactsr
Of any one individual. What is taken ran.
resents a type. The study of an actual
person would be simply portrait, and j,
would have no more life than q portraif
Every character created by an author
comes from his own individuality With.
in every one lies the potentiaiity of every
character known to literature The man
who mas hated knows what it would be n
murder. The beginning is there. This
may be said of every passion. 1t is the
control which is exercised which deter.
mines the character found in the indiyid.
ual. When type is sought the author
finds within himself the materials to give
this type life and form. 1t is the authors
knowledge of life and of nature which on.
ables him to make his characters nova
and to live as they would under natural
circumstances. In his work he must con,
Stantly study, Is this nature? Is THE
possible? TO subordinate personaity. "a
keep as simple as possible and to avoid
everything IN the way of affectation or en-.
aggeration should be the constant aim of
the literary worker"
l asked Mr.. Howells what properly CON.
stitutes a magazine. He said that a maya.
zine should contain everything Thers
should be no subject which 1t could not
treat. The world of science, literature
art, should be included within the covers
OF this form of publication. The Cosmo-
pOlitda Magazine is now devoting much al.
tention TO the subject of aerial navigation
This Mr.. Howells thought was proper
subject. Mr.. Maxim, the inventor. who
had devoted so much time to this subject
had already sent them an article COVERING
the developments OF this Interesting sub
ject up to the present time. The one sub
ject that the magazine could not treat was
current news. 1t would not be possible 10
consider the publication of news in this
form. That would have to be left entirely
to journalism.
| asked Mr.. Howells how he liked New
York. He said that. although he had
been connected with the New York pub
fishing houses for severaryears, the greater
portion of that period had been spent in
Boston. He had come to New York now
for the second time and had been here
now for six months. He said that he
found New York very interesting. He
gave one picture or one impression of tile
town which is thoroughly original He
said that the city to him Is one of the new
est of the border towns. Nearly every-
thing not commercial is IN the primitive
stage. The life of this center is turning in
various directions. Literature is just be-
ginning to develop new forms. Architect
ureis undergoing a period of revolution.
What has been generally accepted by the
town for helast century is discarded and
In every direction the movement is toward
something new. The problem of city gov.
ernment is being brought to the attention
OF the people as new thing. New York,
in Mr.. Howells' Judgment was 2 rich and
powerful border town, but with a mighty
trend in the direction of improvement
Mr.. Howells, in speaking generally Of
the writers throughout the country, said
that he thought that the Western writers
possessed the most yigor and originality.
He thought that some OF the Western
newspapers showed equal ability with the
best metropolitan dailies. He was par.
cellence of some of the Chicago publiea-
tons. He had very strong words of COM
pllment for the writings OF Hamlin Gar
land. He cared the least for the work u
this writer when he entered the field
of politics. l asked Mr.. HoweiIs
why it was that not one OF our
novel writer's had yet been able to write an
interesting story of American politics He
said that II must be because the writers
were not familiar enough with the fed.
1t was no answer to say that politics was
not interesting, that its contests were vul-
gar and that its movements would not al.
ford as legitimate subjects for a novel.
writer, If correctly portrayed. as any other
phase of life. / was a very serious and i'm.
portant part of the life of every country,
and consequently afforded strong subjects
Tor literary portrayal. Mr.. Howells
thought In time American literature would
become more and more individual. In
short stories Americans were now wholly
different and occupying high place. Ii
would not do to speak of the Anglo-Saxon
as the prevailing element in this country.
Our models were not to be found in the
English schools. 1t is a mixed race in the
United States and the Anglo-Saxon element
Is very small percentage of the whole.
This mingling OF the various races of the
earth IS gradually producing intense indi-
vlduallty, and with the development of
Tue country, the universal spread OF euu-
cation. there was coming rapid develop
ment in the direction of new lines in lit
erature.
l asked Mr.. Howeils what he thought of
the art tendencies of the country. Did he
think that there was as much development
in that direction? Was the time near at
hand when the capital of the United States
would be the equal of the humblest city
in Europe in having an art gallery ma
tiOnai in character? Mr. HOwelis said
that he did not feel competent to discuss
the subject. He was afraid that mis- view
of art was the literary one. To him a
work of art was interesting from the
standpoint of the story it told.
L. &. CRAWFORD.