The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-07

In other words, What has the literary
genius of California accomplished that Is
most worthy of Fame's laurels?
What are our brightest literary glories
and themes that may be expected longest to
endure?
This inquiry is an interesting and timely
one.
The scattered literary products of the
State are being gathered together for the
first time in one complete array and when
those in charge of the San Francisco ex-
hibt of California writers are through with
their interesting labors all the writings that
the State can claim will be sent to the
Columbian Exposition and displayed as
CALIFORNIA; contribution to the world OF
letters.
As We proudly count over thesegathcred
acquisitions Of a half century it is apprO-
pirate that we estimate our literary wealth
and select the purest gems for place of
honor
Opinions on what is the best and greatest
will. OF course, differ, and perhaps widely
differ, and the test of time alone can deter
mine surely what will live and what be soon
forgotten; but the best critical Judgment
the present can afford will be OF great inter-
est. and present appraisement may not
differ so much from that Of another genera
ton.
THE CALL proposes to present before long
the verdict of jury of seven critics selected
from among wel-known people most COM
petent 10 answer the question here raised.
They will be asked to discuss the question
with such critical attention as they may be
willing to give to 1t, and the result will be
highly interesting symposium on what is
best in California literature.
Those who will be asked to name the seven
best books by California writer's will be such
wel-known critics as jerome Hart, George
II. Fitch, Milicent w. Shnn, Joaquin Mil
Ter, Barnard Moses, David Starr Jordan and
John Vance Cheney.
The judgment Of these and other equally
competent and well-known critics will give
the people of California less familiar with
our literature and less skillful in Judging it
a clearer idea and better valuation Of it.
Selections from the works adjudged most
worthy of the Donors due to genius will also
be presented.
The selections may be made, of course.
from among both the prose and poetical
works of writer's sufficiently identified with
California TO be classed as California
writers.
California has always claimed Bret Harte,
Mark Twain, Charles Warren Stoddard and
Prentice milford, while Joaquin Miller,
Ina d. Coolbritb. Edward Sill, John Vance
Cheney, Gertrude Anterior and others who
have made themselves widely known, are
dlstinctively Californian. They caught here
the inspiration that gave the world their
best work.
q 10 fa olar II
cal writers. living and dead, who have
achieved varying measures of fame and who
have left here and there glow of genius
amid a mass Of work that may seldom rise
far above mediocrity. There are gems in
this mass that deserve to live. and the work
of collation. that is now being done will
preserve and make them readily accessible.
The catalogue of California writer's and
their works. prepared after much research
by those who are getting up the State lit
erary exhibit, contains the names Of 265
authors and a list of 473 books. There are
ninety-fCur works of fiction by ffty-seven
authors. There will also be great num-
Der Of scattered stories, essays. descriptive
sketches. ora,ions and poems which Iaye
never appeared in book form, and which
will be preserved in scrapbooks.
What then OF all these songs, these iancies.
these strivings to cothe truth with beauty,
rises farthest above the merely clever, the
transiently pleasing, the level of common
place truth. and reveals genius most worthy
Of our pride and honor?
California may claim the hest that the
western half of the continent has produced
and much that will long outive the feeting
present.
In selecting seven works from among all
that one has learned to admire in our
authors there may be many more that will
seem to deserve rank with any chosen, but
seven is as good an arbitrary limit as may
be fixed. though many good things may be
left out.
As TO what are the seven best literary pro-
ductions Of California The CALL will pre-
sent the best answer that may be obtained
from the standpoint OF to-day.