The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-26
LITERARY GOSSIP.

For recently expressing some opinions
deprecatory of the popular craze for COL
lecting the autographs Of noted authors
Zangwill, has stirred about his luckless
head a veritable hornets nest ut is
gravely pointed out to me by incensed
writers of incense-laden letters" he says
in the course Of a brilliant causerie in tn g
Chicago Times-Herald-for 1t seems tina t
his assailants are chiefly women-"that
the demand for writer's autograph is a
mark OF veneration; that his letter is rev.
entially handed about on special occa-
sions quite without thought of its possible
commercial value; and tina. often-though
here the argument itself becomes cum
ningly commercial-it becomes the focus
Of local hero-worship that expresses it.
self outwardly IN Increased purchases Of
the authors books. Now, of course every
author is only too aware that requests for
MS autographs are manifestations of rev.
erence, and only too apt to disregard the
supposition of crude curiosity. He knows
that 1t Is only natural that people, fore
warned by the scarcity Of autographs Of
Shakespeare, should be anxious to safe
guard postertty against a similar Gala M
ity. But that any author should have
humor enough to see the absurdty of the
autograph mania, that is what his fair
stand. Anthony Hope-who by the way
told me he had received a letter from an
unknown lady. the object Of which was
to abuse me for my heresy on this heart
ouiiiuS QucStiOH-SdyS tHdI IL 10 write
his name on slips of paper adds to the
sum of the worlds pleasure he Is ready
to do 1t. This Is a noble attitude; but the
good people do not always do the most
illustrious celebrities who disagree with
Mr.. Hope is that one ought not to PAM
per this interest In mere externals.
II II "+
Here are the mans books, pictures,
symphonies; If these. have profited you.
Ds content-you have had enough. He has
shown you his soul-why should he show
you MS hand? One knows into what this
SOFT OF thing degenerates-into the ex-
ploitation Of celebrities by smart Ameri-
can journalists; to whom genius and noto-
riety are equally alike mere possibilities
OF sensationai copy with screaming head
lines. A. y. has written the opera of the
century; the public is dying to know the
milk in his cafe au lait x. Y. has mur-
dered his uncle and vivisected his grand
mother; how Interesting to ascertain his
favorite novel. and whether he approves
who knows anything Of the artistic off
put OF the day there are ten who know all
about the producers and how much montv
they are making. Even when our inter
est In artistic work is intellectual, we are
more likely to read criticisms OF n than
to place ourselves vis-a-vs with the worls
Not the truest criticism, not the subtlest
mls'Htefppe.aton IT'S as can give us anything
suits from direct contact with the work
itself. As well enjoy he Moonlight So
nata' through a technical analysis of its
FORM But this Is venial vice compared
with taking your sonata through tho
medium of paragraph about Beethoven's
shoe-buckles. The autograph craze is. /
maintain, only another aspect OF this
modern mania for irrelevant gossip: i,isf
as the tid-bits breed Of papers il hut fhe
outer, manifestation Of an Inner disgra pc
We no longer tackle great works and or.
dered traine OF thought. Everything must
books and papers. awaiting. like the crinnI-
nal IN The Mikedo,' the rensation az q
short, sharp shock To possess a mans
tute for studying his work rs an Incentive
to purchasing IT. The cvttiaGe dirplacoe
the book itself; tho autograph max> dis-
place even the critique. All this without