The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-25
NOTES.

Algernon C. Swinburne. is writing an i'm
portant dramatic poem.
Marie. CorelIi's new novel for Messrs.
Methuen will consist of 15O.0N words.
You know said NJ. lola to a recent
interviewer, that 1 am above all things a
worker, an observer. / took advantage Of
m my forged fscts residence si E ceu II E sbe3ls sbs to ,5 g5ean al
conditions of the country, and my notes on
the subject will form the basis OF a future
interested me intensely"
The work of Mrs. Susan Bullitt Dixon.
of Kentucky, on the Missouri compromise.
reviewed some time ago in the Journal. is
receiving much favorable attention from the
critics. 1t is the story of a great epoch in
American history, and reviewers say Of 1t
such a clear and voluminous history of a
great political movement, which occupied so
long a period of time and was the cause of
the making and unmaking of so many po'
litical destinies."
II answer to the query, What sells
books?' Ebert Hubbard writes in the Phil
istine: mo, newspaper advertising does not
sell books. I've had a paper with a
hundred thousand circulation give each one
of my books a lavish write-up of a full COL
umn and the stuff did not fetch a single or
der. A book booms IN the marker
TO another" But a different view is taken
by Clement K. Shorter. who thinks that
books are sold ''by the paragraph, If at all.
A paragraph announcing that a certain au-
thor does not intend to send her books for
review is now quite as valuable as columns
of reviews. Anything, in fact, which sets
people talking is effective"
John Kendrick Bangs is an Industrious
literary mechanic. Though still a young
man. he has written twenty-five books. OF
these THE House Boat on the Styx" has
sold 10000 copies in this country and Eng
land, and Coffee and Repartee' 5000. His
first book was Roger Camerden," which
he published anonymously. and his last one
is Peeps at People," a series of sketches
of travel. Last week his latest work. The
Dreamers," was published. and at the pres
ent time he has three other books under
These are "olympian Nights" With the
addition to his books Mr.. Bangs is the edi-
tor of Literature. and also writes the lit
erary notes for Harper's Magazine and has
charge of the Editors Drawer in the same
sketches for Harper's Bazaar and has
turned out scores of magazine articles and
verses. mostly of a humorous character
Mr.. w. l.. Alden is a great admirer of
Robert Barr. and says In his London letter
in the New York Times that TO read Mr..
Bars books is by no means a fully satisfac-
tory way of knowing him. He Is without
exception the most brilliant conversations
alist 1 have ever known. In the course of
an hours chat he will waste more wit and
humor than would make the fortune of the
stenographer who should copy and steal II.
/ have often wondered why some enterpris-
ing literary sneakthief does not make a
reputation and fortune by stealing >othoo
mems brains with a photograph. If, when /
spend an afternoon with Mr.. Barr, / could
carry a concealed photograph and steal his
conversation / would only have to publish
1t under my own name to become one of the
great humorists of the day. Some of these
days the photograph fiend' will become as
common as the kodak fiend, and men and
women who say anything worth printing
will constantly find that their good things
have been stolen by the secret photographer
and sold to publishing fences"