The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
The LITERARY OUTLOOK
WHY PEOPLE LIKE TO READ GOSSIP
ABOUT BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
John BurrOughs's New Volume of Ma
ture Poems Reveals His Ideas p
About POetry-Abcut Serials.

have recently been attempting 10 explain
the popularity of gossip about books and
authors-the matter is generally discussed
under the head of gossip about literature,
but literature is such a restricted term
among the bookishly inclined and so broad
a term for the average reader that a more
definite classification seems to be neces-
sary. Yet books and authors open up a
rather large field larger perhaps than that
of literature, unless one is inclined to honor
the whole range of periodical matter with
that name. If we shall restrict books and
authors to only those books which are
worthy Of being bound up and only those
authors who are worthy of being read we
are again upon dangerous ground, for who
shall judge as to the merits of either? Sure
ly not the critics, for these, in the true
sense, do not exist in the United States,
and we have not yet come to depend upon
England for guidance in these matters
Surely not the publishers, for they are
rarely to be trusted and their interests lie
too much in financial rather than in phi
lanthropic ends. Surely not the bookseller,
for he is too closely allied with the pub
fishers. So of all the signs-display adver-
Using, huge stocks in store windows, ia
vorable reviews or critical opinions, we
must beware. And of just such general
iconoclasm the foregoing, beware, for
the exceptions are too many to prove rules
and the public too large TO be directed as
to the books and authors which they shall
choose.
Gossip about books and authors is popu-
lar only because it appeals persuasively to
prospective readers. 1t is reasonable to
suppose that information about an authors
personality, methods of work and manner
of living is interesting because books, now
adays, at least, treat of the personal ele-
ment, and an authors individuality is ex-
pressed in what he writes. The truth of
the sentiment is so self-evident that it
seems useless to mention it. One appre-
ciates books. in large measure, in direct
ratio to his knowledge of the author. Pub
fishers themselves have been quick to real
ize this, and the literary editors of news
papers are flooded with brief biographies of
authors, stories of their doings and so on
until they wish to condemn to eternal per-
dition Cadmus, whoever It was that in
vented books.
Criticism Of the right kind" says a
wiseaCre, should furnish a directory for
those too busy to read everything. The
genuine critic should perform the office of
guide to readers" We have just assumed
above that America has no critics and that
the signs of merit or worthiness not to
be trusted, but assuming that critic ex-
lists. doubt very much his ability to full
! fill the duties which are imposed here
| About five thousand different books have
| been published during the present season,
and there are still few to come before
the end of the year.
Some time ago one of the New York pub
fishers requested of Mr.. John Burroughs
that ne compile volume of natural poems
according to his own desires; that is, Mr..
| Burroughs was to select and include in
the volume only such poems as he himself
wished, making the collection his own in
the real sense. The great nature lover ac-
cepted the proposal with much enthusiasm,
and for several months he has been en-
gagged in the work of compiling in a single
volume the nature poems which he himself
preferred. The book, under the title of
Songs of Nature has just been pub
lished, and altogether, it is as pleasing a
volume of poems as has been issued this
year. Mr.. Burroughs has explained in the
preface his method of editing, and Incl
dentally some sane ideas about poetry.
I'm such Matters he says, cit all comes
back after all to ones likes and dslikes
His own individual taste and judgment
clarified and disciplined by wide reading
and reflection are his only guides. This
collection he goes on, represents on the
whole my judgment of the best nature
poems at my disposal in the language. 1
am surprised at the amount of the So
| col cd M hat haS a. 10
English literature during the past fifty
years. but find only little of it of perma-
nent worth have not knowingly admitted
any poem that not true to my own
observations of nature Thus a poem that
shows the swallow perched upon the barn
in October 1 could not accept, because the
swallow leaves us in August; or a poem
that makes the chestnut bloom with the
| lilac-an instance L came across in my
feading-would be ruled out on like
grounds; or when I find poppies blooming
in the corn in an American poem, 1
several times have done, pass by on the
other side. Lowell is not quite true to the
facts when in one of his poems he makes
| the male oriole assist at the nest building.
| The fanciful and allegorical treatment OF
nature is for the most part distasteful 10
me. do not want mere rhymed descrip-
| ton of an object or scene. L want it
mirrored in the heart and life of the poet,
true to the reality without and the emo
ton within. The one thing that makes a
| poem anyway is emotion-the emotion of
| love, of beauty, of sublimity, and these
emotions playing about the reality result
! in the true nature poetry as in Words
worth, Emerson and Bryant. The poet Is
not much to paint nature as he is to
recreate her"
OF the parodies on the Persian philoso-
] pher none is more enjoyable than the
Golfers Rubaiyat." Through seventy
nine links the reader is conducted over the
course. One of the best verses reads:
Indeed, indeed Repentance oft before
1 swore-but it was Winter when 1 swore;
And then and then came Spring, and. Club
in Hand,
1 FASTENED forth for one Round-one Round
more"
Mary Eartwell Catherwood. it is said,
once consulted palmist, none other than
Cheiro, who told her she was destined to
write great romance. The public is left
| to decide whether her novel, "Lazarre," is
the one or whether her great novel is still
to be written. Meantime who is to decide
whether this kind of a literary note is an
advertisement of the novelist or OF the
palmist?