The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-27
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK
GREAT LITERATURE NOT ENTIRELY
PRODUCT OF IMAGINATION.
The Question of Serial Publication
Gossip About Authors-DOyIe's
Trouble with Boer Book.


erature is entirely the product of creative
imagination and not at all OF experience
The Academy. one OF the very best London
literary weeklies. recently commented in
this vein. saying: 1T is characteristic Of
all great writer's that they never conscious
~ or imaginatively studied life. They alb
sorbed il and when the time came they
wrote with full kaleidoscope knowledge
and endless insight for art, truth and life
The writer went on in this strain 10 some
extent. including even Dickens in this class.
Doubtless he would have also included Kip
ling. AS a matter Of fact both Dickens and
Kipling made a very distinct business of
studying life for the purpose OF writing.
Both Of them were newspaper reporters
and both worked hard at the profession un-
I'll they acquired the dignity Of book covers.
Kipling's first volume was bound in brown
paper and tied with pink string, but with
that rise TO literary standing he did not
cease his former methods Of literary work
The point cannot be better illustrated than
by relating the story of an American cor
respondent who. having gone 10 South
Africa met Kipling at Cape Town and tried
TO persuade the famous author to take him
along TO the front NO, sir" replied Kip
ling. Your business is to see things and
write about them. just the same as myself
and" the author continued half jocularly
and with a twinkle in his eyes, you might
secure a beat on me"
Who can read a chapter OF kim" Kip
nng's last novel, without being impressed
with the fact that the author studied life
consciously all the time. The book isn't
a story. but series of wonderful pictures,
aIong the Great Trunk road of India, in
the crowded streets of the cities and in
the mountains Of the north. Here are
shifting scenes of Indian life. man and
woman, priest and soldier. Hindu and Mo-
hammedan. all centered about the adven-
lures Of the orphan son of poor Irish
soldier, a street arab ot Lahore whom
KipIing must have studied for all HIS years
In India.
ABOUT SERIAL PUBLICATION.
Whether the serial publication of a novel
Is help or hindrance to the sale of the
book is a question of considerable impor-
lance but one which is yet to be solved
to the satisfaction of many New York
publishers. Experience proves little in the
matter. for of the recently successful
books perhaps half of them were published
serially. You cannot eat your cake and
have 1t and more you tell how
serialEed book would have sold had 1t
not been serialized. a poor book may be
made successful. in numerical sense, by
persistent booming, but, il such a book
were first published serially the public
would probably so be enabled to judge of
its merits that it's material success would
be very much hindered. On the other
hand. il Is probably true that the serializa-
ton OF a good book is beneficial to its sale.
William Dean HOwells recently remarked
that no Sreat serials are written nowadays,
a Statement ne adds which he would not
have dared to make fifty years ago. The
popularity of such serials as those pro-
duced by Thackersy and Dickens could
not have been questioned in their day. The
story Is told of famous writer of Dick
ens's time. who. afflicted with a long and
serious illness, exclaimed to his nurse one
day:
well. thank God. Pickwick will be out
I'm few days" Life seemed worth living
If he could look forward to Pickwick
About two years ago Mr.. Frank Norris
published serially novel called "A Mans
Woman" The work is being brought out
this fall by a New York publisher. The
present interest in Polar exploration ought
10 give a certain timeliness to Mr.. Norris's
story. because the plot hinges on the love
seek the Pole together. The story has a
certain grim force and gruesomeness So i
lar to that OF ''McTeague" / have often
wondered why publishers did not bring out
this class of books for summer reading
Each one is guaranteed, or might well be
guaranteed. TO send cold shivers up and
down the spinal column. a sensation which
might be made more or less seasonable.
Mr.. Boards ANIMALS
Mr.. Dan Beard has recently returned
from the Northwest, British Columbia
where he spent the summer in the woods
and mountains. Animals. field and domes-
tic. have always interested Mr. Beard and
he has brought back with him many valua-
bic sketches and notes which he is now
working on with a view to getting them
into book. In this way Mr.. Beard has
studied the smaller animals as closely as
Seton-Thomson had studied wolves bear
and deer. and. If he can put upon paper
the stories which he has told to friends in
New York since his return, he will have
done great service TO lovers OF this class
OF literature.
Agnes -. Laut came into public notice
last year through the publication of her
book, Lords of the North" but she has a.
more interesting personality than many
women VINO nave long enjoyed the favor of
the public eye. When her book was first
published many of the critics, with their
usual willingness. criticised the author ad-
verseiy and doubted the actuality of the at
mosphere OF her book. Some, not knowing
her full name, thought the book was writ
ten by a man. curious mistake made by
several magazines. Miss Laut was the first
woman TO invade the camps of the Rocky
mountains and of British Columbia, and
her story was based upon the severe ex-
perierIces which she had in these wild, out
of-tbe-way places.
"Graustark." George McCutcheon's novel
Is already dramatized and will be presented
on the stage shortly. The fact recalls Mr.
Nee ltcheon's experience as an actor AS a
boy lie had an ambition 10 shine before the
footlights. An opportunity 10 join a trav-
cling company presented itself and George
Joyfully accepted The engagement lasted
about a week. the company became strand
ed and the ambitious Hamlet walked home
RUSSIAN WRITER'S
Together with Maxim Gordy, Dmitri Ne
rejkowsh is sharing the interest of the
English reading public in things Russian.
These two young men. both of them in the
early thirties are looked upon as the sue
cessors OF TOlstOi, though that wonderful