The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-14


La Touche Hancock has. in the last
Bookman, collected together a number
of valuable records as to the methods
and inspirations of q number of writ
ers who are eIassed generally as hum
orists. Curiously enough. the average
he rarely takes himself humorously. 1t
is good enough to wear the clowns
cap and to jingle the bells until public
attention is attracted: then somehow.
the clown wants TO be known as some
other sort of being. Charles BattelI
Loomis has long been known for the
delicious quality of his humor hut he
is a most serious-faced Mr.. Sobarsiies
in appearance. John Kendrick Bangs
has much the same countenance. but.
of the two mentioned. Mr.. Bangs as
pires more to be really serious Nine
tenths of his work. he SAYS. is serious
work, from which it would appear that
this author is striving hard 20 estab-
lish a reputation as something else
than humorist. If you ask the pub
fishers or the editors of the magazines
and Sunday newspapers, however. you
will discover that there is a greater
need of writer's, of humor than for the
writer's of any other kind of matter.
We are, as a people, too serious.
To get back to the methods of the
humorists and the sort of Inspirations
which they have. Mr.. Hancock quotes
Mr.. Bangs to the effect that he never
has inspirati tons. The genial author OF
Idiot sketches plods six mornings
week at writing and makes it rule
not to try to write anything in the
afternoons or evenings. Just how Mr..
Bangs contrives to turn out all the
matter which appears over his name
during morning hours is difficult to
understand, unless he has indeed sew
eral enchanted typewriters after the
fashion of one of his stories. The wri-
ter. recalls an ocean voyage during
which Mr.. Bangs locked himself in his
stateroonl, not because he was at all
ill, for he came regularly to his meals,
but. at the end of the trip, some Co.,
900 words of manuscript bore evidence
to the labor which he had done with
in tie compass of eight days time.
George AIDE, accordfngAo the account
referred to above, does not like to dis
cuss his methods or Inspirations.
Nearly all the stuff / have turned
out" he writes, has been written I'M
der great pressure l had not time to
stop to take mental photographs of
my own moods; and, as for waiting for
an inspiration. If 1 had waited there
wouldn't have been any copy to turn
in. 1 have tried several times to dis
cover my own methods, for / find that
every genuine literary person has
method. Inasmuch as l have failed to
discover any method in my work,
sometimes suspect that I am not lit
erary person. This suspicion has been
corroborated by about a thousand book
reviewers in various parts of the coun-
try. / cannot wear coat when | am
writing, even though the temperature
of room be freezing cold. l use yellow
paper and a leaky fountain pen. The
typewriting machine alarms me and
drives every thought out of my head.
The larger part of my work is done
in the forenoon. but my best work is
done late at night when / am in
high-strung condition. This has only
happened once or twice, but ! am hope
full; If could become a victim of in
somnia 1 might write something good
enough for the magazines"
Carolyn Wells, who has just publish
ed another nonsense book under the
title of Folly in the Forest" can work
only in the quiet of her study and on
a mahogany desk. She finds it neces-
sary to consume large quantities of
candy. Essays, of course" she says,
"call for caramels: a play, chocolates
jingles, peppermint sticks; and nom
sense rhymes, marshmallows."
Charles Battell LOOMS, whose long
serious face can break into most
charrling smiles, must have enjoyed
writing the following:
Like all great writers 1 have GER
tain method of work. l never rise
later than breakfast time. This consists
of whatever the maid brings on the la
BILE, as / consider that good for the
brain. After breakfast l always go
for a short walk to the postoffice.
This consumes nearly three minutes,
after which / read my mail, If the
writing is legible. and the daily paper
After reading the paper, l go into my
thinking room and think for three,
sometimes even four, minutes. Then
proceed to spread out my .thoughts
on my typewriter until lunch time. If
my typewriter breaks / find 1t hard to
spread out my thoughts with a pen,
thus giving the lie to the man who
said no one could ever get used to the
typewriter. The afternoons ] give over
to elegant leisure, and to thinking
what ! will do with the money IL I
sell what 1 have written in the morn
ing. Once week l go out, or rather
in, for I live out, to battle with stern
editors, and return at night weak from
the conflict, and laden with the spoils
of war. If they are too spoilt l de-
stroy them; otherwise l send them
out again. Those editors run the
best magazines VINO print most
of my stuff: but in that opinion / do
not differ from other writer's except
that / am more frank. The reason |