The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-17
A YOUTH WITH A CAUSE

YOUTH WITH A "CAUSE.
About two years ago the Journal reviewed
NOVELETTE, title now forgotten-whose
author and publisher was one Upton Sim
clair. 1t was an amateurish piece of work,
with indications here and there Of a certain
crude talent-in these respects no different
from dozens OF other books that get into
print every year. The unusual feature of
the production was introduction In
which the author, told Of his tremendous in
tellectual labor in the production OF the
work and Of the amazing stupidity and
selfshness of the publishers who declined to
accept it and bring it before the world. In
order that the world might not suffer an
irreparable loss, Mr.. Sinclair. with much
pecuniary strain, published the book him.
self. The impression conveyed by this In
PRODUCTION was that the young man was
one of those unfortunate beings, solemn
and with an overwhelming belief that he
was possessed Of literary genius. A good
deal Of geodnatured fun was poked at the
young man, and the public also proving un-
apprecfative and refusing to buy the novel.
the author came back at them In two or
three newspaper articles in which he again
told his tale Of woe and bemoaned the ex-
istence OF a perverse generation. After
several months OF silence on Mr.. Sinclair's
part appeared a book called 1.-THE Journal
Of Arthur Stirling" which purported to be
an actual life history Of a gifted youth
! who, because of a stupid. hard-hearted, un-
comprehending public was driven to sui
eide, dying. so to speak. with all his music
in him. The book was published anony-
mously, but certain earmarks convinced
discerning reviewers that it's author was no
| other than Upton Sinclair. Now Mr.. Sin
clair acknowledges this to be a fact. and
confesses, what most readers believed from
the start, that he had perpetrated a hoax in
pretending that Arthur Sinclair was
real parsonage. He also gloats over his
deceit, since he feels that it has enabled
him in some degree to ''get even with his
enemies. the publishers.
What he is going to do now is this. he
explains in an article in the New York In
dependent: The Arthur Stirling book sold
well enough to bring him profits to the
amount Of $1,000. With this thousand dol
lars he is going to retire to the wilderness
and there spend three years In writing
novel Of the civil war. This is merely in
cidental, however. His life Is to be spent
| in laboring for the establishment Of an
American University Of Literature" which
will recognize literary genius when it
knocks at the door. He says:
1t is a simple fact that there is a certain
| type of genius-the Keats and the Shelley
| type, in some respects the most precious
| of all-which Is altogether consumed with
| its own fire, and which may be broken like
a butterfly on wheel by few years OF
| have been yet others whose message was so
high and precious that 1t took men half a
| century to understand 1t; and you, the liter
about the agonies that such have borne in
| the past, and never think that the same
thing must inevitably be going on in the
never in history was there less chance for
| such a man than to-day: that never in his
| tory has the literary world been more ut
| terly mastered by the ideals Of the mar
| ket-place. more sunk in tameness and con-
| ventionality.
He adds: II have been through II all. and
| know" from which it is to be inferred
that Mr.. Sinclair regards himself as belong
ing to the Keats and Shelley type. though,
so far as the Journal Is aware, none Of his
poems has yet reached the world. Per-
haps the refusal Of publishers to accept
| the poems Is what really Jared him.
rather than the repeated rejection Of his
| novel. At all events. he will devote HIM
self to the establishment Of this literary
university, which he designates as my
| Cause"
The article In the Independent is really a
| very interesting one because Of its revea-
| ton Of character, its betrayal of abnormal
self-conceit No doubt Mr.. Sinclair agon-
! ICES just as he processes to do. but If he
had sense Of proportion and a sense of
humor his misery would not only be great
| ly mitigated, but his literary productions
would undoubtedly be improved and his
chances Of recognition by stupid and COM
mercial publishers much better. But.
| though Mr. Sinclair is an amusing person,
a little Of him goes long way. and 1t is
rather pleasant to know that he is to be
| in retirement for three years. II he shall
produce masterpiece which proves to be
good seller" will he contribute the royal
| ties to his university will he suddenly
cease to see the need for such institu-
! ton?