The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
The Creative Spirit of Today.

Several of America Is known lit
erary men have contributed to sym
postum in the Outlook, answering the
editors question, "The Creative Spirit
in Literature, Is 1t Dead or Dormant9 -
'Phe note of optimism is strong in all
their replies. None will admit that lit
erary genius, is dead, and they are 10th
to admit that it is sleeping. H. w.
Boynton declares that "the world in
general is very we'll satisfied with the
literary fare that is set before it by
writing persons,'' and he ventures to
suggest that it is not the reading pub
tic, but the writing person himself, who
''raises the hue and cry about the
decadence of genius and inspiration
and the creative SPIRIT
This may be granted. But the self
deprecating air of the "writing per-
SOL, =" tho he may be too self-conscious,
is pretty reliable index Of the fact
tn. the master touch of genius is sell
1cm to be found in all of our vast an
nual disagreement of literature Writ
ing men realize that the spirit of COM
petition, of commercialism, has per-
vaded the field Of letters as it has
everything else in modern life. The
great in contemporary letters, as well
as the near-great, are spurred to prolix
efforts by the lure Of the royalty. Be
the aim ever So high, the concrete
thoughts of lucre ever so smothered,
the impulse in the air makes them write,
write, write. The public is omnivorous,
insatiate. It is epicurean in it's de-
sires. 1t clamors for the brain products
of the best, and wants them hot from
the bakery.
The man who has once made a name
that is drawing card cannot write
enough to satisfy the clamor of those
who make books and magazines. 1t is
impossible to shut out the siren voices,
to think, to dream, to work for the
pure, caressing love Of the written
thing. The writing man beats from
the forge of his brain new idea. Be-
fore it is pounded into shape it is sold
for delivery on future day, just like
the wheat ripening under the summer
sun. Nature natures the wheat at
leisure, but man forces his idea to
maturity under the stress of the times.
His claims to fame were won by prod
ucts of much thought, slowly wrought.
They were immature, probably, but
promising. The promise brought recog-
milton, and now to meet the demand he
I,+ :-1>
cart is long, but not so with the
bulk of modern literature. For that
reason it fails to be sincere and con-
vincing. It fails to have the COMPEL
ing grip of the old master hands. Clever
it is, and entertaining. Often it has
splendid artistic finish, but even the
things most perfect in form carry their
mark of being written for the day.
In the great army of writing men
and women are persons of genius, some
of them earning the reward in their
own day, an experience seldom vouch-
safed in former generations Others,
no doubt of greater power and per-
manence, are practically undiscovered
in the great swirl Of falling leaves,
printed leaves. The creative spirit ex-
lists. It can hardly be said to- be dor
mant, but it struggles under the handi-
cap Of too much prosperity.
AS DR.. Hale aptly says in the Out
look symposium, the creative spirit in
this generation is better displayed in
other forms of life. "The sixty years
which have created the modern photo
graph, the modern telescope, the fric-
t;cn match, the modern railway, the
telegraph and telephone, the electric
light, and few hundred more of such
necessities of modern life, may we'll be
sure Of the creative power of man,
1t has gone out as never before into
tie realms Of material things. In lit
erature, we may be sure, its brighter
day is to come.