Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-10-23
College Training for Writers.

OcnoOlS lot authors, in which
those who incline toward literature
as profession may become real
poets or novelists, is the new pro-
posal of Walter H. Page. editor of
The Worlds Works, for the uplift of
literature in America He believes
the colleges should add to their de-
partments postgraduate courses in
the art of writing 70 stem the tide
of poor composition.
Make the students write 1000
words q day and insist on the profess
cor doing like wise, Mr.. Page adj
vises. The professors need the
training as badly as the embryo
litterateurs, he believes. Let the
students keep up the daily toll for
three or four years, by which time
they will have written from twelve
to sixteen volumes, and then. If they
are good, admit them to the pro-
fession.
Mr.. Pages views were expressed at
the University of Chicago. The sub
ject of his talk was The Writer and
the University" and he took occa-
sion to attack both the present day
writer and the university, especially
the professional novelists.
Writing, he pointed out, has com :
to be one of the regular professions,
ranking closely behind the law, med
icine, and teaching. Therefore, like
the physician and the lawyer, the
writer should be trained in all the
arts and crafts of composition and
for this purpose the colleges of the
country should institute special
schools of writing.
"Up to this time" said Mr.. Page,
writing has been a harum-scarum,
ought-and-tumble business. With
lots of superstition and little train
ing or experience. But we must fol-
low the example of the other crafts.
Let us have professional post-grad-
uate schools to teach men and wom-
en- how to write.
admit only those who have an
A. B. or equivalent degree-such
young men and women as mean 10
make a career by writing, who have
an aptitude for the art. to whom the
right usage of the words gives \
keen Joy. Let us have one teacher
for every six or eight students. Let
the qualifications for teacher be-
in literature, wide read
ing. and n fine and thorough literary
emphasizing that he must
be a practical writer and not mere
student.
mo man can write well unless he
has written a great deal. IL Is
profound conviction of mine that we
will lose the writing soul IL we ever
expect to save Il by scholarship
alone. The test OF good ability is
hat somebody reads Il with pleas
are. The main thing in this college
IS not not TO acquire information, but
skill, TO write every day and TO prac-
ice all the living forms Of compo-
sition.
start in probably with narrative.
Write 1000 words a day and make
the teacher do the same. Study not
only the choice words, construction
md elementary things. but the whole
niece In verse. For those poetical-
" inclined make them write a SON.
not every day for n term. Also have
. definite, well-planned course IN
literature and the languages.
"The ordinary novel is 100000
words long. II the student writes
] 900 words a day. including sermons
Or hymns on Sunday. every year he
would produce enough for four
books. In three years he would pro-
iuce twelve books and in four years
sixteen books. In four years he
would have written enough in sheer
practice to know whether or not the
career was attractive. The
writer Is the happiest OF mortals.
with the exceptions OF parents OF
children.
Neglect OF the art OF expression
IS general. There seems to be con-
.empt for IL, among professors.
When they try to write plainly and
clearly so that the ordinary person
nay follow them they are accused or
playing TO the gal
cry. But Huxley was not such a
writer.
Today II is not considered good
'orm 10 write well. II is considered
mark of weakness. Investigation
the academic life 10 the
exclusion OF good writing. We are
lot giving to the people the know.
,dge gained by science, I'm spite OF
he great numbers OF universities, OF
he great spread OF education.
There Is no other land where
here Is so much 10 write about. !
Nowhere Is there greater need that
[ be written. There is today a new
lowering OF American literature.
There must not only be clear think |
ng but skilled use OF our noble
peech to enable ms to use thought.
Chicago RecordHerald.