Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-07
BOOKS AND AUTHORS

How does novelist work? We have
Rad much of the peculiar tempera-
/ nsnts of literary celebrities-how this
historic parsonage could write only
With his slippers on, or his neighbor
only while facing the north. Occasion
lily we find stray foible among our
Twentieth Century writer's, but novel;
writing Of today is too much of bust
Hss to permit of many of the eccen
hcities of genius. The typewriter has
Implanted the pen, and both have
GYen way to the photograph. 1t
would be a conservative estimate to
state that three-fourths of the men
who are uphoiding-or destroying-thc
dignity Of American. literature are
more or less expert in the manipula-
ton Of the typewriter. There are even
th0se who have discarded the pen al
most entirely in the preparation of
their manuscripts. John kendrlcK
&ngs, Jacques Futrelle, William
Hamilton Osborne and a number of
novclwriters, while Harold Mac
Grath, George Barr McCutcheon. EN-
erson Hough and Upton Sinclair are
but few in a long list who revise
ueir original manuscripts with the
machine before sending them to the
Photographer for a final copy. Cyrus
townsend Brady seldom uses either q
pen or a typewriter All of his stories
re dictated to a monograph and the
hcord delivered to his secretary. F..
fnlllips Oppenheim is another expo.
Rnt OF the value of dictation. even
ewing stenoCrapher complete
napier of his manuscript in the course
railroad journey. The late Guy
boothby used a photograph entirely,
while IF recent years Mark Twain mas
actated practically all of his work,
elten spending an entire morning III
dfesslng gown and slippers while
secretary recorded his slow, drawing
Words Bohemian.
Frances Boyd Calhoun. the author of
Miss Minerva and William Green
MI REILLY & Brittonl is as South
IN as her surname would lead one to
upnose. though it is her married, not
@' family name. She is a Daughter
the COhfederacy, the president OF
ef local chapter. Her great-grand-
war landowners in Virginia. Mrs.
.alhoun has written more or less of
we new srapers, particularly for one Of
which her father was editor. But to
aer the art of storytelling comes not
much by training as by divine gift
my one who reads Miss Minerva
@n recognize in it the spontaneous
uehey of the born racanteur who is
usa'ly and honestly) 'just reminded
something too good not to be told.
aN Calhoun was for seven years q
smary school teacher in Covington-
I. the larger Covington in Kentucky,
y. smaller one in Tennessee. The
r. r@'ure presented in Miss Minerva" OF
,ein small southern town is doubt
y" Drawn from the life of Covington
=, comparatively q young woman.
NY, m one can read between the lines of
AUS Minerva" that she was a popu-
teacher with her pupils. No one
su" De otherwise who shows so per-
!. an understanding of child nature.
=. she has been able to capture and
ssyru With humorous talent The de-
,sasIully genuine things that c. +"
when grown-ups are not =. ouni.
can easily imagine that Mrs. Cal
r. sun may have filled the role of Miss
aMNla Williams and 1imnly's Sun
school teacher ard that she may
ssef have been "'hout the SWEETEST
rsm "ay School teacher they is" Miss
"un promises to write another
~ at this one is success" As two
, II editions of the book have
ssaay been consumed by the public
70 be hoped that many volumes OF
-