The Washington times., 1917-07-03
The RiseOf Fannie Hurst to Fame As
the Foremost Short Story Writer
By Elizabeth Jordan
By Elizabeth Jordan

yesterday IN Inc I4mess 1 De-
gan the story Of Fannie Hurst's rise,
in five years, from a life OF priyatieu
to the position Of the most popular
and the best paid short story writer
Of today.
told how she sold her first manu-
script for IS. contrasted that pay
ment with the contract she signed on
January /, 1917, by which she writes
exclusively for the Cosmopolitan
Magazine, and receives 81 800 for each
of her short stories!
Today shall tell of her first winter
in New York, where. at a great sacri-
flee, her father and mother had sent
her for a special course in Columbia
University.
They made her the best allowance
they could, but It was very small She
lived on less than half the allowance
and saved the rest She realized that
they could keep her here, at most,
only one winter. She intended to -e-
main until she had found herself,
however long or short that time might
be.
She Studied Life on East Side Streets.
Her daily work in the university
filled only an hour OF her time. She
was studying quite without interest
The Literature OF the French Rem
aissance." She chose that course be-
cause it came first in the morning and
left her days free.
For several months she spent these
days on the New York streets, es-
At . =
Side She walked mile after mile.
She learned to know every inch Of
every crowded section.
She walked the Bowery. She spent
hour after hour in the Italian quar-
|, ter, the Russian quarter. the Yiddish
quarter. She drifted into and out OF
the big shops and the little shops.
She learned to know the people OF
all these places, and the lives of these
people.
Never for a moment was she con-
sciously studying localities or types"
She never took a note. She did no
writing at home. She was simply
following an instinct which drew her
among the people whose lives she was
alter to show US as no other writer
an do II.
why did you choose themT" ask
ID her, with deep interest. "Or was
II q deliberate choice?"
Fannie Hurst Il Always for the
SUnder Dog of Life.
NO" abe said, there was nothing
deliberate about It All I know Is
that when think Of these people my
sympathies bubble up. The whole
surface Of me becomes sympathetic
1 do not respond in that same way
to other classes OF society"
GTTHm
her stories show. First, last and all !
the time she is for the under dog
Of life. Yet, never in her fiction is
there the slightest hint Of over-sen-
timentality.
She shows human beings as they
are. The bad in them often escapes
her. The good never does. Ana
never has the beautiful home life OF
the Jewish people Of every class been
shown more perfectly than this girl
OF their race shows It More than
hint of her philosophy Is given In
the title OF her latest book, Every
Soul Hath Its Song"
There is another class for whom
she shows an abiding and under
standing sympathy-the class we call
the ..unfortunates" among women.
Fannie Hurts New York walks
were not all walks by day. Night
after night as well. ahe walked the
streets-her eyes and heart and mind
wide open. She drifted into the
night courts and watched the endless
cases. Her understanding OF "unfor-
tunate" women is revealed In many
of her tales. II is very clearly re-
vealed in her wonderful story in the
March Cosmopolitan-"Hers Not 10
Reason Why"
Az Safe on New YorI<'s Streets n In
Her Home.
Strangely enough. in all these night
rambles Miss Hurst was never insult
ed, never moIested. She herself tacit-
ly comments on this with the modesty
which, next 70 her determination Is
her strongest characteristic.
81 was never subjected to any OF the
temptations we read about" she said.
with her irresistible smile, in speaking
of her brief stage experience.
Personally, ] believe that II any
misguided creature had insulted Miss
Hurst during those lonely walks. she
would have made him a man and
penitent in the next 1--WE minutes.
Subsequently, without any doubt. she
would have put him into a story.
Ny FIRST New Year Eve in New
1OTk was an interesting experience,
she said. Il walked the Bowery all
night don't know just why chose
that locality, but I did.
About ! o'clock in the morning
dropped into a place where a New
Year Eve hobo party was going on.
Nordica was there, singing to the men
She was superb, but II was her audi
ence that interested me-those home
less men, listening to the singer,
About o'clock in the morning
walked back to my little room. It
was a long walk. lived in a lodging
house on Mornihgseide Heights. But
IN those days had no money to waste
m car fare"
Those days" which now seem so
emote. were only five years ago.
dItOrs kindly Tell Her to asKeeP On
TryiRE.5
After two or three msaths of these
lcursions, Miss Hurst began to write
gain she bombsrded editors with
n manuscripts. Again every manu-
ript came back.
but now there was a slight differ
ce- A few editors wrote her per-
al notes-kindly and encouraging
Sc notes invariably held the same
sage.