Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-06
lGLAMOR OF OLD NEW YORK
8 DESCRIBED BY GLJITERMAN
Dutch Burghers and City College Life Are Told Of
While Writer Descants Business of Being
Poet and How He Became One.

/ for the freedom OF the press. 1 chron-
icled In Ballads Of Old New York:
'Icngcr the Printer. through storm
Deaf TO u sycophant Councils rage,
Doggcdly toilcd at his wooden press
Bui!ding his monument. page by
!>nothcr instance OF that Dutch
spirit. as fine an example AS l
know OF idcalism backed by gentle
moral force. occurred when Peter
Stuyvosant at one time began TO get
u bit hIdcbOund in religious matters.
| Tho States General sent him 4 mes
sage gently limiting that ne would
have TO keep hands OFF in the matter
OF religious liberty. The message
ended. ENTHUSIASTICALLY, See that
this is so. and We doubt not that you
VIII be blessed II has continued
Busincss Of being n Poet.
But | suppose you wane me TO tell
you all about this business OF being
poet, and how | came TO pick oui
such strange way OF making a liv-
with a quick smile that was indica-
tive Of deep Internal laughter tpoets
DO have a way OF laughing up their
sleeves at the sober. common nse
"oFld). Il got started at turning
out IAN occasional bit OF light verse
before came out OF colleSe--thouBh
{
vague notion that I would like 20 do
that KIND OF work. After college,
worh.d at Journalism a bit In New
idea OF how ! Was going To make a
LIVING. was married. Somehow IL
seemed that the moment tina, un-
hertnok ne responsibility my WORK
began 10 md market. At any rate,
nave kept writing poetry ever since,
Win an interval or two or editorial
work.just by way OF showing that
I n g{lh .r ~ IL 81.
the poet tho twinkle rcuppcaring in
his eyes. Being given TO serious
ness and. fiippancy in equal parts,
"rGte both serious and light verses
and combined them when the Harp
ers bought out my earlier books
The laughing Mouse. and The
M!rthful Lyrc.'"
Incidentally, one OF Mr.. Gutter
mans adventures in light verse, ''The
Aniisepuc Baby and the rrophylac-
ne iup. has the reputation Of being
having sold 10 Punch" and offered
Tor sale to a New York editor by en-
,erprissng. fr.c-lances, after its pub
i!chtion by the author. unduun,cd
ne has continued to offer light and
serious verse side by side in Ballads
OF Old New York.
Sentimental Tommie's Way.
And In poetry" continued Mr.
.ui'eFman. Il speak for pro.es IS !.onai-
ISM. There's Il good deal OF talk on
inc subject Of whether a poet ought
TO make a living on his writings. per
sohaIly. like TO have bread for my
: work.and I'm mighty fond Of but
ter. When 4 man IL writing FOR a
living. the question OF whether ne viii
! do pOt-Doilcrs or not Is merely u
question Of how genuine an artist hc
IS. Literary conscience is a peculiarly
I individual thing. The best example OF
mental Tommic.' when TOminie en-
tered into prize contest in compost
ton NJ the village school. There was
no doubt at All about Tommie's being
the best writer In the class, but min
ute AFTER minute Of the precious hour
/ OF the contest passed. while his com
peutors were scribhling away furious
/ ~. without his writing single limo
/ When tn" contest was all over, and
I ms diseustcd teacher asked him why
( h!s paper was still blank. Tommie
! answered that he had been trying 10
think or the right word Tor phrase
Z IN his hrst scntcnce--Just one word
Well, I'm somewhat like Senti-
mental Tomm.c-cNccpt that instead
Of one hour have given whole weeks
OF nard work 10 the investigation OF
some li;'lc freak Of history that
I wanted To be correct In point OF fact
when put II into a verse narrative
/ Before writing ballads OF Old New
York ] put In months OF delightful
ttnvcstIgat!on. browsing In dusty old
books Of disreputablc appearance"
Speaking Of Free Verse!
Hr. Guitcrman wisely refuses TO be
drawn into involved discussion OF
: merits and dement's OF the present
day school OF frcc-vcrsc writer's. He
had this To say. however: II think
I II We go back far enough in the his
tory OF man, We find always that
I there were earlier forms OF expression
than proSc-nOt mctricai poetry. to be
sure, but s!nr-song phrases that cor
responded fairly we'll to present da y
/ free verse. One sign that free verse