The Washington herald., 1920-12-04
DISCOVERY
.AIDTOSUCCESS
Floyd Dell, Author. Tells Of
influence Of Psycho-Analy-
SIS on Work,
IA DISCIPLE OF FREUD
Wrote Moon Calf" Popu-
lar Book Describing Own
Emotions and Life.
"a DISCIPLE OF FREUD
by wINIFREp VAN puzRR.

BY wINIFRED VAN DpzRR.
NEW YORK. Dec. 3s-FIoyd Dell
critic. short-story writer. erstvhile
newspaper man. star member Of
The Liberator. and brilliant and un-
conventional young man Of letters
generally. today told me what hap
pens when an author, In emotional
deadlock with himself, seeks the
aid Of pxycho-analysis.
Mr.. Delfs latest piece Of work
and first novel, Moon Calf" is
Threatened. upon the very heels OF
publication. with such popularity as
has not been enjoyed by any SINH
lar piece Of fiction for years
And IL was by declaring that two
thirds OF this was dashed on in a
sprightly manner during the space
of three months through clear vi
sions afforded him by this newest
Of mental correctional methods that
the author, who is 81 and looks ten
years younger. astonished the city's
literary world
Not only. ne affirmed. did he write
that much during the time stated.
but he also revised the other third
Of the work. which IL had taken
him three years to put on paper.
! When he talked Il over today ne
said that what happened to him
may and often does happen 90 most
persons. whether or not engaged in
creative work. and that the only
quick and sure solution is offered
by the psycho-analyst, the mind
doctor" who stands between a man
and his emotional self and intro
duces one to the other. He con-
tinued:
when 1 began to write Moon Calf
my energies were tied in Interior
conflict. The story is in some de-
! gree autobiographical; the general
outline is that of my life. though
with incidents not a part OF nv own.
My difficulty was writing a sit
uation effectively, in which my own
emotions were involved. This trou-
BILE isn't necessarily unique in my
case: IL might happen 20 any au-
thor. artist. composerLothers who
do creative work. For IL 10 sell
dom that anything worth while n
produced unless there is emotional
conflict to be solved"
He then mentioned instances OF
persons engaged in various pfofes-
sions who, having attained surcess
through years OF training and strug-
gle. suddenly develop emotional hos
tility to their work
Dell Is Tenpers.e.tsL.
These branch from the same teu-
rotic root. he maintained; they buf-
fer from some set OF ideas. groJped
I, round an emotional center. fotced
to activity by association harHing
back to an obscure childhood leH-
perience. He quoted Freud andfhis
methods. and told Of newer ines
/ developed in this country.
1T is not logical" he went on, TO
suppose, as some contend, that any
person. willing to face the Truth
and himself, can be his own plysi-
clan. The analyst fills the nsces-
ssry office OF hearing both stories.
that Of the conscious and the ether
Of the subconscious mind, and OF
pointing out the place where the
two cross"
No one possibly could be so tenn
1 peramental. in appearance at hasr
as is Floyd Dell. Seated before a
I Uttered desk in the editorial sfice
Of The Liberator, situated at a cor
| ner Of Greenwich Village Territory,
he looked as il he might have been
sketched for the cover Of his maga-
zine, founded upon the place left va
cant by suspension Of The Masses.
He wore a careless suit of rough
brown and a shirt Of gray hantel
Z In his voice there's just a bit OF
tang suggesting days out in Iowa,
q time lying between the period OF
: literary editing on a Chicago news
paper and the removal, seven years
: ago. to New York and fame
Speaking further OF the efficacy
. of psycho-analysis. he told how he
quit his Job in order to have plenty
OF time for the book when he first
began work on IL, but how futile
! he found effort expended until hts
particular analyst had dissociated
ideas ana emotions.
Moon Calf he explained deals
with the partial adjustment OF an
extremely sensitive child 20 enri-
rcnment.
The boy was first a poet, then
Socialist. OF course the idea las
been worked out before. but ! be-
lieve the difference between mis-
and other stories is that Moon oalr
expresses less pity for the hero. and
sympathy for the world which suf-
ters from him as much as he suf-
ters from the world"
II Moon Calf is any way faith
fui as an autobiography, one cannot
Aat envy Mr.. Dell the colorful lights
! shttting down upon his carter'
whether or not they spring tom
sensitiveneSs. temperament or jsst
plain neurotic.
some Of the color is expressed IN
! chapter titles. such as thes
shadow Shapes" What Is known
As Egotism." The Stranger Sex"
.N>rfttoue OF Pure Reason" Tie
} Not-Impossible She"