The Washington herald., 1921-07-31
Alas! Capital Is
Judged Fit Scene
For "Maill Street.

VINO Is 10 write washington >
Main Street,"
1t is already trite to remark. after
your first two weeks in the Capital,
that Washington Is the largest
small town 1 was ever in" The
next, move belongs to some Sinclair
Lewis who will tell the world that
it's a real Gopher Prairie. The ma
tion has always taken the Capital
most seriously, but in the present.
day reaction toward realism there's
doubtless a market for a book that
will give the impressions Pennsyl-
vania avenue makes on a Carol
Kennicott.
And the publishing house recog-
nize the chance for a Washington
novel. whether a Main Street" or
an Age of Innocence" One New
York publisher remarked the other
day that he had received a manu.
script from a Washington writer.
but had sent II back
There's every opportunity for
such a book" he said, and we
should have considered tho manu-
script seriously-but IL was very
patent that the young man didn't
know his Washington
Several persons within our ac-
quaintance have spoken of writing
such a book, but then almost every
one who has a library card is about
to write a novel about something.
One young man who has done some
writing under the name of Beck
with Halstead proposes to tell the
story of Congressman. showing
the revolt, of the Congressman's
son. Another-this timo a young
woman contemplates< seriously
writing a society novel. But
so far She has merely chewed her
pencil. or her typewriter eraser, and
hasn't started II.
At least one among the Washing
ton literary colony will have book
published in the fall. Elinor Wylle.
whose musical and colorful verse
has been appearing in a number Of
magazines. will present a book Of
poems. published by Harcourt. Brace
and Company. It is understood that
the same publishers will bring out
another volume of her poems in the
spring. and that she Is also work
ing on a novel for them. Her work
has appeared recently in such mag
azine. as The Bookman. The New
Republic, and the Century.
Charles Edward Russell has taken
his busy typewriter to Holland.
Mich. for the summer. His friends
here understand that he is writing
book on Philippine freedom and
compiling a verse antholoey-for he
also writes poetry. Mr.. Russell re-
turned a few weeks ago from a trip
through the Orient.
Richard Washburn Child. who
Dassed the winter in Washington.
has arrived at his post as Ambassa-
dor to Italy. Mrs. Child has written
a play called The Satyr," which
appeared in The Smart Set and will
shortly be staged in vaudeville.
The Sinclair Lewises, who went
from WASHINGTON to England in the
spring. have taken a house in Kent
for two months. Mr.. Lewis's Eng
Iish publisher. sXr Ernest Holder
williams. introduced them to the
literary circle in London at a.
Squash" (Which is interpreted as
big tea"> and they were widely
entertained. Among those who en-
tArtained them are Hugh walpole.
John Drinkwater w. l.. George.
Claude Graham-white. Harold Laski
and John Galsworthy. After Ave
weeks in London. Mr.. and Mrs.
Lewis STAYED for a time in Cornwall.
going thence to their Kent house.
Main Street" has attained sue
ces d'estime" in England. hut
whether the sales match the critics
hi~h regard we DO not vet know.
Mr.. Lewis will return in the fall
TO assist with the dialorue in the
@-arratizption Of "Main Street" for
the New York stage. Mrs. HegCer,
Mrs. Lewis mother. who accom-
nanied them. will return N America
in August, II is expected.
S. ". j.