The Denver Jewish news., 1921-08-17
"The Language Of De-
mocracy''
HERBERT HOWE INTERVIEWS
ANZIA YEZIERSKA

The Language OF Democracy II
the new name given to motion pictures
by Anzia Yezierska, who hns spent
months with the Goldwyn people ar
ranging for the filming Of her stories.
In an interview published In August
"Shadowland" Herbert Howe describes
the famous writer Her stories, many
of which are autobiographical, des-
cribe the ghettos of Russia and New
York, and are credited as being among
the best short stories Of the past
years.
1.-The motion picture" said Anzia
Yezierska, SIS the Language OF Demo-
cracy. But l do not mean by Demo-
cracy a coming down to the lowesr
level. I mean bringing the largest
number to the highest point. The
Greatest Leader Of Democracy went
up to the mountain to talk to the
people"
Twenty years ago Anzia Yezierska.
one Of Il large family. came from Rus
sia to live in New York's crowded.
feid Ghetto. Her father. dreamer,
spent much time In the synagog. The
children all worried. Anzia Yezierska
would rush about peddling things
among the push carts. her red hair
streaming and tangling. Always with
in her was the hungry heart, craving
TINT something beyond which she did
not know and the quest Of which
f.s nod nf har
stories. She worked in sweat shop.
even as "Yetta Solomon" and 'Shenah
Passah". ten and twelve hours day.
seven days in the week. for dollar
md half. She was a .scrubwoman,
n waitress, laundress, always among
"the killing things" Finally she
knew and understood the urge within
her being. She must write.
"she didn't know the first rule OF
grammar. Back she went to the tene-
ment. determined For a year she
lived on graham cyackers, nrush and
milk. .I stnlle<f cut Whist least !
needed to eat to I've" And she wrote.
Sometimes she would have to quit
because of hunger and go to work
as waitress, until little more could
be saved for bread Everywhere she
sent her stories. Finally Sonya Le-
wen, one of the few editors who
dare to make discoveries. saw in them
the terrible fire. and Anzia Iezierska
was given her first aid. Success came.
unbelievable wealth and fame. free
dom from the killing things, all that
symbolizes success to most Of us.
.She wrote The Fat of the Land
adjudsed by Edward ]. O'Brien .'the
finest imaginative contribution 10 the
short story" during 1910, and Hun
Cry Hearts," which has been p,ir-
chased by the Goldwyn' Company at
the price Of ten thousand dollars. "A
working woman" she describes her
self. only twenty years removed from
Russian suppression. only a few
months lifted from the black hunger
of the Ghetto. "Unril last November
I always had the worry for BREAD
she said. Today magazines compete
for Anzia Yezierska's stories. and film
companies offer fortunes for the
screen rights. Yet she goes back to
a tenement occupied by a Jewish tai
Ior and his large family.
1.-THE first thing wanted to get
when I got money. was room and a
bach. thought some way that this
would make clean my mind like my
body. 1t wasn't SO. Comfort is all
nm illusion. It makes for efficiency
| in business but it isn't SO with art.
To be an artist you must go thru
the killing things I have been thru
the killing things. I will stay with
| them.
"A persons speech Is mirror Of
the texture of his soul and the quality
| of his mind. If he is in the process
| of struggle, his words will have the
living surge. When he thinks him
self a success he becomes failure.
There is no success for the artist. He
always owes to that something be-
yond.
..ro write what is deep in you is
so difficult that no one will suffer the
agony of even trying to unless he is
driven to it. One must either he
despised and rejected of men to take
up the bleeding cross of self-expres-
! sion or else be inspired by some COM
radeship of another soul-sometimes
it is love-whose presence gives on
such light he can see clkarly with
80 ...I- II,