New-York tribune., 1922-05-14
First Novels


"A KY Dear Mr. Rsscoe:
MI Some one has called you tho fore
Il most champion OF the most modern
tendencies in contemporary litora-
ture. 1t Is in this role that I appeal to
you, for 1T seems to me that a literary feud
has been declared against one Of the
heaithiest signs OF the times The book
reviewers have declared war on the auto
biographical novel.
Miss Ruth Stewart In 1.-THE Literary Re
view Of May S, In beginning her review Of
Hubbard Hutchinson's "Chanting Wheels"
says: Immediately the reviewer begins
autobiographical tract relating to the dis
covery Of tho trend Of the modern genera
tion.. And You, Of all people, add to the
growing antipathy In your Bookman's Day
Book. for. under April 80. you have writ
ten: Read The Road to the World by
Webb Waldron, which is another novel re-
counting the spiritual vicissitudes Of the
young man who wants to be an author, and
Is rather duller than most"
Now. what. ask you. would you have
ing themselves? what better subject is
there? Personally / do not see how a
young man can write about anything else.
was what is most interesting to him, and
It Is the natural material for a first novel.
nns nhess Young nns men n,s are beginning at the
working out. Their second novels will
probably deal with their families. the third
with their friends, after a while they may
a hundred novels and there would still
be countless phases Of moon caifishness or
of the sensitive souls contact with the
world left untouched. Each confession
adds something new.
BY starting movement against this
sort OF thing you are dalnming up a whole
Dell Fitzgerald, Benet and some OF these
boys got there first. are they to have the
monopoly? Are these introductions the
final word In the matter? Why, by the
time get around to writing the story OF
my spiritual vtcissitudes I won't be able
to find anybody willing to read it, l won't
in a way unfair.
You gee. these young writers (pray God
I may be one of thenD read all this criti-
cal cal. Junk you s,, and Candy and Vap Dorsn
It seriously. fear it influences us In our
thinking Too much announcement and
isn't?) Will be writing the one big book
that is said to be in every man Even
such a state OF affairs would not be so
horrible. 1t would be better than the re-
suits of too little encoura cement. for if
you keep up disparging the autobiography
cal effort we will all change our minds and
take the Alexander Hamilton Course or
II that does not move you let me make
one more appeal. Imagine a whole litera-
ture Of nlodestly veiled prancing of the
perpendicular pronoun. 1t is coming in
evitably. SO you won't have to ina gine
for generations These young @ Americans ,,srn MS
must get 1t out of their systems before
they can get down to studying others as
they have studied themselves. Supposing
they never get to studying another per-
son, still there remain mines. vast unex-
porea rh;a continents Sant,E 8, inside these kids
introspection is the one to bring it out
Look at Dostievsky! Supposing some
critic told him to stop writing about diff
ferent phases of himself, What an in
dictment Of civilization. what a picture OF
life and OF society may we not see through
the eyes of these young men: Perhaps
you are writhins already at the truth they
are showing you: perhaps that is why you
are objecting. HORACE c. coon
Livingston Hall, Columbia University