The Washington herald., 1922-02-12
ESSAYlST DEFENDS
NEWS WRITING AS
BEST OF TRAINING
Art and Journalism Not
Antagonistic, Says
Alexander Black.


press than OF laying down their pens
altogether. This belief has been ex-
ploded many times and Is re-punc-
tured by Alexander Black, essayist
and editor of a great newspaper
syndicate. Mr.. Black. whose new
volume of essays, 1.-The Latest Thing
and Other Things" has been pub
lished by Harpers, has this to say
on the subject:
3 "Once in a while an anxious per-
son asks whether being a newspaper
writer isn't fatal to being literary.
1t Is as IL the spectacle of a man
talking to an audience in q great
arena were to excite a fear that the
poor chap would never again be able
to speak properly in a parlor. The
implication seems to be that 1t would
be dreadful thing IL any one with
the wish or the faculty for being
literary should be blighted by Jour-
nalisn1. or IL not blighted at least
tainted to degree that hampered
his flight. Many a literary aspirant
has asked me, with solemn concern.
whether writing for newspapers was
not likely to spoil style beyond re-
covery. There has been the effect
Of wondering whether literary vir-
ginity should not be saved for ritual
istic conservation to a higher career.
for the moment of marriage to the
bookish life. g.
Infection May BE subtle.
These snxieties are often the
greater because the feared effects
are obscure. Perhaps there has been
an adventure or two with. no i'm
mediately apparent signs of infection.
To write for a newspaper and feel
as literary as before must. 1 gather,
excite an awed suspicion that the in
fection may be subtle and that you
may discover when it Is too late that
your constitution is hope1essly under
mined, or that newspaper influence
threatens to have wood alcohol
effect on your spiritual sight.
Il have found It rather reassur-
ing to the dubious to remind them
that Dickens, Barrie, Kipling,
Franklin, Poe. Walt Whitman,
Mark Twain. Bret Harte, Ambrose
Bierce, Howells. and many another,
dead and living. has been a news
paper man without discernable
handicap by reason of that cir
cumstance.
The truth is, of course, that
the worst writing and the best
writing appears in newspapers;
the worst, because of the natural
hazards of hurry: the best, because
the great audience reached by
newspapers naturally tends to en-
list the Imagination and powers OF
expression in the most gifted men
and women and because the insti-
tutional privilege and enterprise
Of newspapers may offer opportuni-
ties beyond the range of other
avenues Of print.
News writfng Valuable.
What we call art ut Is one Of the
funniest words we have) represents
seeing, feeling and expressing.
There 10 nothing in any OF these
functions that u interfered with by
a Newspaper. in Itself: 1t Is the au-
dience consideration that affects the
expression when the expression ID
affected at all. One must speak
clearly to big audience, and
speaking clearly never hurt anyone.
Newspaper writing has taught
writers to remember that audi
ences are interested In more than
literary things. whether q man IL
selling. or preaching, or entertain>
ing It Is well that he should learn
to remember other people, and their
situation at the time he approaches
them. 1t is the writer who Is self
centered, who is wondering about
his own soul rather than other peo-
pies souls. who thinks being liter
airy 10 writing down in pretty words
an expression of himself, rather
than writing down in the simplest
possible words a communication of
himself to others who has most to
fear from facing the newspaper au-
diences. 1t makes Q mighty differ
ence in the definition Of art wheth-
er the artist says expression or
says 'communication.'
.ImmortaIs" in Press.
"As a matter OF fact. there is no
class of good writing that does not
find it's way into the modern news
paper; and there is no class of
writing which active newspaper
writer's are not producing for other
print. Many an immortal thing be-
tween stiff covers not only first ap-
peared but was written for a news
paper. Most of the greatest MOD
.ern essays. for example, appear as
editorials and reviews.
Newspaper men who live the lit
| erary double life by writing for
both newspapers and books seem to
be able to do so without hurting
l either the newspapers or the books.
1t is more important that they are
able to do, so without hurting them
selves. Nothing hurts art that
doesn't hurt the artist. 1t Is more
important to understand humanity
than to understand words. There is
no better way to learn the real
value of words than by the use of
them before q big audience. Liter
ature is never produced by being
constantly bookish. Personality and
good thinking are what endure.
Precious punches Of words count
for no more than the hourishes of a
self-conscious workman. The thing
the workman thinks and then makes
| Ia tha thing that counts