Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-30
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
HOW TO WRITE: Meeting the Needs
of Everyday Life. John Mantle
Clapp and Homer Heath Nugent.
New York: The Ronald Press.
/. G.. M.

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Clapp and Homer Heath Nugent
New York: The Ronald Press.
Overstuffed book shops, together with
the heavy pack of print on news
stands, within magazine stalls and drug
store book corners-these combined
tend to suggest that the lesson OF
writing has already been learned. Tend
to proclaim, as well, that a host OF
poSt-graduates, already professional, is
waiting upon the public to supply 1t
with reading of every grade OF quite
superior excellence.
And yet, hardly more than q hall
look at this riot of reading reveals the
fact, misfortunate, that the majority of
these purveyors of pleasure and profit
could, with benefit to themselves and
corresponding advantage to readers
stand a little more schooling in their
chosen line of endeavor. Imagination
Scanty and drab on the one hand, ex-
otto and ford on the other is quite
the rule. Invention, poor and thin. is
not infrequent. Mere prentice work
at the important job of structure and
stable building, this comes along every
day. Even the basis sentence, decrepit
hobbies past about once a minute. And
quite monstrouS phraSeS-aS, for in
stance, IT should have liked to have
done it" or some other of the innumer-
able changes that this tense mix-up Of
fers-bow confidently across the pages
of even the very best OF best sellers.
So the past master at writing may
just possibly learn some advantageous
thing from a book, not primarily de-
signed for him. A book, planned, in
stead, for the everyday man who
writes, say, letters, business and So
cial, who makes record of current
! financial dealings, who even yet has a
laundering after his diary when the
day Is done, who does any one or more
of the innumerable bits of pen work
that the busy modern time demands to
keep even the simplest citizen straight
In affairs that are as important to him
as those Of Mr.. Rockefeller and his
kind are to them. A good book for the
young fellow who thinks that to be a
reporter, and finally Journalist" is
about as exciting and fine a career as
has yet been invented.
A word about these writers. Both
have been teachers, professors, lectur-
erS in college and university. Mr.. Man
tie Is now heading the editorial depart
ment of the Ronald Press Co. A cita-
ton designed merely to let you know
that the book has been wrested-much
of it in bitterness of spirit, no doubt
from student bodies. Personal expert
ence has fashioned the book, not the
academic vaporings of the library re-
cluse, who, as q class, can outdream all
the PHILOSOPHERS, ancient and modern
put together.
Be assured, therefore, that How tc
Write" is of the best that these two
were able, year by year, to CLEAN from
students themselves and the over
weighted misf1t programs imposed, as q
rule. upon this class. It is, to be sure
| a practical book, having things to dc
with life itself and the common activi-
ties Of life. The approach to its sub.
ject Is straightforward, a business to be
met. 1t is met. A first swift over
organized, which means only that it
makes open disclosure of the parts
into which 1t separates by virtue of
| its own content and purpose. Seven
parts in all, each q concise, I'M
numbered outlook upon it's own specific
| substance. Then, uniting, the seven
bear directly down upon the &C
| tual activity of learning to write &C.
| cording to the special intent of the
student A wide variety of lines meets
| the natural diversity of taste and de-
sire bound to animate groups of indi.
viduals separated by early years anc
their divergent influences. Private let
tiers, public speaking, business transac-
tons, pure invention of Story-Writing
the production of papers designed tc
convey useful matter, scientific or philo-
sophie, and writing for self-delight-
writing for fun, so to speak. All these
are offered as subjects of concrete, first
hand dealings with the written word as
means Of communication, pleasurable OF
profitable.
An interesting introduction places
you and your projected writing face tc
face. The first problem here is the
contrast between the spoken words ano
those written. Now, speech is likely tc
be a holdback from competent writing
rather, the common habit of speech Is
likely to be: About every talker in the
world is diffuse, irrelevant, wasteful, in
effectual. Hardly any one trims his
speech to its immediate job. Instead
we all gable and meander and double
upon ourselves. So, when 1t comes tc
writing, the great obstacle is an over
load of words that start for nowhere
that arrive nowhere. Very pithy and
excellent advice Is given right here by
these authors in the first chapter OF
How to Write"
About every sort Of writing need is
met here in a manner that is practical
| and direct, in manner that at points
is something like fascination. Cold Ian
guage against warm, brings out the
interesting and useful topic of exact
ness versus suggestion" The use OF
words stresses anew the mobile f1uency,
the sheer power of accommodation that
possesses our parts of speech" proving
them to be as much alive as we our
selves are. If you have fallen for the
an esthetic delight here as we'll as the
benefit of plain utility itself. Advice is
given if you are suffering from hard
ening of the vocabulary, disease most
prevalent" Isn't that finely telling
Shock words come in for consideration
with finger pointed upon James Hume
ker and Carl Van Vechten as masters
of these exotic joys-shock words. Well,
one cannot go on indefinitely at the
little beyond, are instructions" well,
you study these for yourself. They will
repay you at every line. Away at the
end is Preparing Copy and Handling
Proof" a thing that so many need to
know, that so few do know. So much
is neglected by me here-for I've in
dulged myself at pleasant corners. But
you get the book and enjoy it while you
learn How to Write" to anybody in
the world, provided only you have some
thing to say. Libraries, editorial rooms,
and you and AL of us must have this
book, How to Write: Meeting the
Needs of Everyday Life"
X X \ X
CALIFORNIA GRINGOS. H. A. Van
Coenen Torchiana. San Francisco:
Paul Elder g. Co.
In effect, these "reminiscences are his
tory. Personal recollections, going back
to the days when the outsiders, Cali
fornia GringoS," pioneers of generally
Nordic stock, were pushing the Hidal-
COS, little, for place and occupation
in the rich border land of the Pacific.
Just word about the clear Importance
of setting down those back-looking days
in words of sllch verify as comes from