Evening star., 1932-10-13
WRITING DESCRIBED
AS GREATEST ART
Gideon A. Lyon Analyses Lit.
erary Expression for
Free Lance Society.

The art Of writing is the supreme art,
Gideon A. Lyon, associate editor Of The
Star, last evening told the Society of
Free Lance Writers, assembled in the
Sears Roebuck Galleries, Connecticut
avenue. for their first meeting Of the
Autumn season. Writing Is the art
which transcends all other arts, he said,
in that 1t can express all others.
There Is no limit to the art OF writ
ing" he declared, because there is no
limit to thought. Speech Is q marvel
GUS thing, writing is the second great
est miracle. Language is as plastic as
clay, paint or music"
Quoting Ruskin's doctrine that arr
Is an expression of the whole spirit OF
man and Max Muller's bene1 tnat
thought and language are 1dentlcai;
Mr.. Lyon said that the churchyaros OF
the world are filled with mute III.
glorious Millions" who have failed, not
because they did not feel the urge 10
express themselves but rather because
thev never were able to master the
technique Of expression.
Dictionary q Text Book.
The dictionary he described as tine
writer's fundamental text pooK, tne
most fascinating book available, ana
he approved Bacon's dictum that writ
ing maketh an exact man" "Other
artists must be exact The writer must
learn the right word, the right phrase.
His responsibility to his genius Is no
less than that of the painter, the sculp-
tor or the composer. Writing Is an art
that must be cultivated like any other
art. It Is a means, not an end in itself.
The writing habit and tAe thinking
habit should be co-ordinated. and the
value Of the writer's product depends
upon the quality Of the writer's
thought"
follow q rigid routine Of endeavor.
They should have place to write with
out interference; they should 60 to that
place every day at a fixed time; they
should work a regular length OF time;
they should write whatever comes
naturally to mind, and they should
stop when the first inner signal OF
fatigue appears. The habit will be-
come fixed, and a rhythmical system
OF writing be established.
The English language, he explained,
contains about quarter million words,
but the vocabulary of the average per-
son Is limited to a few hundred he
suggested that the COLLECTION OF useIul
words is a proper part Of the writer's
preparation, and, since the basic eie-
ment OF writing Is words. 1t is well TO
have a large vocabulary in order to be
in position to select the most useful
words In composition. Knowing many
words" he said, I'VE may avoid many"
Deplores Radios Effect.
There are more writer's than there
Is space for the accommodation OF their
writings. Those who wish to write
successfully must have something to
say and must bring to their work some
attractive personal element. Important
themes are limited in number. and all
have been treated before. Telling the
world something it never has heard
before is a difficult business. He ap-
pealed for high standards Of thought.
form and style, and, in this connection,
deplored the radio as having had a
pernicious effect upon language.
Mr.. Lyon illustrated the principal
points of his address by readings from
modern classics. including Lincolns
Gettysburg Address, "one Of the most
beautiful examples Of metrtcal prose
written in modern times" and Bryant's
''Thanatopsis.'