Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-12-02
At Home With Creator Of "Anthony Adverse"

and sequences of their lives, but they all grew
and became stronger as the story developed.
The entire story was clear in my mind ut the
start, but there were many places where 1t just
seemed to grow and require more space.
The length Of the book was problematical
with me. had decided to let it run its full
course through the images and scenes that
created themselves as the story went along.
OF course, had to use an extensive reference
library and spent great deal Of time gathering
data, which sort Of filtered through my head
to become the book itself.
YES wrote it entirely in long hand. Type
writing is too slow. That is, mean to say
that the swiftest and easiest way for me to
write is with a lead pencil so naturally that is
the medium employ. Many parts of the book
are laid in locales where I had never been,
although I have spent quite some time IN
Europe, the South Seas and in the sections Of
the United States where Anthony has his
adventures.
Il am pleased about one angle Of the book in
which you may be interested, and that is the
great number Of men, who are reading the
volume according to letters receive querying
me on many angles of it. AS you may know.
the greater part of the novel-readng public
is composed Of women, and to know that men
have accepted and are reading my book almost
equally with women is quite gratifying"
By this time, the vigorous personality Of Mr..
Allen would begin to beat down upon you, and
you would begin to understand how it was that
he could have produced such a stupendous
novel without having any qualms as to its
length or the tedious -after-year grind OF
its preparation. He was three and one-haf
years writing the book.
mo, did very little rewriting Of the book
Each of the characters and the events were
vivid and real to me that thought them out
each in turn. Some days whole chapters or
sequence of events would be particularly clear
and I would compete them with no difficulty.
Then, perhaps, it might be week before
another series would be clear enough to me that
would be ready to put it into words.
II do not think you can drive yourself to write
scenes when you are tired or in another mood.
or If you do write under those circumstances
your readers will know it because it will be re-
hected in the phrasing.
And that is another thing in writing An
author has to think and write in phrases, not
in words. He must concentrate on presenting
an idea with phrase, not with just string q
words"
You probably would be taken into the house
proper where Mrs. Allen would greet you with
her sparklingly real personality. There prob
ably is no library in all of America more lovely
than the one in which you probably would be
served a cocktail. 1t is not a large room. It Is
not an ornate room. 1t is not splendid. It
Is sheerly lovely with inset book shelves in every
conceivable corner and panel. On the wall.
you would see, surrounded by books, a lighted
group of fgurines Immediately, you would
know the persons represented by the fgurines
are Anthony Adverse" holding the lovely
Dolores in his at the final parting in the
gateway of her home.
Eventually, you would reluctantly enter yoar
automobile and drive of into the night down .
winding, tree-lined road, carrying with you .
sense that in many ways you had enjoyed .
rare and celebrating experience.