Imperial Valley press., 1934-01-15
CURRENT BOOK REVIEWED FOR
Il CENTRIC PUBLIC LIBRARY

1t has been said that no one un-
der 60 should be allowed to pub
lish or even write his autobiography.
1t is not that material is likely to
be lacking, for almost anything can
happen to one before that age
and usually does; the theory pre-
sumably is that by go one is too
canny or too blase to write any
thing at all. Or else, by a more
kindly Interpretation, that men OF
fewer years seldom have the leisure
ly perspective, objectivity, and ma
turity of judgment required for this
literary genre. But If writer
really happens to have this pre-
cociousness of mind, then of course
Floyd Dell has written his own
biography at 45. He already had
no inconsideraple reputation as a
journalist, critic and novelist, and
he probably deserves to be better
known than he is, as poet. And
I" Homecoming the story of his
own life, has found a numerous
audience and called forth the al
most unanimous praise of the cri-
tics.
1t is the record of some three de-
cades of an active and productive
career, thrown against the back
ground of the American literary
scene. 1t is the story of Missouri
boy of humble parentage, Scantily
educated, with a strong bent for
letters and an authentic strain of
poetry in his nature, who unwaver-
ingly followed his instincts and in
good measure attained his goal. Be-
hind these struggles, enthusiasms
and disappointments moves the lit
erary life of two great cities, and
at least a fleeting appearance OF
nearly all the better known literary
personalities of the period. Wheth-
er the chief interest of the book
is in this general setting, or in the
personality of the author, is a mat
ter for the reader to decide.
Holds Attention
Perhaps that is rather an acad-
emic question, for the book as a
whole undoubtedly holds the atten-
ton, whether from one angle or the
other. The present reviewer, for
one, finds the first part of only
moderate interest; the characters,
with one or possibly two exceptions,
are dimly drawn, and the account
of childhood and adolescence seems
unprofitably prolix. But there is,
nevertheless, considerable skill in
the selections of material, and all
of DELI usual felicity of phrase in
the presentation. He neither ex-
ploits nor shuns the revelation OF
his own emotional life, and achieves
self-detachment without devitalizing
his narrative. And from the time
when he first goes to Chicago and
becomes a reporter on the Post. and
afterwards. assistant editor and edi-
tor chief of the Literary Supple
ment, the events and personalities
gain steadily in vividness.
Since-to paraphrase Wilde-all
good Chicago literati go to New
York when they die, and sooner ii
possible,-Dell naturally gravitated
to the latter city, and of course to
Greenwich Village, then at its un-
sanitary and bohemian best. And
here there are hundreds of casual
but intimate touches on the life
and ways of literary folk, and es-
pecially a remarkable and appeal
ing study of Edna st. Vincent Mil
lay, for whom Dell has a most in
telligible enthusiasm. 1t was in
this period that Dell became editor
of The Masses, a magazine that
was injudicious enough to display
it's critical intelligence during a
trying time, and by SO doing brought
down indictments on its contribut-
ing staff.
All the curious melange of mod
ernism is in the background of these
| years-a 'welter' of which the au-