Evening star., 1937-10-24
Mrs. Edith M. Stern Gives
Lectures With Events
as Chief Subject.
By Lucy Salamanca.

IF YOU happen to be a suburban
housewife, signing after a New
York career, a national reputation
literary teas and press notices. con-
slider the words of Edith M. Stern,
New York novelist, who has recently
taken up her abode in the Capital area
with her husband, William Stern, I'd,
who is special assistant to the Attorney
General, and their young daughter,
Monica, better known as "Nicky."
For the first time in my life"
declares Mrs. Stern, in manner that
leaves no question as to her meaning
it. II feel as If were really living!
I have a suburban home, with all the
friendly, heart warming associations Of
a small community; my maid, my
little daughter. my husband, in what
believe is referred to with something
Of a sniff by some as Government
Job; plenty of air, space, green trees.
and a pleasant, unspectacular daily
routine. For the first time in my life
I know how thrilling it can be to do
IiOlllCly UlilA6o 90 PdobAAs6 aP
preserves and for the first time in
my experience I have escaped the
feeling of being prodded in the back
by life.
"If that sounds unexciting to you,
let me tell you that being novelist,
with four books to your record. and
a long line Of literary teas behind you,
isn't all it's cracked up to be. doubt
If any press notice ever gave me the
same feeling of satisfaction I get from
reading the labels on the newly pre-
served fruit on my cellar shelves. Like
all feminists who have shouted the
loudest, / guess I'm just a clinging
vine at heart. And while expect to
20 on writing articles and perhaps
books in my new setting, honestly
believe nothing I-can ever accomplish
again will give me the real satisfac-
ton and pleasure I'm getting out OF
living in Washington"
There is an admission, II you like.
Particularly when it comes from a
vivacious young lady who has had
her share of feting, as any young lady
is bound to have had who published
her first novel while still in her 20s,
and followed it up with three other
well-received books, to say nothing
of good, sound, common-sense maga-
zine articles and fling at lecturing In
between reviews.
A native New Yorker, educated in
New York, and taking her first job
after graduating from Barnard in a
New York publishing house, Mrs. Stern
Is in position to speak with authority
on the relative residence values of
New York and Washington And she's
pleased as Punch about Washington.
when I knew we were really
coming here to live can't tell you how
delighted I was. Just think Of it, a
confirmed cliff-dweller like myself,
getting such kick out of living in a
Washington suburb in a house we
bought TO ourselves. But hope moth
ing ever changes the pictureA If were
a pretty good novelist In New York, !
feel ought to turn out really good
book here"
EDITH STERN first had the literary
spot light turned in her direction
when Boni and Liver1ght published her
novel, Purse Strings" Not only was
this the first novel Of Mrs. Stern, 1t
represented the first writing she had
ever done. She had worked for the
f1rm Of Alfred Knopf, reading manu-
scripts, shortly after her graduation
from Barnard, and had read some 5000
works of aspiring young authors for
Boni and Liveright before the thought
occurred to her that she might do
some writing herself
when I left Boni and Liveright,"
she told me, II didn't know what
wanted to do. I was tired of manu-
script reading, but I wanted to stay
on the literary field. It~was my hus-
band who first urged me to write and
I thought might take turn at short
story writing. But 1t didn't take me
long to discover that had no flair
for the short story. Try q novel;
my husband urged, but told him I
couldn't. You see, I felt I had read