The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-23
BY HOKE NORRIS

CHAPEL HILL, N. c., Feb. %.
-R-A man who had his finger on
the south's literary pulse for Is
years believes that while no re.
Nuisance is underway, at least
this section is making progress to.
ward a full literary Towering.
He is William T. Couch, director
of the University of North Caro-
lima press, which is planning to
bring out about 30 books in the
next II months-a sharp contrast
to the organizations first y e & r,
1922, when none was published,
and its second year, when only two
bore its imprint.
"A lot more people are writing
he said today, land people are be-
coming much more conscious OF
books and writing. Not only that,
but they are becoming much more
concerned with the topics that
ought to be written about such
things as our native Indians, and
our Flora and Fauna, in addition
to social and economic problems.
And, while this may sound un-
important-though it isn't -
manuscripts r in much better
shape now. Editing used to be one
of u biggest jobs, but now we
can publish some manuscripts
without editing them at ALL"
AS evidence of the growing liter
airy movement in the south, he
said that Is years ago there just
weren't any North Carolinians
writing for a national audience,
whereas today North Carolina
alone has produced such authors
as Thomas Wolfe, Paul e e n,
Marian Sims, Jonathan Daniels
and others, and several writer's
have come to North Carolina and
other southern states to make per-
manent homes.
Couch and the university press
grew up together in the publishing
business. The son of a Baptist min
lister, Couch went to school "all
over Virginia" before he came to
the university. Even before his
graduation he worked for the
press. In 1925 he was made as
slstant director, and he was named
director in 1882.
The press is financed 10 b e r
cent by the state and the rest by
receipts from books and subsidies
from foundations and private don
orS.
Though it is rather unusual for
such an organization to publish
novels, the North Carolina press
has already brought out one
"Purslane," by Berhice Kelly Har-
rls-and plans another for the
spring, First the Fields" the
story of a tobacco family bv
Charles Barnette Wood. a univer-
sity graduate and now in the in
surance, investment and securities
business in the second of which he
writes, Person county.
Couch explained that the nrees
did not plan to go into novel pub-
fishing on a large scale-it m;oht
become too large a part of the
agency's workout would publish
good novels which might not find
another outlet.
Perhaps the most significant
trend as seer in the publications.
of the press, he said, is the interest
in the huge middle and lower mia.
die classes.
1--WE published a book not 81
long ago incorporating that r .
field" he said. ut was These az
Our Lives and it contained stor;ss
of a large class in the south u,h;oh
had been written about before ~
people who are poor but intel1;.
gent, Woodworking and proud n.
skine Caldwell, when he WRITES
about the poor, makes them Sa
generates, as in Gods Little Arre,
and Tobacco Road
II know there are such oonu
mites as he pictures, and a 1sras
proportion of our poor wonder 81
J course now they r going to nav