Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-18
Pen W0nzen's Head
Calls Work Secret
OfGood Writing
BY Gretchen Smith
Women's Club Editor.

Ten years ago Mrs. Alma Robi-
son Higbee. newly elected president
Of the National League of Ameri-
can Pen Women, was busily engaged
writing advertising copy for the
successful agency she headed, with
little thought to writing short
stories, fiction or poetry.
Today she has had four short
stories published in the American
Mercury, has had innumerable
poems published in various papers
and periodicals throughout the
country, including The Washington
Evening Star, and was winner of
$500 prize awarded by the Curtis
Brown-Doubleday Doran Publishing
Houses, in contest open to writers
of first novels. The novel, Sap
lings," is one OF five which Mrs.
Higbee has written since 1899.
Writing is but hobby" with this
energetic Pen Woman. She had
raised one family OF two girls and
a boy successfully, had moved to
Kansas City, Mo-, as a widow from
her home in Kentucky and had
established her advertising agency
when she married second time.
With four grandchildren and a
14-year-old son by her second mar
riage, Mrs. Higbee declares she has
just begun her literary career, and
as leader Of the National League of
Pen Women she offers encouraging
and constructive advice to all
would-be writer's. She declares that
those who really want to write can
do so-but she emphasizes they
must be willing to work.
Her recipe for writing is to know
what you want and to work for it, ;
She has laid down a most prodi-
gious program for herself, although
she considers work but pleasure. She
writes at least three poems a week
and her goal is 100 poems in the mail
at all times. One story a month is
definite must" for her, although
she sometimes writes two or three
a month. Between poetry ano
stories she works on novel, En-
route to Washington from Kansas
City by train, Mrs. Higbee wrote
four poems, all four OF which have
already been sold.
Most of her writings deal with
| characters she has met.
In regard to her domestic life
the energetic lady, whose gracious
friendly manner wins her friends al
first sight, relates. I'VE live in a
large house, an old one, hard tc
take care Of l have no help, dc
my own housework and part OF
the laundry.
Life has given great depth of
understanding to Mrs. Higbee, and
while 1T may sound anomalous, she
declares that no one can really
know other people until they
have learned to live alone and like
it."
One of the novels which she is
taking to New York publisher
today, entitled "A Lonely Wine,
deals with this philosophy.
| "One must learn to drink lonely
wine and find it sweet" she ex-
planned.
Although her program for the
National League of Pen Women Is
still in formative stage, Mrs. Hig-
bee intends to encourage serious
work programs among wearers OF
the owl"
For writing members OF the
league, she explains, I'VE have t.
have higher standards of profes
sionalism SO that we can command
and demand the respect Of publish
ers"
Mrs Higbee, who was accompa.
MED from Kansas City by a dele.
CATION of 10 or 20 league members
is the first Midwesterner elected
to the officer of National President
of the League of American Per
Women.