The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-03-31
KY Books
by A. de T. Gingras

I1di1 E. mdu1G dkfu mC1Nu1E II.
Cane, and assisted by Philip Al
Ian Friedman, published by Ran
dom House, New York City, 81
pages.)
When an important author dies
and takes off to the special book
shaped cloud reserved for writ
ers, there are always editorial
fellows waiting behind the trees
to scoop up the literary crumbs.
This time the scoopers-up are
Mr.. Lewis editor at Random
House and his attorney. Also on
the bandwagon of reflected glory
is a certain Philip Allan Fried
man.
The literary crumbs in these
gentlemen's combined selection
are of varying merit. A good
part of them are worthy of the
author of Main Street and Arrow
smith. The others might as well
have been left unpublished.
One of the best is the first es-
say called "The American Fear
of Literature. 1t was read by
Lewis as an address when he re-
ceived the Nobel prize in litera-
ture on December IL, 1880. While
the situation described has
changed somewhat, there is still
considerable truth in what Mr..
Lewis has to say:
=" in America most of us :
not readers alone but even writ
ers are still afraid Of any liter
ature which is not glorification
of everything American, a glori-
fication of our faults as well as
our virtues. To be not only a
best seller in America but to be
really beloved, a novelist must
assert that all American men are
tall, handsome, rich, honest and
powerful at golf; that all coun-
try towns are filled with neigh
borS who do nothing from day
save go about being kind to one
another;
IS. that although American
girls may be wild, they change
always into perfect wives and
mothers: and that geographical
ly, America is composed of New
York, which is inhabited entire.
ly by millionaires; of the West,
which keeps unchanged all the
boisterouS heroism of 1870; and
the South, where every one lives
on plantation perpetually CLOS
Sy with moonlight and scented
with magnolias. :"
On the other hand, for example,
Lewis essay on H. G.. Wells
sounds partly like something
from a puff sheet and partly like
a sentimental Obit. This review
er has a vast admiration for the
English author. and is a most APP
preciative audience of one, for
any legitimate bouquets thrown
to him. But this piece is maud
lin and adds only guSh to the
readers knowledge of Mr.. Wells
or Mr.. Lewis as men or writers.
A discussion of literary back
stage technicalities are also in.
cluded. There are introduetions or
essays on Rabbit. Kingsblood
Royal, Main Street and Arrow
smith, as well as first draft and
notebook preliminaries to Mr..
Lewis finished products.
MIR. Lewis is not at all SYM
pathetic with the general belief
that any man or woman who has
failed at plumbing, farming or
housewifery can write after few
lessons. He says, ". there is
only one fixed rule for writing.
and that is hard and unpopular:
the story that you have not set
down in words win never win
glory, no matter how many even
ings you have spent in delight
ing yourself and annoying your
relatives by relating its plot.
Which is an elaborate way of
saying: Work!. !"
The rules, Mr.. Lewis says, are
nonsense because writing Of any
distinction is a mental process.
not an air-conditioned shop under
union rules. Style is the manner
in which a person expresses
what he feels. II is dependent on
two things: bis ability to feel,
and his possession, through read.
ing or conversation, Of a vocabu-
larry adequate to express his feel
ing.
On the use Of obscene language
in fiction he has this to say:
%. a book goes into the living
room Of strangers ard the author
with il. generously welcomed at
first. Until he is certain that bis
hosts like to have their sociolo-
gieal revelations wUrded In the
language Of a vomiting coal heav-
er. he would dc well to be at
least as diplomats as . police.
man"
JUNIOR SELECTION
THE LITTLE BALLET DANG
Err by Monica Sterling. ehiId'x
book. illustrated By Helen stone.
published by Lothrep. Lee ard
Sheppard. New York City. 81
pages.