Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-24


story rich in episode and lavish
in citations from its subjects
own writing. letters. verses and
excerpts from his fiction and
newspaper columns.
If Ring Lardner doesn't take
on the dimensions of reality
in this book, then he never
will. II. even after the full
length treatment he receives,
he still remains something of
a puzzle. then he probably will
always be.
His First Book
Lardner was one of our finest
short story writer's. He started
out as a sports writer and con-
tinued to write sports, more
or less. all his brief life. His
first book. you Know Ne, AL"
first published in the Satur-
day Evening Post, was the saga
of a ball player, a busher
named Jack Keefe, a left
handed pitcher who got into
the big league. Jack told his
own story, in letters to his pal
al, back in his home town.
Jacks language was the
slangy, mis-spelled, semi
literate speech Ring had often
heard from ball players with
whom he travelled. Jack was
an ignorant braggart who yet
somehow was lovable. He
brought his author fame.
While his first book made
Lardner known as a humorist
and a writer about ball players,
he got tired of the theme and
resisted the insistence of mag
azines and publishers that he
continue to write about people
like Jack Keefe. He began to
write of other people in other
ways.
His Masterpieces
Thus Lardner masterpieces
like THE Golden Honeymoon"
have nothing to do with base
ball. And yet he continued to
write about people without
much education. and if they
went in for culture it was a
pretense, like the character in
"Gullible's Travels who went
in for the opera and suffered.
Lardner, as Mr.. Elder dis
closes, was brought up in a
home of culture and wealth.
He and, his brothers and sisters
had every advantage. Later
their father lost his money, but
the children were grown by
then, Ring could have gone
to any college he wanted. but
after finishing high school at
Niles. where he was a tackle
on the football team, he went
to Armour Institute in Chi
cago. at his fathers insistence.
to study engineering. Ring
couldn't have had less aptitude
Tor engineering. and he soon
dropped out.
He began as a baseball
writer for South Bend lind
paper. Before long he caught
on with a Chicago paper and
soon he was travelling with the
Cubs and the White Sox. al
ternately. A few years later
ne took over the sports COL
umn. In the Wake of the
News" for the Tribune. After
he became noted as a Short
story writer. he signed a con-
tract with an Eastern syndi-
cate, to cover big sports
events. and comment regu-
larry on whatever he chose.
He moved to Great Neck, Long
Island, with his wife, a sweet
heart Of high school days, and
their children.
Music His Hobby
Music was his great hobby
and diversion. He had a fine
baritone voice. and he grew
up in an era when popular
songs still had melody and
adolescent boys formed bar
bershop quartetS instead of
cultivating hot-rod cars and
sheer noise. His mother. an
accomplished musician, gave
him a real foundation in
music, and he wrote many
songs. and some were pub
lished, but none really caught
on. He had a passion for the
theater. With George M.
Conan he wrote Elmer the
Great" play about a ball
player, but when Conan got
through revising it. all the
typical Lardner satirical
touches were gone. and Elmer
was, more like Frank Merri-
well, and the show was a dud.
Rings only success was a
comedy called June Moon,
which came out in the early
1905. He never really con-