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there a science of paragraphing, and can it be taught?" There may be a science of paragraphing, and perhaps it can be taught, but it is not taught to any great extent in Mr. Edson's book, interesting as the book is. Don Marquis seems to cover the ground in his delightful Introduction preceding other delightful Introductions by "F. P. A." and Christopher Morley in which he says: "I do not think any one can be taught anything about humor, but I do think that certain persons may be taught the mechanism of producing humorous copy that will sell to newspapers and magazines, if they have the humor natively." To be a humorist, one must be a humorist to start.

THE SCHOOL PRINTSHOP. By Katharine M. Stilwell. 226 pp. Cloth. Chicago: Rand McNally & Com

pany. 1919.

Any writer who has a knowledge of the principles of type composition and printing

all the better if it is practical has a distinct advantage, because he knows how the matter he writes should be presented in print, and so understands how to make it typographically most effective. For that reason it will be worth while for any writer who is not familiar with such matters to acquire the information given in this book, which is designed primarily for the use of pupils in schools of the manual arts but which will be of value to all who are concerned with the art of printing, and particularly to those who write for publication. All the processes of printing are described, detailed information is given about type and the methods and rules of composition, proof-reading, measuring composed type and making up forms, with suggestions about art in printing and information about paper and making illustrations, with a useful glossary of printer's terms matters on which every writer ought to be informed.

A THOUGHT Book ON THE SOCRATIC METHOD. Edited by T. Sharper Knowlson. 200 pp. Cloth. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. 1920. The purpose of this book, with the righthand pages presenting questions on all sorts of topics, suggested by quotations, with blank lines opposite each question for personal notes and comments, and the left-hand pages, similarly headed with quotations, with blanks for the reader to put his own questions and write the answers to them, is to stimulate thought and develop both reflective ability and ability in brief expression. It is based on the theory of the quotation given from Pierre Duval, "How would I advise you to begin the study of life? By arming yourself with a note of interrogation." COMMON SCIENCE. By Carleton W. Washburne. Illustrated. 390 pp. Cloth. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company. 1920.

Writers may profit by an attentive reading of this book, which presents in a novel

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practical questions, the answers to which everybody, and particularly every writer, ought to know. The answers to them are made in such an effective way for instance, telling what conditions must be in the place between the earth and the sun where gravitation has no effect, or what would happen if the action of capillary attraction should suddenly stop that the principles are

Professor

strongly impressed on the mind of the reader, and it is made easy for him to understand, for instance, how pumps work, why iron ships do not sink, why oiled shoes are waterproof or what makes a ball bounce. Common science and common sense are closely related, and every writer should be equipped with both. Knowledge of the principles of natural history is something that everybody should possess, and in this book they are presented, without mathematics or formulae of any kind, in a most interesting wav. Many pictures showing boys and girls trying the various experiments suggested form an attractive feature of the book. HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH COMPOSITION. tion of standard rules and usage. A compilaBy Luella Clay Carson. Second, revised edition. 226 pp. Cloth. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company. 1920. This attractive little book by Carson is neither a grammar nor a rhetoric, but includes standard rules for writing, compiled in the main from recognized authorities which are indicated in a Bibliography at the end of the book, and information about matters of accepted usage in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, syllabification, the use of italics, compounds, and abbreviations. Some sixty pages are devoted to a chapter on Construction and Criticism, and there is a good chapter on Mechanical Aids and Processes, including suggestions about taking, and research and bibliography. A chapter on letter-writing is followed by a chapter on preparing copy for the printer, and there are appendixes treating of poetic forms; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms ; words often mispronounced; a few common errors; business forms; and theme correcting.

note

LABORATORY MANUAL OF ENGLISH COMPOSITION. By Stanley R. Oldham, A. M. 148 pp. Cloth. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company. 1920. In this Laboratory Manual Mr. Oldham aims to teach English composition by the inductive method, giving the student assignments, for instance, in planning the composition, which will give him practice in note

taking, handling notes, testing their value, outlining, narrowing the theme, expanding the outline, using quotations, anecdotes, or jokes, and making the title. Each chapter is followed by a reference list of books in which the rules for procedure are laid down, and there is an appendix giving a key to reference books. There are chapters devoted to Paragraphs, Sentences, Words, Narration, Description Exposition, Argumentation, Spelling and Punctuation, Letter-Writing, Figures of Speech, and Poetry, and there is a very useful and suggestive chapter on Reading and the Use of the Library.

BOOKS RECEIVED:

[THE WRITER is pleased to receive for review any books about authors, authorship, language, or literary topics or any books that would be of real value in a writer's library, such as works of reference, history, biography, or travel. There is no space in the magazine for the review of fiction, poetry, etc. All books received will be acknowledged under this heading. Selections will be made for review in the interest of THE WRITER'S readers.] THE PASSING LEGIONS. How the American Red Cross Met the American Army in Great Britain, the Gateway to France. By George Buchanan Fife. Illustrated. 269 New York: pp. Cloth.

The Macmillan Company. 1920. WITH THE DOUGHBOY IN FRANCE.

By Edward

Hungerford. Illustrated. 291 pp. Cloth. New
York: The Macmillan Company. 1920.

THE EDITORIAL. A Study in Effectiveness in Writ-
ing. By Leon Nelson Flint, Professor of Journal-
ism in the University of Kansas. 262 pp. Cloth.
New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1920.
SOUTH SEA FOAM. The Romantic Adventures of a
Modern Don Quixote in the Southern Seas. By
A. Safroni-Middleton. 350 pp. Cloth. New York:
George H. Doran Company. 1920.
BUDDIES. A Sequel to "Yanks: A Book of Verse."
A collection of verses originally published in the
Stars & Stripes, Washington, D. C. With deco-
rations by Wallgren. 77 pp. Paper. Washington :
Eastern Supply Co., 302 Albee Building. 1920.

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THE COLYUMISTS' CONFESSIONAL. XII. Some Once-Weres, Including Himself. With portrait. Henry Sydnor Harrison. Everybody's for December.

ARCHITECTURE AND WORDS. With portraits of Ralph Adams Cram and Royal Cortissoz. Matlack Price. Arts & Decoration for December. THE AMERICAN NOVEL IS ESCAPING THE INFLU OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE. W. L. George. With portrait. Arts & Decoration for December. A LEGAL ASPECT OF BROWNING'S "THE RING AND THE BOOK." Harry Glicksman. Modern Language Notes for December.

ENCE

GORKY'S NOTES ON TOLSTOY. M. Jourdain. Open Court for December.

IMPROVING PRINTS BY RETOUCHING. H. R. Bezant. Photo-Era for December.

LITTLE THINGS. A Paper Edited and Printed by Five Young Sisters, in 1870. Belle Moses. St. Nicholas for December.

THE STORY OF THE METROPOLITAN MAGAZINE. Carl Hovey. American News Trade Journal for December.

TELLING TALES WITH HUMAN ENDINGS. W. C. Clayton. American News Trade Journal for December.

A CANADIAN LITERARY DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Literary Digest for December 4.

THE NEW Boy AND THE OLD BOOK. William Heyliger. Literary Digest for December 25.

PLAIN WORDS ON NEWSPAPER EDITING. Fourth Estate for December 25.

AMERICAN COMPOSERS Too SOPHISTICATED. Reginald Sweet. Musical Courier for December 30.

NEWS AND NOTES.

Professor Brander Matthews has been elected Chancellor of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and also a member of the Academy's board of governors.

Robert Frost, author of "North of Boston," has become literary adviser for Henry Holt & Co. Mr. Frost will give his attention particularly to manuscripts of poetry.

there a science of paragraphing, and can it be taught?" There may be a science of paragraphing, and perhaps it can be taught, but it is not taught to any great extent in Mr. Edson's book, interesting as the book is. Don Marquis seems to cover the ground in his delightful Introduction - preceding other delightful Introductions by "F. P. A." and in which he says: "I Christopher Morley do not think any one can be taught anything about humor, but I do think that certain persons may be taught the mechanism of producing humorous copy that will sell to newspapers and magazines, if they have the humor natively." To be a humorist, one must be a humorist to start.

-

THE SCHOOL PRINTSHOP. By Katharine M. Stilwell. 226 pp. Cloth. Chicago: Rand McNally & Company. 1919.

Any writer who has a knowledge of the principles of type composition and printing has a disall the better if it is practical tinct advantage, because he knows how the matter he writes should be presented in print, and so understands how to make it typographically most effective. For that reason it will be worth while for any writer who is not familiar with such matters to acquire the information given in this book, which is designed primarily for the use of pupils in schools of the manual arts but which will be of value to all who are concerned with the art of printing, and particularly to those who write for publication. All the processes of printing are described, detailed information is given about type and the methods and rules of composition, proof-reading, measuring composed type and making up forms, with suggestions about art in printing and information about paper and making illustrations, with a useful glossary of printer's terms matters on which every writer ought to be informed.

A THOUGHT Book ON THE SOCRATIC METHOD. Edited by T. Sharper Knowlson. 200 pp. Cloth. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. 1920. The purpose of this book, with the righthand pages presenting questions on all sorts of topics, suggested by quotations, with blank lines opposite each question for personal notes and comments, and the left-hand pages, similarly headed with quotations, with blanks for the reader to put his own questions and write the answers to them, is to stimulate thought and develop both reflective ability and ability in brief expression. It is based on the theory of the quotation given from Pierre Duval, "How would I advise you to begin the study of life? By arming yourself with a note of interrogation." COMMON SCIENCE. By Carleton W. Washburne, Illustrated. 100 րը Cloth. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company. 1920.

Writers may profit by an attentive reading of this book, which presents in a novel

and entertaining way the principles of common science physics, chemistry, physiology, and biology with physiology and hygiene. It answers about two thousand questions actually asked by several hundred school children in the upper elementary grades in a period of about eighteen months. The questions give a good indication of the parts of science in which children are most interested

practical questions, the answers to which everybody, and particularly every writer, ought to know. The answers to them are made in such an effective way for instance, telling what conditions must be in the place between the earth and the sun where gravitation has no effect, or what would happen if the action of capillary attraction should suddenly stop that the principles are strongly impressed on the mind of the reader, and it is made easy for him to understand, for instance, how pumps work, why iron ships do not sink, why oiled shoes are waterproof or what makes a ball bounce. Common science and common sense are closely related, and every writer should be equipped with both. Knowledge of the principles of natural history is something that everybody should possess, and in this book they are presented, without mathematics or formulae of any kind, in a most interesting way. Many pictures showing boys and girls trying the various experiments suggested form an attractive feature of the book. HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH COMPOSITION. A compilation of standard rules and usage. By Luella Clay Carson. Second, revised edition. 226 pp. Cloth. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company. 1920.

This attractive little book by Professor Carson is neither a grammar nor a rhetoric, but includes standard rules for writing, compiled in the main from recognized authorities which are indicated in a Bibliography at the end of the book, and information about matters of accepted usage in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, syllabification, the use of italics, compounds, and abbreviations. Some sixty pages are devoted to a chapter on Construction and Criticism, and there is a good chapter on Mechanical Aids and Processes, including suggestions about notetaking, and research and bibliography. A chapter on letter-writing is followed by a chapter on preparing copy for the printer, and there are appendixes treating of poetic forms; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms: words often mispronounced; a few common errors; business forms; and theme correcting.

LABORATORY MANUAL OF ENGLISH COMPOSITION. By Stanley R. Oldham. A. M. 148 pp. Cloth. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company. 1920. In this Laboratory Manual Mr. Oldham aims to teach English composition by the inductive method, giving the student assignments, for instance, in planning the composition, which will give him practice in note

taking, handling notes, testing their value, outlining, narrowing the theme, expanding the outline, using quotations, anecdotes, or jokes, and making the title. Each chapter is followed by a reference list of books in which the rules for procedure are laid down, and there is an appendix giving a key to reference books. There are chapters devoted to Paragraphs, Sentences, Words, Narration, Description Exposition, Argumentation, Spelling and Punctuation, Letter-Writing, Figures of Speech, and Poetry, and there is a very useful and suggestive chapter on Reading and the Use of the Library.

BOOKS RECEIVED:

or

[THE WRITER is pleased to receive for review any books about authors, authorship, language, or literary topics or any books that would be of real value in a writer's library, such as works of reference, history, biography, travel. There is no space in the magazine for the review of fiction, poetry, etc. All books received will be acknowledged under this heading. Selections will be made for review in the interest of THE WRITER'S readers.] THE PASSING LEGIONS. How the American Red Cross Met the American Army in Great Britain, the Gateway to France. By George Buchanan Fife. Illustrated. 269 New pp. Cloth.

The Macmillan Company. 1920. WITH THE DOUGHBOY IN FRANCE.

York :

By Edward

1920.

New

Hungerford. Illustrated. 201 pp. Cloth. York: The Macmillan Company. THE EDITORIAL. A Study in Effectiveness in Writing. By Leon Nelson Flint, Professor of Journalism in the University of Kansas. 262 pp. Cloth. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1920.

SOUTH SEA FOAM. The Romantic Adventures of a
Modern Don Quixote in the Southern Seas. By
A. Safroni-Middleton. 350 pp. Cloth. New York:
George H. Doran Company. 1920.
BUDDIES. A Sequel to "Yanks: A Book of Verse."
A collection of verses originally published in the
Stars & Stripes, Washington, D. C. With deco-
rations by Wallgren. 77 pp. Paper. Washington:
Eastern Supply Co., 302 Albee Building. 1920.

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Ralph Adams Cram and Royal Cortissoz. Matlack
Price. Arts & Decoration for December.
THE AMERICAN NOVEL IS ESCAPING THE INFLU-
ENCE OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE. W. L. George.
With portrait. Arts & Decoration for December.
A LEGAL ASPECT OF BROWNING'S "THE RING
THE BOOK." Harry Glicksman. Modern Lan-
guage Notes for December.

AND

GORKY'S NOTES ON TOLSTOY. M. Jourdain. Open Court for December. H. R.

IMPROVING PRINTS BY RETOUCHING. Bezant. Photo-Era for December.

LITTLE THINGS. A Paper Edited and Printed by Five Young Sisters, in 1870. Belle Moses. St. Nicholas for December.

THE STORY OF THE METROPOLITAN MAGAZINE. Carl Hovey. American News Trade Journal for December.

TELLING TALFS WITH HUMAN ENDINGS. W. C. Clayton. American News Trade Journal for December.

A CANADIAN LITERARY DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Literary Digest for December 4.

THE NEW Boy AND THE OLD BOOK. William Heyliger. Literary Digest for December 25.

PLAIN WORDS ON NEWSPAPER EDITING. Fourth Estate for December 25.

AMERICAN COMPOSERS TOO SOPHISTICATED. Reginall Sweet. Musical Courier for December 30.

NEWS AND NOTES.

Professor Brander Matthews has been flected Chancellor of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and also a member of the Academy's board of governors.

Robert Frost, author of "North of Boston," has become literary adviser for Henry Holt & Co. Mr. Frost will give his attention particularly to manuscripts of poetry.

For twenty-five years the children of Chicago have been giving their pennies for a memorial to Eugene Field, and now that the trustees of the Benjamin F. Ferguson fund have added more than $15,000 to the children's $9,920, work on a statue, to stand in Lincoln Park, will be begun.

The Nobel prize for literature for 1919, which was withheld during the war, has been awarded to Carl Spitteler, the Swiss poet.

Doubleday, Page, & Co. have become partners in the firm of William Heinemann & Co., of London.

Stewart Stoll, formerly with McLoughlin Bros., Inc., and William M. Edwards, for many years connected with Cupples & Leon Co., have formed a new publishing firm, to be known as Stoll & Edwards Co., Inc., with offices at 23-25 East Twenty-sixth street, New York.

The Bookseller, Newsdealer, and Stationer will change its name to the Bookseller and Stationer, beginning with the January number.

The Origins of French Romanticism," by M. B. Finch and E. Allison Peers, is published by E. P. Dutton & Co.

Our Short Story Writers," by Blanche Colton Williams, Ph.D. (Moffat, Yard, & Co.), discusses the work of Alice Brown, James Branch Canfield, Cabell, Dorothy Robert W. Chambers, Irvin Cobb, J. B. Connolly, Richard Harding Davis, Margaret Deland, Edna Ferber, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Hamlin Garland, O. Henry, Joseph Hergesheimer, Fannie Hurst, Jack London, Brander Matthews, Melville Davisson Post, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Booth Tarkington, and Edith Wharton.

John Murray will soon publish "The Diary of a Journalist," by Sir Henry Lucy.

"Essays on Modern Dramatists," including Barrie, Galsworthy, and Rostand, by Professor William Lyon Phelps, will be published in January by the Macmillan Com

pany.

A volume of essays on poetry, entitled "The Sacred Wood," by T. S. Eliot, is announced by Methuen & Co. (London).

Professor Ralph Barton Perry, of Harvard University, has prepared an "Annotated Bibliography of the Writings of William James," which will be published by Longmans, Green, & Co.

66

'Personal Aspects of Jane Austen," by Mary Augusta Austen-Leigh, is published by E. P. Dutton & Co.

Doubleday, Page, & Co. will publish "The Uncollected Prose and Poetry of Walt Whitman," the material for which has been collected and edited by Professor Emery Holloway, who has had access to the manuscript and other material of Whitman's executors, Bucke, Traubel, and Harned, which is now in the Library of Congress.

"The Business Man's English," by Wallace Edgar Bartholomew and Floyd Hurlburt, is published by the Macmillan Company.

"A History of English-Canadian Literature to the Confederation," and its relation to the literature of Great Britain and the United States, by Ray Palmer Baker, is published in this country by the Harvard University Press.

"The Skyline in English Literature," by Lewis Worthington Smith and Esse V. Hathaway (D. Appleton & Co.), is a brief history of English literature from the earliest times to the present day.

The Oxford University Press is about to publish"The Sounds of Standard English," by T. Nicklin, Warden of Hulme Hall, Manchester, England. The book has been written with the object of helping toward the propagation of standard English dialect " in all counties and in all classes of England.

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Llewellyn Jones, literary editor of the Chicago Evening Post, has prepared a booklet about Joseph Hergesheimer, which will be distributed by Alfred Knopf.

Wolf von Schierbrand died in New York December 1, aged sixty-eight.

Annie H. Ryder died in Medford, Mass., December 4, aged sixty-eight.

Mrs. S. C. Cronwright (Olive Schreiner) died in London December 12, aged fifty-eight.

Chauncey C. Hotchkiss died in Brooklyn December 16, aged sixty-eight.

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