changed its name was based on a misunderstanding. The Grocers' Magazine is still published at 88 Broad street, under the name it has borne for twenty years, and no change is likely. The Retail Grocer and Provision Dealer (Lock Box 2464, Boston) is a wholly separate publication, and the statement of its needs in the January WRITER was correct.

The Reviewer, formerly published at Richmond, Virginia, is now edited by Paul Green, and published at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The magazine needs stories, poems, and good critical articles. Nothing is wanted that lacks true literary significance.

Real Life Stories (145 West Fifty-seventh street, New York) ceased publication with the issue for March.

Robert K. Haas, Inc., the publishers of "The Cure of Self-Consciousness," by James Alexander, want authentic anecdotes of cases where self-consciousness has caused excruciating embarrassment, or accounts of people whose careers have been checked because they were always self-conscious and timid. These stories are wanted for use in publicity matter, and no names will be used in publishing them. Fifty dollars will be paid for each story accepted. Manuscripts should be sent to Robert K. Haas, Inc., Suite 52, 218 West Fortieth street, New York.

Liberty and the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation are seeking an idea for a thrilling story of love and action suitable for Liberty and for a motion picture, and will pay $25.000 for the best synopsis and $25,000 for the finished story. The winning suggestion will be written into a novel and be printed as a serial in Liberty; it will also be produced as a Paramount motion picture. Liberty will try to make arrangements with Charles Frohman, Inc., for the production of the winning story on the stage, and will also try to arrange with publishers for the publishing of the story in book form. The synopsis and the story must be one of love and action and must be clean, and will be judged by the nature of the plot, the originality of thought, cleverness of idea, clearness of expression, form of presen

tation, and wording. Entries must be addressed "Stories," care of Liberty, Post office Box: 1123, Chicago, Ill. Further particulars may be obtained from the same address. The contest will close at midnight, June 1. The words, "Synopsis for $50,000 Prize Story" must be written plainly at the top of each synopsis submitted. If the complete story is also submitted the words, "Complete Story" must be written at the top of the first story sheet, and a synopsis properly marked must be attached.

The House Beautiful (8 Arlington street, Boston) offers prizes of $25, $15, and $10 for the best letters on "How the House Beautiful Building Annual Has Helped Me to Plan or to Build a Better House." Letters must be received by the Building Annual Contest Editor by July I.

Elizabeth Marbury offers a prize of $1,000 for two or three acts to complete the play (now in one act) written by Sir James Barrie, and produced at the Empire Theatre, New York city, January 13, 1925, under the title. "Shall We Join the Ladies?" Miss Marbury and two other judges to be appointed by her will select three manuscripts which in their opinion are entitled to consideration and submit them to Gilbert Miller, general director for Charles Frohman, Inc., who controls the sole acting rights to the one act of this play already written by Sir James Barrie. If Mr. Miller accepts one of these three manuscripts, he will within ten days thereafter enter into a written contract with the author, which contract shall provide that the author shall receive a royalty of five per cent. of all gross receipts earned by performances of the completed play, all other terms and conditions to be those customary between producing manager and author as arranged by the Authors' League of America. The contract shall also provide that Miss Marbury shall act as the sole and exclusive agent of the author of the accepted manuscript and winner of the prize, solely for this play, and shall receive for her services in the matter of drawing contracts and collecting royalties the usual agency fee of ten per cent. of all royalties collected under the contract. Upon the signing of the contract between the author and Charles Frohman, Inc., Miss Mar

bury will award the prize of $1,000 to the author. All manuscripts must be typewritten and must reach Miss Marbury, 33 West Fortysecond street, New York, by July 1, 1925.

Our Dumb Animals (180 Longwood avenue, Boston) offers prizes of $30 and $20 to newspaper artists for the best cartoons illustrating the Be Kind to Animals idea, published in any periodical in the United States during the month of April, provided copies of the papers containing them reach the Cartoon Contest editor not later than May 15. For the best letters, not exceeding 150 words, telling how to further and give publicity to the Be Kind to Animals idea, prizes of $15 and $10 are offered. Letters should be addressed to the Be Kind to Animals Editor, and should reach him not later than April 20.

The Canadian Bookman (125 Simcoe street, Toronto, Canada) will award three prizes for the best reviews, not exceeding 400 words, of "The Constant Nymph," by Margaret Kennedy (Doubleday, Page, & Co.), received by May I.

At the annual O. Henry Memorial Dinner of the Society of Arts and Sciences in New York February 19, the prizes for the best short stories of 1924 were awarded as follows First prize ($500) to Inez Haynes Irwin, for "The Spring Flight," in McCall's Magazine; second prize ($250) to Chester T. Crowell, for "Margaret Blake," in the Century; special prize ($100) to Frances Newman, for "Rachel and Her Children," in the American Mercury. The three prize stories are first in a list of fifteen best stories of the year in "The O. Henry Memorial Award Prize Stories for 1924," the annual memorial volume issued by the Society, and published by Doubleday, Page, & Co.

Prize offers still open :

Prizes in Letters offered by the Columbia University School of Journalism: For the American novel published during the year which shall best present the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood, $1,000 for the original American play, performed in New York, which shall best represent the educational value and power of the stage in raising

the standard of good morals, good taste, and good manners, $1,000; for the best book of the year on the history of the United States, $2,000; for the best American biography teaching patriotic and unselfish services to the people, illustrated by an eminent example, $1,000; for the best volume of verse pub. lished during the year by an American author, $1,000. Also, Prizes in Journalism, amounting to $3,000 and a $500 medal, and three traveling scholarships having a value of $1,500 each. All offered annually under the terms of the will of Joseph Pulitzer. Nominations of candidates must be made in writing on or before February 1 of each year, addressed to the Secretary of Columbia University, New York, on forms that may be obtained on application to the Secretary of the University.

Hart, Schaffner and Marx prizes of $1,000, $500, $300, and $200 for the four best studies in the economic field submitted by June 1, 1925. Particulars in June WRITER.

Prize of $50 offered by the Harvard School of Education at Harvard University for an official song. Particulars in February, 1924, WRITER.

Prizes amounting to $1,600 offered by the National Federation of Music Clubs. Particulars from Mrs. Edwin B. Garrigues, 1527 Spruce street, Philadelphia, Penn.

Prize for $25 for the best poem published in the Mesa during 1925. Particulars in March WRITER. •

The Canadian Bookman (125 Simcoe street, Toronto, Canada) offers each month three prizes in a book review competition.

Prize of $2,500, to be awarded in 1925 and every three years thereafter, and an annual prize of $300, offered by the Chicago Trust Company for the best contribution on any subject relating to business development and the modern trust company. ticulars in March WRITER.

Par

Prize offered by the Poet's Guild for the best May Day poem on childhood, contest extended to April 10, 1925. Particulars in July WRITER.

Annual poetry prize of $100 offered by the Nation, poems to be submitted between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day of each year. Particulars in February, 1923, WRITER.

Prizes of the Poetry Society of South Carolina ; Blindman Prize of $250; Southern Prize of $100 ; Society's Prize of $25; Henry E. Harman Prize of $25 Sky Lark Prize of $10 all offered annually. Particulars in January, 1923, WRITER.

Three prizes of $50 each for poems published in the Lyric West during 1925. Particulars in March

WRITER.

Monthly prizes offered by the Photo-Era Maga. zine (Wolfeboro, N. H.) for photographs, in an advanced competition and a beginner's competition.

Walker prizes for the best memoirs on Natural History, offered annually by the Boston Society of Natural History, closing March 1 of each calendar year. Particulars in June WRITER.

Prize of $100 offered by the Drama League of America for the best play suited to children, contest closing August 1. Particulars in January Writer.

Monthly prizes of $25 offered by Station WLW for

the best radio dealing with Americanism, contests closing the first of each month, and manuscripts To be sent to Radio Department, Crosley Manufactur ing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Particulars in December WRITER.

American Humane Association prizes of $25, $15. and $10, for posters, contest closing June 1. Particu lars in January WRITER.

Weekly prizes offered by the Boston Post for original short stories by women, published each day. Particulars in May WRITER.

WRITERS OF THE DAY.

Nancy Buckley, whose lyric, "Sea Mood." was published in Breezy Stories for March 1, was born and educated in San Francisco. She began to write three years ago, and has had short stories and lyrics published in the Ladies' Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Top Notch, the Love Story Magazine, Young's Magazine, and Breezy Stories. In 1924 she won the Charles Granger Blander lyric poetry prize with her poem, "Alien," and her two books of verse, "Laughter and Longing" and "Wings of Youth," are now both in their fourth edition. Miss Buckley writes in longhand only in the morning and never works more than three hours daily. She has a new book of poems ready for publication. March Miss Buckley left for Europe, and during her stay abroad she will correspond for various periodicals.

In

Ada Jack Carver, whose story, "Redbone," published in Harper's Magazine for February, won the first prize of $1,250 in the magazine's third short-story contest, is Mrs. J. B. Snell, of Minden, Louisiana. She was born in the historical and charming old town of Natchitoches from which she drew the background and atmosphere for her story and attended the Louisiana State Normal School, and Judson College, in Alabama. In 1918 she marmied, and shortly afterward, while her husband was serving overseas, she went to New York and enrolled for a brief but helpful Course in short-story writing under Dr. Blanche Colton Williams, at Columbia University. In writing "Redbone," Mrs. Snell had the advice of Thomas H. Uzzell, who criticised the first draft of the story. Mrs. Snell's grandfather was Colonel W. H. Jack, who was

prominent in the affairs of Louisiana during Reconstruction days, and her father is Judge M. H. Carver, of the Court of Appeals, widely recognized in the South for his legal knowledge and ability. Mrs. Snell claims that her father is her severest critic and says that he has kept her from seeking publication until her work has reached some measure of distinction. Although "Redbone" is her first story to be published in a magazine of national circulation, Mrs. Snell won a prize in a shortstory contest conducted by the Southern Woman's Magazine, with a story that was double-starred in one of O'Brien's collections of Best Short Stories, and she also won a prize in a scenario contest conducted by the Chicago Daily News. She will soon have a second story, "Treeshy," in Harper's Magazine.

Edith Munger Leavell, who wrote the story, "The Weinerts Dine at Home," which the Youth's Companion published in its issue for December 4, says that as a child she was so confident of a literary career for herself that she proposed a neighborhood magazine with herself as editor-in-chief, and although the contributors soon became rather more than lukewarm on account of the fact that stories not written by the editor-in-chief herself were never accepted, the venture strengthened her confidence amazingly. The necessity of earning a living, and afterward the cares of a home and children, combined with a meagre physical endowment, deferred her beginning, until now she has begun to write at an age when most writers have succeeded or have given up their dreams. Through the passing years, however, her husband and children have helped her to keep alive her faith in herself, and her husband through his own life of teaching and social service has provided her with rich material in human situations, insisting that writing which is of real worth proceeds from real living. Mrs. Leavell says that she is unable to write without an impetus provided by feeling, by which she means that unless she is amused, touched, or deeply stirred, she finds writing an effort. So far she has had nothing published but humorous family stories in the Youth's Companion and

in church papers, her more serious offerings being uniformly declined. However, one professor told her that she did her thinking in the form of fiction, and teachers of narrative writing have professed to find real power in her more serious stories and have encouraged her to aim high in the magazine world.

Anita Pettibone, whose first novel, "The Bitter Country," was recently published by Doubleday, Page, & Company, is a graduate of the Palmer Institute of Authorship. Coming from pioneering stock, Miss Pettibone her name is really Massie, Mr. Pettibone having adopted her on marrying her widowed mother has lived in many parts of the United States, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where her father took her into the hills while he mined and taught her how to sort ore, and where she listened to prospectors telling about the good old days when any man could find a million in the hills. She then went to the Colorado State Preparatory school, where she fitted for college. The family removing to Seattle, she entered the University of Washington, where she took her A.B., expecting to teach, but the only position she found was at Naselle, in the "Bitter Country" of her story, where she spent two years. During vacations Miss Pettibone had worked in department stores, and deciding to study department-store methods seriously she went to Boston and entered the Prince School of Education for Store Service, getting her Master's degree at Simmons College, of which the Prince School is a branch. About four years ago she returned to Washington, this time to Spokane, where she is now Educational Director of a large department store. Miss Pettibone says she does not know just when she started to write, but that at the age of five she took out her first library card, and caught the desire to write from reading other people's books. Her mother, she adds, endowed her with enough common sense to know that she would have to work constantly if she wanted to succeed, so she put aside two hours every night to practise writing, for if a pianist spends that much time on scales, why should n't an aspiring author do the same? All through her

various experiences she was always writing stories and illustrating them, but she never tried to publish any of them because she realized that they "were n't right." In Boston Miss Pettibone met Bertha and Ernest Cobb, who write children's books, and they let her illustrate one of their books. They became interested in her, and she sold them the notes on her life in Colorado, which they made into a book for children, entitled "Anita," which she says "sort of glorified" her little girl days.

CURRENT LITERARY TOPICS.

Headline Eccentricities Explained. — The life of the newspaper copyreader the editor who prepares the news copy for publication and. writes the headlines — is, primarily, one long struggle between the expansive demands of a bulging verbiage and the pinching restrictions. of two immovable column rules. There are just so many type units possible in any given headline. Some heads admit of more, some less, but the copyreader cannot choose. The makeup of the paper requires a certain head on a certain story. It is handed to him with the copy chief's directions and he must make the best of it.

The average single-column spread head carries fifteen or sixteen units, or averagesized letters, such as A, B, C, D, E, to the line. The I is the copyreader's best friend, the W and M are his bitter foes. Now you may begin to perceive why the copyreader prefers a cop to a patrolman, a gob to a bluejacket, a bandit to a highway robber, a solon to a legislator and a love nest to a place of assignation. You may also sense his despair on receipt of a Constitutional Convention story, and even dimly feel the frenzied rage that wells up within him at thought of a person who would designate himself as a Fundamentalist. "Unconstitutional" is a fine, massive mouthful as it rolls ponderously over the parapet of a Supreme bench, but just try to tell the world something about it in a two-line head.

All headlines must be counted and guaranteed to fit before they go to the composing room, for there rarely is time for any fussing or fixing in case of a misfit. Add to this the

contingency that the story comes to you ten minutes before the deadline, is of tremendous importance in news value, is deep-laden with libel-breeding dynamite, is teeming with bad grammar and typographical imperfections, and must be read and corrected a sheet at a time. and shot along to the composing room with "head to come."

Now how much delicate discrimination may one devote to the niceties of verbal expression under such conditions?

The copyreader therefore becomes adept at "making big ones into little ones" and at coining more or less apt expressions which in one or two words convey a meaning not otherwise attainable except by the use of many words. They are due almost entirely to the groping after concrete forms of expression that will convey in a word or phrase something that otherwise would require a wordy explanation. Taft was the copyreader's favorite President and Roosevelt escaped unpopularity only because he could be called "T. R."

To a headline-writer, forbidden things are "bans" or "bars." He "merges" instead of consolidating, breaks "Dry Laws" rather than violates Prohibition Amendments, and sips "rum" in preference to drinking whisky.

To him all jewelry is "gems," automobiles are "cars," commissions are "boards," associations and organizations are "bodies," the presidents or chairmen of which are "heads." A collision is a "crash," an explosion a "blast,"

was concerned in his newspaper work, and it shows a remarkable knowledge of much of the history of modern times. The story of Joseph Pulitzer's life reads like a romance. The seventeen-year-old Hungarian lad who in 1864, to avoid red tape, jumped off a ship sailing into Boston harbor and swam ashore, became

a

multi-millionaire, made the New York World a powerful influence in public affairs, and although an invalid for all but four years of his twenty-eight-years' proprietorship of the World and for most of the time blind, constantly exercised the tremendous force of his personality, always with an earnest desire for the public good. Instead of beginning with the usual biographical details, Mr. Seitz first gives the reader an idea of the great editor and publisher in a chapter headed "Character-istics," in which, after a graphic personal description of the man, he tells of his interests, his tastes and fancies, his ways, and his peculiarities. Then comes a chapter on Birth and Beginnings, followed by an account of Mr. Pulitzer's activities in St. Louis and his success with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which he bought in December, 1878, for $2,500 and from the profits of which a little more than four years later he paid to Jay Gould the first instalment of the price of the New York World, which was then costing Mr. Gould $40,000 a year. The price paid for the World was $346,000, and after the first instalment the paper paid for itself, making money almost from the hour the new proprietor took hold. In six and one-half years it earned its purchase price and enough more to build a $2,500,000 home. Most of Mr. Seitz's book is devoted to Mr. Pulitzer's experience with the World, in connection with such matters as the Venezuela affair, Bryanism, the war with Spain, the Parker-Roosevelt campaign, insurance reform, Rooseveltism, the 1908 presidential campaign, and the Panama prosecution. Finally there are chapters on Mr. Pulitzer's last years, his methods, and his benefactions. His idea of what a newspaper should be is indicated in this memorandum sent to Charles M. Lincoln, at the time managing editor of the World :

Concentrate your brain upon these objectives:Ist. What is original, distinctive, dramatic, romantic, thrilling, unique, curious, quaint, humorous, odd, apt to be talked about, without shocking good taste or lowering the general tone, good tone, and above all without impairing the confidence of the people in the truth of the stories or the character of the paper for reliability and scrupulous cleanness.

2nd. What is the one distinctive feature, fight, crusade, public service or big exclusive? No paper can be great, in my opinion, if it depends simply upon the hand-to-mouth idea, news coming in anyhow. One big distinctive feature every day at least. One striking feature each