Life, 1898-05-26 · page 5 of 24
Life — May 26, 1898 — page 5: what you’re looking at
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# Analysis of "Taking a 'Turn'" from Life Magazine This is a satirical operetta about American authors. The title "Taking a 'Turn'" puns on a literary "turn" (stylistic shift) and an actual physical turn or walk. **The cartoons depict:** The left panel ("The Last Resort") shows a fashionable couple on what appears to be a public promenade, with a caption satirizing intellectual pride: a man boasts he won't help someone "despising a man that knows." The right panel caricatures **W.D. Howells and Frank Stockton** (identified below the image)—both prominent American authors of the period—walking together in exaggerated physical contortions. **The satire targets:** American authors' self-importance and their tendency to band together for mutual promotion during the spring publishing season, when the "Congress of American Authors" would gather to celebrate their own literary significance.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LI Taking a ‘*Turn;”’ OR, THE LITERARY CAKE-WALK. An Author-Operetta in One Act. The scene ix the stage of public opinion; the time is spring, when, the publishing business being dull, and the silly season being close at hand, the C through var of Lare, Ax the curtain rises, a chord—not of blue ribbon—sonnits, A roll ss of American Authors convenes and prepares toyo fe turns for the sole edifleation of the readers ves render! THE LAST RESORT. 1 SUPPOSE IT'S THE PRIDE OF INTELLECT, s ELP DESPISING A MAN THAT KNOWS LESS THAN 1 DO. “1 DON'T SER WHAT ELSE YOU COULD Do.” He: FE: W. D. Howen.s anp Frank STOCKTON. of drnme—bn. not of manuscript is heard, and the gatheri diately breaks out into the wg immes OPENING CHORUS. ERE Is a chorus literary, Such as never was known— Positively extraordina As you will doubtless own, Money to us is secondary— Art we at first enthrone, And though it’s a quite unneces- sary Statement to make, of which we're chary, None of us is a plagiary— Each of us works alone! For American Authors we, With genius filled and free! If anyone says our works are dull, The mental impression, we pray, annul— Commiserate only skull— American Authors we! the critic's Worn (of course) in a magaziney Kind of an atmosphere, First reputation’s not fo» sheeny, Keeping our heads thus clear. Soon comes a Book, all gold and greeny, Second one, p'raps, next year; Then we are Authors, crabbed and spleeny, Turning ‘em out in style ma- chiny, With an establiched—nota bene — Literaree career! For American Authors us, Which explains why this is thu: You purchase our books, and we exult, Aud the consequence, like acata- pult, Makes a superior sort of cult Of American Authors us! General dance, After which, movement of American Authors around the boards of the designed to impart air of liveliness stage, to the scene, Suddenly remember- however, the object of their being present, Muy again come address: the forward and audience in the words of an affecting RECITATIVE, But though the fact that each one works alone Is very true, yet on this speci day, We're going to work in couples, be it known,