Life, 1910-10-27 · page 18 of 44
Life — October 27, 1910 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine satirizes the magazine industry's hiring practices and the stereotypical American author. **The top cartoon** shows two figures in a motorcar labeled "HAMMOND" racing in circles—a visual pun instructing readers to move the picture in circles to create motion. It mocks the frantic, circular nature of editorial work and the endless cycle of tasks Life catalogues: Panama Canals, political reform, scientific classification, and more. The satire suggests that despite knowing all these important things need doing, the magazine can't accomplish them. **"Wanted: A Contributing Editor"** is a tongue-in-cheek job posting acknowledging that *Life* needs outside writers to handle work the regular staff won't claim responsibility for—freeing editors from accountability while maintaining content output. **"How You May Know an American Author"** parodies the predictable critical praise lavished on contemporary writers: every successful author is "brilliant," has "sparkling" dialogue, "grips" readers, and has "created a new type." The satire exposes how formulaic and hollow such praise has become.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GloLp THE PICTUKE Wanted: A Contributing Editor NY competent Contributing Editor, who may happen to be disengaged or who wishes to better himsclf, would do well to communicate with Lire at once. For a long time we have known this was coming, but we put it off. We knew that there were hundreds of speeches in different parts of the coun- iry which simply must be made. We knew that there were dozens and dozens of burning problems that must ie solved without undue delay. We knew that the country was one big Howland wilderness which must be tackled and subdued. We knew that there were Panama Canals to be dug, song birds to be classi- fied and political machines to be over- hauled, geared and oiled. We knew that there were theories to le expounded, issues to be ironed out and malefactors to be anathematized. We knew that there were animals to be killed and trips to be made to all parts of the new world as well as of the old. We knew that there were hundreds of things to be said and published which we did not care to say and publish on our own responsibility. We knew all these things, but hoped LFE’S GREAT “CUP RACE” IN RIGHT HAND AND MOVE IT SWIFTLY IN against the inevitable that we would get time to do them ourselves. The pictur- esqueness of the job appealed to us. But we can’t do it. “We are altogether too busy, And besides the work re- quires a peculiar order of ability which we lack, and which, furthermore, is sel- dom found in a magazine office proper. The job requires something exotic, something outside, away, apart; some- thing unattached and unattachable; a kind of case-hardened, high-strung super- lyman that will abbott around without regard to the ideas or ideals, the preju- dices or predilections, the experience or the existence of the real editors. In- deed, in recognizing the unquestionable tendency among magazines to accumu- late and annex Contributing Editors, we are strongly inclined to believe the ulti- mate aim is to do away altogether with the regular editorial staff and perhaps even to dispense with the publications themselves, OBBLE: I don’t suppose De Car- petack ever has an idea of his own —one that absorbs him, carries him away, so to speak. Stoxr: Oh, I don’t he has. “Pray, what is it?” “The idea of not doing any work.’* know. I think CIRCLES TO LEFT) How You May Know an American Author of To-Day E has “a keen mind.” He is “brilliant and incisive.” Has a wonderful and “compelling “* knowledge of human nature. His dialogue always “ sparkles.’ He is full of “gems of thought.’” He has “intense human interest.” He “ grips you.”” His work is always “ vital.”’ He “ thrills you mightily.”” He has “ereated a new type.”’ THE MIDNIGHT OIL comicbooks.com