Life, 1911-12-07 · page 93 of 112
Life — December 7, 1911 — page 93: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the lack of formal regulation in writing compared to law and medicine. The left column argues that writers, unlike lawyers and doctors, face no standardized training or licensing requirements. The author ironically proposes that writing should adopt similar gatekeeping—specific schools (like "the Century school or the Atlantic school") should be declared authoritative, while others become "unorthodox." The satire cuts both ways: it mocks both the pretentiousness of literary establishment figures who claim authority without legal backing, and the absurdity of trying to regulate creative writing as rigidly as medical practice. The piece implies that writers deserve professional respect but acknowledges the impracticality of enforcing uniform standards on subjective artistic work. The right side features product advertisements (Swan pens, Kranich & Bach player pianos) unrelated to the editorial content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
treet York A Neglected Opportunity The writing profession has not made the most of its opportunity. Why shouldn't writers follow the example of other professions and have themselves legalized and diplomatized, like the law- yers and the doctors? The law prescribes just how much Blackstone a young fellow shall read tefore he is permitted to receive a re- tainer, talk to a judge or appear in court. The law prescribes just what view a young man shall take of the buman anato the ills that affect it and the remedies that cure it, before he can write a prescription or sign a death certificate. All others are hors de com- SWA Ae XMAS GIFT For all people of all ages. An article combining strength, usefulness and beauty which serves faithfully THE and unfailingly “SWAN”? a practical purpose. The “SWAN” never makes an ideal leaks, never blots and present for any- always writes. Gives eve, young or old, years of feahi oe satisfactory ser- acd it is always Vice and skeen apresent worth stant source of while—May be ob- \ comfort to the tained in any grade oMner: cf fnish from solid gold set with gems to chased oa bard rubber, but no mat- te: what the material, the quality of the “Swan” is always the best. Atall Stationers and Jewelers, $2.50 and upwards. MABIE, TODD & CO. 7 Maiden Lane NEW YORK 209 S. State St. CHICAGO | 124 York St. 79-80 High Holborn if TORONTO LONDON Brussels Sydney The Kranich & Bach Player Piano brings into the home the joys and refining influence of all musical compositions without necessitating any previous musi- cal education. It immediately endows its owner—without study or practice—with an absolutely technical perfection quite impossible of accomplish- ment with human hands. With its marvelous ‘‘Tri-Melodeme”’ and other exclusive devices, all simple and easily operated, it provides means for personal control and expression or interpretation not excelled by the ability of the most famous Concert Pianists. Let us send, without cost to you, two handsome booklets describing the KRANICH & BACH Player Piano—the most masterfully constructed and exquisitely finished musical instrument of modern times. KRANICH & BAC expressing a sane opinion. study all their lives, but in the eyes the law the young fellow who went to medical college principally for football purposes will ever be superior to them. So with writers. There should be built up a code of literary jurisprude Some particular school, such as the Cen- tury school or the Atlantic school, have itself adopted as authentic, authori tative and autocratic. AI! other schools NEW EAST TWENTY-THIRD STREET YORK cITy would be unorthodox, ciety; incapable of thumbing a thesaurus, pirou setting a period enemies of so- the secrets of style: incompeter an motive, portray the the the herit, settle ur ship of st interpret the social determine the cosmic urge oF summon bonwm. the writing pro- fession will never be properly honored, properly sung or properly compensated comicbooks.com