Life, 1916-07-27 · page 10 of 32
Life — July 27, 1916 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** A soldier with a rifle confronts three armed figures at a fence, labeled with dialogue about fighting "for civilization" and "Hearst's Ranch." This appears to satirize William Randolph Hearst's influential media empire and perhaps his political interventions or pro-war stance. **Article "That Literary World":** Discusses how authors and literary figures exist somewhat outside normal society, are rarely read by ordinary people, and remain detached from practical matters. The piece argues that the literary world paradoxically depends on people who rarely engage with literature. **Bottom Cartoon:** Six figures labeled with various medical/alternative practitioners (allopath, homeopath, Christian scientist, osteopath, etc.) are shown combining against a newcomer. This satirizes professional groups uniting against competition or innovation in their fields.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
J. B.: AN, THERE, SAM! GOING TO FIGHT FOR CIV IZATION AT LAST? “CERTAINLY NOT. IT WILL BE FOR HEARST'S RANCH.” That Literary World HAT is the literary world? hear this object spoken of as if it We existed as a separate entity. Is it a planet, a place or a state of mind like Boston? We hear of “movements” and “doings” in the literary world. We hear that it has been “agitated” or “amused” or “stirred to its depths.” There must be something that a literary world is, to be spoken of in this familiar manner. We have never heard of a purely literary god who is responsible for such a world. It appears to be the sole product of literary people. Perhaps we are get- ting warmer now. But who are liter- ary people? Not authors, surely. An author is about the most unliterary person you can meet. He frankly a mits that he never reads anything; he has no time and, anyway, it would ALLOPATH, HOMCOPATH, — COMRISTIAN SCIENTIST ‘ALLOPATH. MOMEOPATH. OARISTIAN SUENTIST cramp his creative ability. The less an author knows the better he is able to write. Literary people are people who are literary. That is the nearest we can come to it. But they do not make the literary world, because most of them frankly admit they are on the outside. They are always talking vaguely of others who make it, and not of themselves, Can it be possible that the literary world does not exist? osteoramn. WHY DO THEY ALWAYS COMBINE AGAINST THE NEW-COMER?