Life, 1919-05-29 · page 12 of 42
Life — May 29, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page discusses short-story publishing practices, particularly referencing a gentleman named O'Brien who annually publishes a book compiling the year's best short stories. The text humorously critiques O'Brien's laborious task of reading every published story to determine which merit inclusion. The cartoon titled "A Joyous Moment" depicts a car crashing into a storefront labeled "Importers of Fine Porcelains," with the caption referencing suddenly needing to renew liability insurance—a darkly humorous joke about an accident creating financial obligation. The page includes literary commentary by T.L.M. offering formula-based advice for short-story writers, and a brief section titled "Prohibitantalus" referencing Dante's *Inferno*, contrasting the classical figure with a "miserable wretch" who appears weary—likely satirizing Prohibition-era deprivation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Short Stories 'OR some years a O'Brien has been engaged in courageous and somewhat pernicious pastime of publishing a book containing the best short stories of the year. He tabulates and analyzes the stories and marks them according to a system of ntages. When the book comes out each year it is eagerly read hy many short-story writers, in order to see if their names have been cither mentioned or their work reproduced. The fact that Mr. O’Brien has been doing this apparently since 1914 and still lives is undoubtedly to his credit, In order to make his selec read all the stories that are published. Mr. O'Brien may ha him in his arduous labors. At any rate, he has undoubtedly established quite a vogue. The result has, however, one drawback. to wait until his book is pub- lished before you can actually know what were the best stories published during the previous y By this time —if you hr the st changed gentleman named the LITERARY USHELING ons h It is possible that is obliged to 1 trained band of assistants to help It is neces: ppen to he a short-story writer have completely. After you have re A JOYOUS MOMENT WHEN IT SUDDENLY OCCURS TO YOU THAT YOU FORGOT TO RENEW YOUR LIABILITY INSURANCE O'Brien's book and start in to write stories according to the models he offers, these models may be out of date. A better way may be to go back far enough and, read a book of Mr. O'Brien’s four or five years back. For just as certain styles in trousers come around again in four or five years, it is quite possible that the same law y apply to stories. If we could know in advance just possibly Sister: GOODNESS, WILLIE! pO YOU s'POSE WE ¥ THAT BEE’S FLOWERS? what kind of stories will be acceptal to magazine editors during the coming year, much time might be saved. No respectable writer of | she stories would think of doing his wo without a formula. Perhaps a he plan would be for the ma; to meet in convention at the beginniy of cach literary year and agree up) the formulas to he used. or exam they might adopt the following forn for the coming year: zine editors All short stories shall be uninterest- ing. All short stories should be twice long as they ought to he. All short stories that are serious their aim should be written humorous standpoint All tragic. from should humorous — stories Prohibitantalus asked miserable wretch approaching. s HO is he?” Dante, dried up and heavi a0 ly laden and drag ging along so wearil “That is Prohibitantalus,” behind his fan. barrel.” Virgil, “He is so tired—carrying an empty answered OCIETY is a place where one must know new thi about others’ reputations in order to be interesting smiling