Life, 1920-01-08 · page 41 of 44
Life — January 8, 1920 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical content about literary definitions and social commentary typical of early 20th-century Life magazine. **"Utopia" Section**: A short satirical poem mocking idealized depictions of landlord-tenant relations and wealthy "farmerettes" (female farmers), suggesting such rosy scenarios are unrealistic fantasy. **"What Is a Novel?" Section**: The main satire responds to Professor William Lyon Phelps's definition of a novel as "a good story well told." Fictional author responses parody pretentious literary criticism—one suggests novels must be rejected by publishers before acceptance (mocking the publishing industry's inconsistency), another describes an absurdly complex writing method involving 18,500 characters and obsessive detail. The humor targets both professorial pomposity and avant-garde literary pretension of the era. **Bottom Image**: Captioned "Not in the Curriculum of the Co-ed College," showing what appears to be a street scene—likely satirizing limitations of women's education or social propriety in colleges. The page also features advertisements for Sanatogen (a nerve tonic) and Chicona Evans Beverage, typical of period magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Utopia HE landlords of Utopia Give service that’s supreme; Their rents are very low, but their Apartments are a dream; ind tenants hand them loving cups, In token of estecm! topia is known to have One wealthy farmerette, Who sometimes works until her brow Is positively wet With perspiration, which, of course, Is similar to sweat! Oliver B. Capelle, What Is a Novel ? Professor William Lyon Phelps has said: “I should define a high- dass novel in five words—a good story well told.” At our request, a sumber of successful novelists have graciously favored us with the fol- lowing opinions on Professor Phelps’ definition : By Bernard Pshaw EALLY! Oh, really now! If Phelps weren't off his chump, he'd know that a high-class novel is one which has been rejected as drivel by fourteen publishers and accepted by the fifteenth because the fifteenth happened tobe drunk. Good story? Good story oy aunt! By Arnold Pennett Professor Phelps is too meticulous ia his definition. My system of writ- ing a novel is to start with a baby, work him gently up to manhood and a ice mental inefficiency, take the development of his factory, sketch the char- acters of his 18,500 fellow townsmen, introduce a heroine, use eighty or oa lettuce, instead of vinegar and oil; “I wonder if he’s going to be ill” EMEMBER— it is a fact that thousands upon thousands of men and women, weakened through the stress and strain of work and worry, have regained vitality and working power by using Sanatogen. When Sir Gilbert Parker writes: “‘Sanatogen is a true food-tonic, feeding the nerves and giving fresh vigor to the over-worked body and mind,” be but expresses the conviction of multitudes of others. That thousands of physicians have endorsed Sanatogen in writing; that many physicians, in- cluding famous nerve specialists, use Sanatogen in their own families—these facts speak for themselves. ‘And thus you may be sure you can find no more trustworthy safeguard for your health at such times than Sanatogen. Sanatogen is sold by good druggists everywhere, in three sizes, $1.20 up. Awarded Grand Prize at the International Cong Medicine, ize a ni iio Congress of Write today for interesting free booklet to THE BAUER CHEMICAL CO., Inc. 115 West 18th Street, New York City tinety pages in analyzing the mental - processes of the hero and heroine when oe learns that the other uses sugar gn nary them meticulously, bring up | = Endorsed by Physicians th BEST YOU CAN GET SO WHY DELAY? Wn Krams to meet the taste and desires of yourself and friends? Tait 1 Leading Hotel a Renaeraois , ae 4 os by Progresaive Dealers WANS & SONS" Estab. 1786 HUDSON, N. Y. NOT IN THE CURRICULUM OF THE CO-ED COLLEGE comicbooks.com