Life, 1921-06-23 · page 10 of 36
Life — June 23, 1921 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Christopher Morley's poem about desired but unpurchased books, listing works by Conrad, Florio, Wells, Gissing, and others. The satirical point is that readers perpetually fantasize about owning books they never actually buy. **"The First Case of Insomnia"** (top illustration) appears to be a surrealist cartoon showing a figure lying awake in bed surrounded by floating words and sounds ("moo," "quack," "umph," etc.)—visual chaos representing an insomniac's restless mind. **The lower cartoon** depicts two women discussing a man (Joe) seen at the movies with another woman (Mabel). The joke is domestic drama: one woman suspects her companion of infidelity, and he admits preferring the other woman, so she "threw him over." This is relationship gossip humor typical of 1920s-era Life magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Ballade of Books Unbought By Christopher Morley. Some of the books that I would prize I'll buy (within ten years or so)— J. Conrad’s “ Under Western Eyes,” A good Montaigne (by Florio). Old tomes like Holinshed or Stowe Would gloriously ballast me, And, when financial conduits flow, Gissing’s “ By the Tonian Sea.” John Morley’s book “On Compromise,” A decent set of E, A. Poe; Bacon, perhaps, to make me wise; And Sanborn’s Life of Hank Tho- reau. Most of the works of Neil Munro, That history by Wells (H. G.) And (nicest title that I know) Gissing’s “ By the Ionian Sea.” I'm sure my mind will fertilize When I have bought some more Defoc; And every time they advertise That Merrick set my passions grow. And “Far Away and Long Ago” And “Goosequill Papers” (L. I. G.)* Will stand upon this shelf, below Gissing’s “ By the Ionian Sea.” Envoy: Booksellers! I soliloquize No merely idle rhapsody— Some day you'll sce a man who buys Gissing’s “ By the Ionian Sea.” THE FIRST CASE OF INSOMNIA. *Louise Imogen Guiney. Charlotte: SAW JOE AT THE MOVIES WITH MABEL SATURDAY NIGHT. AREN'T YOU KEEPING COMPANY WITH HIM NOW? . Gladys: NO. 1 ASKED HIM IF HE LIKED HER BETTER THAN ME, AND HE SAID YES—SO I THREW HIM OVER, comicbooks.com