Life, 1928-02-09 · page 5 of 35
Life — February 9, 1928 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes literary criticism and publishing standards of the era. The main illustration depicts a classical Greek warrior (representing traditional, canonical literature) conversing with a modern woman (representing contemporary readers or modern fiction). The accompanying poem "In Defense of Publishers" by Baron Ireland critiques H.L. Mencken's harsh book reviews. Mencken, a prominent literary critic, apparently condemned books as "bilge." The author defends publishers against such scathing criticism, suggesting Mencken's standards are unreasonably harsh. The classical imagery contrasts "pure" traditional literature with what the author sees as unfairly dismissed modern works. The satire suggests that even imperfect contemporary books deserve consideration—that publishers shouldn't be condemned simply because their offerings don't meet elite critical standards.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TeLEMACHUS: I s'pose it seems good to be home again, Helen? Han or Troy: Not so good. I can’t stand these dowdy Spartan dressmakers after fetting my clothes from Paris for so long. In Defense of Publishers (By an Author Looking for One) “The other day there came to me a package of books from a well-known American publishing house...What I found, not to put too fine a point upon it, was simply bilge.” —H. L. Mencken, in New York World. HENE'ER I chance to buy a (Let's say) biography, With H. L. Mencken I a- Gree. While as for modern fiction, I find it so much junk; The pure (in Harvard diction) Bunk. Ere I, despairing, into A travel book have gone One chapter, I begin to Yawn. That Mr. M. acutely Rates lots of litrachoor As bilge, is absolutely Sure. Yet though the harsh truth blister, That searing word condemns Even some things of Mr. M.'s. Why (with a minimum of Real justice, I opine), That tag’s been tied to some of Mine! Since I, Jove and Professor Mencken are prone to nod, May not a so much lesser God? What vessel built for cruising, However tight its skin, Can keep some bilge from oozing In? What critic, loudly shricking Our parlous state about, Can keep some bilge from leaking Out? So, Dr. Mencken, sharn’t we That kindly phrase recall: Publishers, you, me—Aren’t We All? Baron Ireland. comicbooks.com