THE LITERARY CAREER.
:' Mr. W. W. Jacobs and Mr. E. T. Reed, of "Punch," wero the principal guests at a literary dinner given by tho Lord Mayor of Liverpool recently. Mr. Jacobs said that he had been asked to respond to the toast of "Literature," and ho hoped that in two or three minutes thoy would all breathe freely again. Dinner-speaking was a gift, which was never put into, his stocking, or if it was the garment in question was badly in need of darning. The literary career was so easy to start ' that he often wondered why more people did not embrace it. All one wanted was sixpeunyvrorth of stationery, a pennyworth of ink, a halfpenny pen', and about ten pounds' worth of stamps. No technical 'training was required, the writer need not even know how to spell, provided that his handwriting was bad enough. Tho prizes were fair in number, and in order that nobody's feelings might bo hurt tho biggest wero given after death. ' "It seems to me," Mr. Jacobs went on, "that the writers of the present day have a fine knack of looking on the bright side of things. If they sell well, they say that the voice of the people is the voice of God. If" they don't, they thank Heaven devoutly that their work does not appeal to the common herd. I think that few authors are ■ satisfied with their work, and their immediato relations never are. A very curious thing about authors, especially unpublished ones, is their greediness for criticism and their intense indignation when they have got it. What an author really means by criticism is' praise. The most genuine piece of criticism I ever heard of my work was from the wife of a friend of mine. She said it had been very holpful to her. She did not go into details, but she said that she always read three or four pages—i.e., •of my book—just beforo getting into bed:"
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19100528.2.89.3
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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 9
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330THE LITERARY CAREER. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 9
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