From Death to Morning by Thomas Wolfe
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From Death to Morning
by Thomas Wolfe
Finished: 09/08/10
This is a collection of Thomas Wolfe’s essay about editing a novel and a few of his lesser known short stories. In the stories (I was advised by the giver of the book to not even try, but I did anyway and now agree with my friend), one shouldn’t waste the time on those tales and focus on the fruit, which is the essay called From Death to Morning. The mysticism of being a writer is immediately torn to shreds by Wolfe, replaced by the actual work of writing. From writing comes editing and eventually working with an editor from a publishing house to perfect the themes in the novel to a point where a reader can follow along without too many mishaps. In Wolfe’s case, his novel was gigantic and would have filled several volumes. That had to be reduced, to be rewritten down until one could hold it in a single book. From Death to Morning is also a celebration of Wolfe’s relationship with his cherished editor, who dedicated his life as well to the completion of the work. It is an essay ripping away the silly ideas both writers and readers have about being such an artist and treats us all to some common truths about the publishing industry.
3 stars out of 5
Review Written: 09/26/10, 7:22 PM
1 Comments:
After reading “The Story of a Novel” I tackled Wolfe’s You Can’t Go Home Again. I struggled through about sixty pages before I gave up. Its autobiographical nature brought out those faults I mentioned in my review of From Death to Morning. After Look Homeward, Angel Wolfe was considered to be a writer of genius. Steadily, over the years, his reputation has been fading. Nothing by him was selected for the Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels of the Century (though books by Booth Tarkington and James M. Cain were represented). Some writers are forgotten when they don’t deserve to be; in Wolfe’s case, sad to say, it’s justified.
Here’s a story about Wolfe’s editor that I find interesting.
James Jones went to New York with the manuscript of a novel; he was headed for the office of the legendary Scribner editor, Maxwell Perkins. The secretary said Perkins was busy, but that she’d give him the manuscript. Jones was persistent – he wanted to see Perkins. Finally the secretary went into Perkins’ office and got the okay to send the young man in. Perkins was sitting at his desk, wearing a hat. The two talked for a good while, mostly about the war (of which Jones had firsthand knowledge). Jones left the manuscript. A few weeks later he got a letter. Perkins had encouraging things to say about Jones’ potential as a writer, but he declined to accept the novel.
Jones revised it and resubmitted. In his accompanying letter he described another book he was thinking of writing, about life in the peacetime army, ending up with Pearl Harbor; he wanted to tell about the hate and frustration of the thirty-year man. Perkins still rejected the first novel, but he expressed interest in the other one. I think he was remembering the conversation in his office. Though there were many books about war, life in the peacetime army was a fresh subject. I also think Perkins was intrigued by the fact that Jones was “unschooled.”
Throughout the writing of From Here to Eternity Perkins provided much encouragement and advice. He recognized that the unpolished quality of the novel was one of its strengths; the reality Jones was writing about shouldn’t have polish or elegance. He cautioned Jones against too much explaining: “. . . you must make the action or talk (which is a form of action) tell us all, or almost all.”
Perkins died before the novel was published; as the ambulance was taking him away, he told his daughter to get the two manuscripts by his bed and put them in his private secretary’s hands, “and no one else’s.” The two manuscripts were Cry, the Beloved Country and From Here to Eternity.
3:38 PM
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