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Glad He Lived on Plains
Hamlin Garland, Author, Finds Most Fine Things Are Rooted in the Soil.
Hamlin Garland, author, who is 69 but doesn't look it, and lives in New York but writes mostly of the middle west, is glad that fate decreed that he should spend 12 years of his early life breaking the sod and helping his father farm a homestead on the northern Iowa plains.
From the soil and plains of the west is inherited something fine that is retained throughout life, he believed.
"Take literature," he said. "When I speak of American literature I like to think of books like 'Death Comes to the Archbishop,' by your Nebraska author, Willa Cather. Here is a book without hero or other factors that are commonly supposed to be necessary in novels. The title would seem 'impossible' to most authors and publishers. But the work itself is so fine that the book jumped almost overnight into the ranks of the best sellers."
Reveal Obscure History.
American authors, especially those "of the soil," are writing about hitherto unknown phases of American history, and by bringing these things to light are adding to the merit of literature, said Mr. Garland.
As for himself, Mr. Garland is engaged on "the biggest thing I ever tackled," he said. It will be four volumes of autobiographical, middle-border history, covering the development of the west. Mr. Garland is writing it from a diary that he kept for 30 years. Its title is "Roadside Meetings of a Literary Nomad."
Mr. Garland in the early 90's used to come to Omaha to visit with Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, who became an author, and her husband, Robert Peattie, who then were employed on The World-Herald, he said. "I was attracted to the World-Herald," he said, "by its fine book page. Mrs. Peattie wrote the reviews."
Mr. Garland is a close friend of Gurdon W. Wattles, former Omaha financier, now of Los Angeles. "Mr. Wattles," he said, "was a farmer boy from Iowa, who came to Omaha and became a powerful banker and business man, and accumulated wealth. Now, in Los Angeles, he has developed on his estate the finest gardens that I have ever seen. It is another case of man inheriting and retaining something fine from the middle-western soil."
Authors Go to New York.
Authors, said Mr. Garland, leave their home states and towns and flock to publishing centers like New York for economic reasons. "They find it better to be near the market," he said. "In Chicago I organized the Cliff Dwellers, a club composed of men and women engaged in the five arts. But the writers wandered away. The club, with its architects, sculptors, painters and musicians, and some writers, still flourishes."
32
Elia Peattie Author of Libretto for Opera Written by Mrs. Freer
According to an Associated Press dispatch, Elia W. Peattie, former Omaha newspaper woman and more recently literary critic on the Chicago Tribune, is the author of the libretto for a new opera written by Mrs. Eleanor Everest Freer, Chicago social leader and composer. Mrs. Freer's opera, her second venture, is called "Massimiliano, the Court Jester," and will be given in Philadelphia tomorrow under the auspices of the Philadelphia Music club in collaboration with the Operatic Society of Philadelphia.
Mrs. Freer has long been a supporter of the movement for opera in English and her new composition, with Mrs. Peattie's libretta is a demonstration of her precepts.
The libretto, by Elia W. Peattie, concerns the tragic story of a hunchback jester rin the palace of a doge of the fifteenth century, in Venice. The work is in one act of two scenes.
Mrs. Freer's first opera, "The Legend of the Piper," has had a number of performances in this country and will be heard again at Charleston, W. Va., this month. In addition to her operas, Mrs. Freer has published more than 150 songs, an album containing forty-four musical settings for "Sonnets From the Portuguese," and numerous piano compositions.
One of her recent works was the music for a poem "How Can We Know?" written by Edith Rockefeller McCormick and carrying the refrain, "We know through the trust born of love." Mrs. McCormick has been closely associated with Mrs. Freer in her campaign for English opera.
In "The Court Jester," Massimilliano is hopelessly in love with Lady Lucrezlit, under whose window at night he has been singing a gondolier's song and with whose voice the girl, has fallen in love. The jester hides his jealous despair through grotesque acting and mimicry.
The girl's father wishes her to marry a noble suitor, and Lucrezza promises to give her answer at a birthday fete the next day. At this reception she tells of her nightly serenade and of her love of this beautiful voice, and begs that some one present, perhaps the suitor, may disclose his identity as its possessor.
To the astonishment of the assembly, Massimilliano says his is the voice. While the company derides him, he steps forward and sings his serenade. Seeing Lucrezia's look of contempt, the jester springs to her side, kisses her and then stabs himself.
33
Ohio State Honor to Omaha Native
A native of Omaha, Dr. Roderick Peattie of Ohio State University's department of geography, will receive special recognition for his 25 years of service there at a trustees' dinner Monday night.
(IMAGE) Dr. Peattie
Dr. Peattie joined the university faculty as an assistant professor in 1920, and later advanced to a full professorship. He is now on leave, heading OWI activities in South Africa. He holds degrees from Chicago and Harvard Universities. He is the author of several books including "The Geography of Ohio," "College Geography" and "The Incurable Romantic."
34
Donald Peattie, 66, Author, Naturalist
Santa Barbara, Cal. (UPI)-- Donald Culross Peattie, 66, author and naturalist, died Monday at his home after a long illness.
Since 1943, Mr. Peattie was a roving editor for the Reader's Digest. He wrote about 25 books, mostly on the natural wonders of the United States.
Among his best-known works: "Parade With Banners," "A Cup of Sky" and "Natural History of Trees."
He was born in Chicago, Ill.
Funeral services will be held today.
35
Ticket Sale for Press Lecture
Tickets for the lecture and play readings which Mrs. Ellia W. Peattie, novelist, critic and dramatist, will give at the Fontenelle at 4 p.m. Thursday, February 16 can be obtained from Miss Kate Swartzlander at the Burgess-Nash book store, from the Matthews book shop or the Women's Exchange, upstairs at 1517 Douglas street. There is a bit of sentiment connected with placing tickets for sale in the Woman's Exchange. The Exchange was recently taken over by the Woman's club of which Mrs. Peattie was a former president and is now an honorary member. Mrs. Charles E. Johannes, president, states that she and her directors are most anxious to assist success and she asked that some of the tickets be placed on sale with them.
Local newspaper women who are promoting this lecture also have tickets for sale.
Mrs. Peattie was for several years a newspaper woman in Omaha and later she and her husband, Robert B. Peattie, went to Chicago and both engaged in newspaper work. Of recent years she has done considerable dramatic work and has been highly praised for her efforts. She will read two original plays hero and will give a talk preceding her readings.