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Identifier: wwu:24101
Title: Gramatky - Little Toot
Date: 1948-04-21
Description: Four page questionnaire completed by Hardie Gramatky; one letter from Hardie Gramatky to Elizabeth Rider Montgomery with suggested chapter revisions. Little Toot was published in 1939 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. Inspired by his studio view of tugboats on the East River in New York City, Little Toot was Gamatky's first children's book.
Digital Collection: info:fedora/wwu:24050
Type of resource: Text
Object custodian: Special Collections
Related Collection: 20th century children's authors collection: writing about writing in letters and personal narratives
Local Identifier: 20thCCA_gramatky
Text preview (might not show all results): 20th Century Children's Authors - Gramatky ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Hardie Gramatky - Little Toot ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_01 ---------- Little Toot Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Year: 1939 Real Name: Hardie Gramatky Pen Name: same What do you fami
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): 20th Century Children's Authors - Gramatky ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Hardie Gramatky - Little Toot ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_01 ---------- Little Toot Publish
Show more20th Century Children's Authors - Gramatky ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Hardie Gramatky - Little Toot ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_01 ---------- Little Toot Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Year: 1939 Real Name: Hardie Gramatky Pen Name: same What do you family and friends call you?: Hardie A. YOUR BACKGROUND Date of birth: April 12, 1907 Place of birth: Dallas, Texas Father's occupation: Clerk - died 1918 Number of Brothers: 2 and sisters: none Father's nationality: American Mother's nationality: American Kind of home during childhood (farm, small town, city apt. etc): city dwelling-house Where: Hollywood and Wilmar, California Amount of schooling (high school, college, etc.): 2 yrs. Stanford Univ. Economic status during childhood (poor, middle class, wealthy): poor-mid.cl. Special interests as a child (sports, books, games, etc.): cartooning-- sketching and painting out-doors--traveling on my own. Childhood ambitions: to have my own comic-strip (as writer and artist) When did you begin to write?: At Stanford Why?: Primarily for classes in writing--then for campus publications. Who encouraged you?: My mother and my aunt who helped raise us three boys. What and when was your first success or recognition: Sold my cartoons to newspapers as far back as 1923; but no recog. as writer until "Little Toot". How did you happen to write for children?: I've worked with children a great deal and taught classes of them in water-color painting, etc. I loved it. Anything else about your background which has a bearing on your writing.: I guess I was an idea-man from the start whether in pictures or in story, always seeking new experiences--not restless, just curious. One summer out of Stanford I got a job in a logging camp in Gray's Harbor, Washington just for the lark of doing something entirely different. (Mel Sayre on the Seattle P.I. might give you a slant on this, altho I knew him indirectly.) I quit a $300 a week job in Hollywood (as animator for Walt Disney) to start a life anew in New York on our own. Neither my wife nor I knew a soul in the big city when we arrived. That was in June 1936. ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_02 ---------- B. THE WRITING OF THE BOOK Where did you get the idea for the book?: I had an old loft of a studio in downtown New York overlooking the East River. The boats on the river fascinated me; and I made sketches of them classify them as definite characters. Soon one small tug-boat seemed to be in evidence more than all the rest. When? (Season as well as year): June- December, 1937 Were the characters real people, or based on real people?: Based on my personification of these real boats-freighters, tugs ocean-liners. Where were you living at the time?: 13 East 9th St. New York City What was your major occupation?: Hack artist and free-lance illustrator-- I also exhibited and sold watercolors in a gallery on 57th St. Names (also nicknames) and identities of members of your household at the time. (if children, give ages.): My wife Dorthea; nicknamed "Doppy". (No children at the time.) Did you talk the book over with any of them?: Yes, with my wife. Did you discuss it with an editor?: Certainly not. Where and how did you get the material? (library research, travel, personal experience, etc.): Personal experience and observation. When did you begin to write the book?: August 1937 Where?: In that loft studio on Hanover Square (just off Wall Street). How much had you had published when you began it? (Give names of books) Nothing What was your purpose in writing this book?: Henry holt Co. had a contest- (the Julia Elsworth Ford award). My book placed tenth out of 1500 entries. How do you write? (typewriter, long-hand, dictate): long-hand then type. Where? (study, office, etc.): Studio. Do you keep regular office hours?: Yes. If so, what are they?: 9 A.M. to 10 P.M. with nice days off if I have the time. Do you revise much?: very much Write easily or laboriously?: Depends on the day. Do you let your family or friends read your work, or try it out on children?: My wife first; then any child that is available, including our own Linda. ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_03 ---------- Who makes your final copies? (yourself, private secretary, public typist, etc.): myself Did you make an outline before writing the book?: No Did you decide on the title first or last?: About middle How long did it take you to write the book?: two days Did you work on it steadily?: Revisions took much longer. Did it go fairly smoothly or did you hit rough spots? (Details of any particular difficulty and its solution would be appreciated.) No particular difficulty. Was your book accepted immediately by a publisher?: Not for a year. Was it immediately popular on publication?: Very popular. Anything else about your writing that might be of interest, especially anything that concerns this book.: When I submitted the book to one reputable publishing house they said "Children aren't thinking that way this year." C. ILLUSTRATIONS How much did you have to do with the illustrations of your book?: Did all the illustrations If you did them yourself, which came first, the pictures or the text? In this case the pictures did. I was just doing them for fun. What medium did you work in?: Water-color. How much experience had you had in illustrating?: no children's books-- cartoons and a few commercial drawings, only. These illustrations were based primarily upon impressions set down in watercolor of the actual scene before me. ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_04 ---------- D. WHAT SORT OF PERSON YOU ARE What did you look like when you wrote this book? Dark or Fair?: fair Tall or short?: medium Thin or plump?: medium Color of eyes?: hazel Wore glasses?: occasionally Color of hair?: sandy Kind of hair--long or short?: don't know Curly or straight?: curly How did you wear it?: parted on left Are you quiet or talkative?: quiet Friendly or reserved?: friendly Do you laugh a great deal or are you usually grave?: not grave Are you quick-tempered or calm and placid?: don't know What sort of clothes do you wear most when writing?: (sports, suits slacks, etc.) old clothes Favorite occupations and hobbies?: gardening and sketching What is your normal speech like?: (Meticulously correct, colloquial, slangy, abrupt, rambling, etc.) short statements Can you direct me to any articles or books which have been written about you?: American Artist Magazine - March 1947 ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_05 ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_06 ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_07 ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_08 ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_09 ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Gramatky_10 ---------- Hardie Gramatky Roseville Road Westport, Comm. April 21, 1948 Dear Miss Montgomery: When I look at the date of you last letter I blush with shame. I am so sorry to have delayed answering you. I just finished a new book myself call Creeper's jeep and believe me you have my sympathy. and the lest of luck to you. I realize it must be very difficult writing about some- one you have never met. I must say you are game to tackle Such a proposition; and I think you have done darn well. how- ever, you have asked for criticism and I believe you are a person who can take it. So far, your story sound like a hollow shell--just mere words. I think I can help you both with notations on you story and with the following: In the first place, take the point of view. Please don't make this a sob story, My life has always been a very exciting one. Money has never been my aim. I loved drawing life as I felt if existed. That spirit could be captured in many forms of art. Corny as it sounds--I loved life. I had six years at Disney's to think of what I wanted to spend my life doing; and when my contract was up I knew where I was going. all the fellows at the studio knew too--and they were all for it. Many men had left the studio before only to be the one who could leave and not have to return. It was done more in the spirit of a game. Walt Disney is still one of my best friends no one has ever worked for a finer or a more liberal employer. He deserves all success because of his high ideals. Walt knew that I was going to art school four nights a week for the six years I worked for him. I was doing good work, but he realized my interests were elsewhere; and he would be the last to stand in my way. When I left for New york he gave me several letters to magazine editors he knew. I had to use only one of the letters to find our that I would have to work it out my own way. The July issue of TRUE magazine is running quite a spread on my paintings around New York Harbor. They asked me to write a couple of thousand words to supplement their article. I am sending you my copy in case it may be of help in your getting a feel of this locale. Please forgive me if I cut corners. I am a very direct person. I sincerely appreciate what you are doing. I know it will be swell. Kindest regards, Hardie Gramatky
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Identifier: wwu:24102
Title: Holling - Paddle to the Sea
Date: 1948
Description: Four page questionnaire completed by Holling Clancy Holling; Three letters to Elizabeth Rider Montgomery from Holling Clancy Holling. Paddle to the Sea was named a Caldecott Honor Book in 1942 and received the Lewis Caroll Shelf Award in 1962.
Digital Collection: info:fedora/wwu:24050
Type of resource: Text
Object custodian: Special Collections
Related Collection: 20th century children's authors collection: writing about writing in letters and personal narratives
Local Identifier: 20thCCA_holling
Text preview (might not show all results): 20th Century Children's Authors - Holling ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Holling Clancy Holling - Paddle to the Sea ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_01 ---------- Holling Clancy Holling ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_02 ---------- 699 East Foothill Blvd., Altadena, Californi
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): 20th Century Children's Authors - Holling ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Holling Clancy Holling - Paddle to the Sea ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_01 ---------- Holling
Show more20th Century Children's Authors - Holling ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Holling Clancy Holling - Paddle to the Sea ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_01 ---------- Holling Clancy Holling ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_02 ---------- 699 East Foothill Blvd., Altadena, California, January 23, 1948 Elizabeth Rider Montgomery, 3209 Alki Avenue, Seattle 6, Washington Dear Miss Montgomery: Your last letter of January 2 has just arrived via Boston, and has jolted me into startled realization of my negligence Upon receipt of your first letter the filing out of your questionnaire was started (quite expansively as you will note - if you cannot decipher cuneiform please write and we will send "Holling's Handy Helper in Handling His Hen Scratches," complete with guide maps and instructions). Then my publisher hinted that, if my new book hopes to be born in '48 its author ought to hump himself with the illustrations. Everything else was dropped (it was already dropped before this, but the hint only dropped everything deeper), including another questionnaire for an an- thology to be published in England, business letters in stacks, and the pleading missives of friends and relatives. Christmas and New Years saw me nailed to the drawing board. People have sometimes expatiated on the "effortless ease of creation" suggested by PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA and TREE IN THE TRAIL. At the time of creation of the idea, yes. But from then on - rolled sleeves, shovel and pick! This new book, SEABIRD, has the same format as PADDLE. But the story takes in much more territory in space and time. The story thread hangs on a seagull carved in walrus ivory which sails with four seafaring generations, starting in an 1830 whaling ship off Greenland and ending in a plane. My illustrative struggle was a struggle only in the necessity for deletion. (I really love my work). For each page of pictures, data and sketches had been amassed, enough for a book. The finished material had to be axed unmercifully to emerge basic, concise, yet comprehensive. Thus your questionnaire was laid aside for a day and was literally buried under hundreds of sketches. The completed illus- trations have now been mailed. And now, coming out of a daze, your letter of January 2 is the first of many groups to be answered. Your outline of the subjects to be included in your book is appealing. It is flattering to find my simple PADDLE in such good company. Please put me on your sales list for an autographed, first edition copy! Sincerely, Holling Clancy Holling ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_03 ---------- 699 East Foothill Blvd., Altadena, California, March 24, 1948 Mrs. Elizabeth Rider Montgomery, 3209 Alki AVenue, Seattle 6, Washington Dear Mrs. Montgomery, You've done a swell job with the PADDLE story. It could go as is. However, because it is so darn good, I've nudged it here and there to sharpen facts in some places and broaden meanings in others; so that from here on out i can refer questioners to your anthology for the real dope on how PADDLE got under way. Your title, I am afraid, may get me in wrong with some of my Indian friends. I can hear them now - "Huh! So this guy knows more about us than we do? Ho! Wait till we this him again! Boy, will we pour it on!"... In other words, because I can change a car's tire doesn't mean i know the secrets of its motor. And really knowing Indians is akin to understanding atomic fission.... Perhaps you could snare a title which would, instead of being boastful, point a moral for the young reader. nothing so trite as "helping others we help ourselves" but with that general idea. Lucille and i helped the old woman with no thought of reward (our reward was in proving to ourselves that we were smart enough to remember certain designs), yet she gave us an extension on our original ideas which formed the book's character.... Or you might pick up a title from something like HOW BITS OF BIRCHBARK HELPED TO BUILD A BOOK....(When I started on this title thing I really meant to help. Hope I haven't driven you into a bog). We may have met. My jabberings have been listened to (and politely) at assorted gatherings all over this area. Though I am not partial to wearing buttons, my clubs include California writers' Guild (not a union), P.E.N. International, Southwest Museum etc. i helped with training films at the Walt Disney Studios during the war, went with Walt and party to Mexico getting data for a health film series for Latin America, wrote and mouthed the narration for "Rite of Spring", taken from its Fantasia context for a school documentary which we tried out at a session of some three hundred audio-visual experts at the studio. Any of this in your territory? The Disney contact was not mentioned in data sent you, because i am not a Disney man and do not want to be known as such - and purposely keep the film angle separate from my books. if I can help further, please let me know. (Or are you by this time saying "what does he mean further!. *%#$". Sincerely, H.C. Holling ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_04 ---------- 699 E. Foothill Blvd., Altadena, Calf., July 25, 1948 Dear Mrs. Montgomery: Just returned from the east, hence the delay in answering you last letter. The story on "PADDLE" reads very well, and your title "RETURNED WITH INTEREST" is excellent. It has been fun working with you. Be sure to have your publishers ship me a copy of the book when it comes out. Good luck, and happy sale-ing! Yours sincerely, Holling P.S.Am enclosing a few shots on signatures to used at will. My preferences might be No. 1 or 4. ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_05 ---------- Paddle-to-the-Sea Published by: Houghton Mifflin Co. Year: 1941 Real Name: Name: Born Holling Alison Clancy. Father died in 1918. Because the Clancy line was extended by innumerable cousins, while the Holling line ended with my mother, I added another "Holling" to my name for books. To save confusion, the name was legalized and I am now known as Holling Clancy Holling, but old friends still recognize me as being the original Holling Clancy. What do you family and friends call you?: Holling A. YOUR BACKGROUND Date of birth: Aug 2-1900 Place of birth: Grandfather Holling's Farm, Henrietta Township, Jackson Co. Father's occupation: School Supt. Number of Brothers: 1 and sisters: 1 Father's nationality: Canadian Irish-French in Canada for 2 centuries Mother's nationality: American-- English stock, mother's grandfather direct from England Kind of home during childhood (farm, small town, city apt. etc): Childhood, North Mich. S. Peninsula. Small towns with fairly large high Schools Adolescence on the Holling Farm Where: Westbranch, and AuSable, Mich. 2 yrs. after leaving AuSable it was destroyed by forest fire. Amount of schooling (high school, college, etc.): Graduate Leslie High Sch. Leslie Mich. Grad. Art Institute, Chicago. Special tutoring Anthropology Economic status during childhood (poor, middle class, wealthy): Middle Special interests as a child (sports, books, games, etc.): Father was good horseman. Learned to ride young - I had a pony. Father inducted me into mysteries of natural sciences - hence love of woods, books. Mother was pianist, wrote verse, plays etc. locally. Hence love of art, music etc. Childhood ambitions: To own and control a circus To write and illustrate books When did you begin to write?: First- drawing, pig with litter at 3 First verse (local paper) at 5 - ever anon! Why?: Natural expression. Each new experience I documented in drawn pictures. Who encouraged you?: Mother, Father, assorted relatives. Father's brothers and sisters were missionaries in India, Africa. Visits home gave me much food for imagination. What and when was your first success or recognition: Difficult to determine as I grew into it. Mother wrote and produced plays and musicals for Father's schools and I was in them. First actual publications were in boy's magazines as youngster. Verse in adult mag. etc. First books - See Oct. Supplement: Who's Who in Am.; 1942 How did you happen to write for children?: Grew into this phase also. An intense interest in hows and whys of life gave me an interpreter complex: suppose you could say that I wanted to know how a thing was done so that I could pass it on to others. Regard myself as an interpreter. Anything else about your background which has a bearing on your writing.: From small-town-farm environment graduated to big city env. (Chicago) but I was still the "Wilderness-lover." A year in the deserts of New Mexico helped. Also, working on scientific staff (Taxidermist Asst) of Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Chicago gave me great impetus. Field trips, Montana and British Columbia for specimens. One real turning point was meeting of Dr. Ralph Linton, Head of American Ethnology Dept. at the museum. We struck up a bargain and after a day's work in Zoology, Dr. Linton (in his office) gave me from one to 3 hours lecture in Anthropology. He tried out his courses on me. (He was later at Columbia Un,, now at Yale). A couple of years of this gave me a foundation in the study of Man - past, present and possible future Which acted as a key or an entire filing system in my brain for the correlation of scattered information. Hence, any information now gleaned has its pigeon-hole in my mind and becomes part of a subconscious fund available for future books. (I plan to Produce Bushels!) ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_06 ---------- P.S. Look at designs on title contents page, map etc. of "Paddle" and you will see patterns in birch bark as related below - (though of course not in old Chippewa design). B. THE WRITING OF THE BOOK Where did you get the idea for the book?: Touring the Gulf States, Lowell Thompson of H.M.Co. wrote me about illustrating a book for them. At Boston I gave Lowell various ideas for books. He liked the idea of a story about a river. So Mrs. Holling and I started west again in our studio-trailer for the headwaters of the Missouri. En route, Wisconsin and Minn., idea shifted to a river in the Great Lakes. When (Season as well as year): Autumn 1938 On a fishing boat in Lake Superior I said "that's it - a chip floats along the river in the Lakes, clear to the sea." Later that month, Lucille (Mrs. H.) and I met a Chippewa woman selling birch bark baskets near Fort William Ont. She used hideous designs from magazines- flower pots, sunbonnet babies, roses etc. We said "why not use the original Chippewa designs but tho her mother had remembered then, she had forgotten. So Lucille and I at Fort William Camp, from memory, cut out many birch patterns of Chippewa and Cree designs. These I did on the orange-colored tree-side of the bark, traced with a point and all inside the outline scraped neatly. This gives a darker silhouette on the dark bark. The woman was astonished at the authentic designs and because we even cut them in bark patterns, like the old-time Chippeway. To show her gratitude and pleasure she gave us, among other things, a carving made by a 12-year old Chippewa friend. We still have it - a kneeling Indian with drawn bow. If a 12 yr. old could do this, I reasoned, then an Indian in a canoe would be easy. So there was my `chip' to float thru the `river' in the Lakes' to the sea. My high school summer vacations had been spent (2 years) working on Great Lakes freighters. Lucille and I had camped all around the Lakes on long canoe trips, including Nipiquo country. So the story virtually developed on its own, as naturally as a chip going downstream. The title came while we camped in Bryce Canyon, Utah. I thought of having the boy carve "I am Paddle-to- the-Sea" ____ verbal thing - as an Indian would say "I am Paddling to the sea! But the words seemed simple and direct, and the title was born as is. When did you begin to write the book?: 1939 Where?: Sequoia Park, Calf. extending to Olympic Pen. (Neah Bay region) finished Altadena Calf. My desert books are often written in canoes, canoeing books in deserts. Perspective, you see. How much had you had published when you began it? (Give names of books) See "Who's Who, Oct sup., 1942" page 208 - also "Story and Verse for Children" - page 813 by Miriam Blanton Huber What was your purpose in writing this book?: To give youngsters a taste of the North Country I knew - to have fun making a book - and for cash! How do you write? (typewriter, long-hand, dictate): Where? (study, office, etc.): Do you keep regular office hours?: Yes. If so, what are they?: No Do you revise much?: Yes Write easily or laboriously?: It all depends Do you let your family or friends read your work, or try it out on children?: Read it to my wife. Never to children. ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_07 ---------- Who makes your final copies? (yourself, private secretary, public typist, etc.): or sometimes to save time typist. Did you make an outline before writing the book?: No Did you decide on the title first or last?: First How long did it take you to write the book?: Problematical. Some paragraphs rewritten 60 times for simplicity and rythm. Did you work on it steadily?: At times. Did it go fairly smoothly or did you hit rough spots? (Details of any particular difficulty and its solution would be appreciated.): No rough spots in story proper. Sometimes difficult to choose which writing told story best. In PADDLE, TREE and new book SEABIRD, each page of some 300 words is a complete chapter. This necessitates work in framing all ideas for that page simply and yet without losing the plot, excitement, etc. (As against such writing, sonnets are a cinch!) Was your book accepted immediately by a publisher?: Yes Was it immediately popular on publication?: Thank Heaven! Anything else about your writing that might be of interest, especially anything that concerns this book.: The rests between spurts were swell! C. ILLUSTRATIONS How much did you have to do with the illustrations of your book?: Practically everything except making the plates. If you did them yourself, which came first, the pictures or the text?: Text What medium did you work in?: Water-color, pencil, pen How much experience had you had in illustrating?: years. ---------- 20thCCA_Holling_08 ---------- D. WHAT SORT OF PERSON YOU ARE What did you look like when you wrote this book? Dark or Fair?: Dark Tall or short?: 5' 101/2" Thin or plump?: Slender Color of eyes?: Dark blue Wore glasses?: No Color of hair?: Dark Brown Kind of hair--long or short?: Medium Curly or straight?: Straight How did you wear it?: See picture Any special features of your appearance (square jaw, dimples, stoop, etc.): Would dearly love a square jaw but haven't one. No dimples. No Stoop. Are you quiet or talkative?: It all depends. Friendly or reserved?: Ditto Do you laugh a great deal or are you usually grave?: Not manic- depressive However, can howl with glee or be sober as hell. Are you quick- tempered or calm and placid?: Every alternate leap-year. What sort of clothes do you wear most when writing? (sports, suits slacks, etc.): Sometimes trunks only. Sometimes overcoats. Altitude and weather dictate. Favorite occupations and hobbies?: Too many What is your normal speech like? (Meticulously correct, colloquial, slangy, abrupt, rambling, etc.): Yes. And the shadings can be subtle. What are some of your pet expressions and exclamations?: I blush. Profanity not habitual. If strongly religious, give denomination.: Brought up a Methodist - but am very broad in view. Could still be called Christian. Any other details about yourself, no matter how trivial, which might help me to picture you in my own mind. Latin Americans call me "simpatico." I become with no effort the age to which I am talking. Even some dogs seem to wonder why I have no tail. Cats regard me with favor. Also old people. Also my wife (this statement - should be qualified at length. Can you direct me to any articles or books which have been written about you?: See Who's Who Supplement for Oct. 1942. It contains most complete list of my books. if you have a photograph or snapshot of yourself of about the vintage of your book, I would appreciate it. Of course I would return it promptly. Please keep the thing!
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Identifier: wwu:24099
Title: Daugherty - Andy and the Lion
Date: 1947
Description: Three page letter from James Daugherty to Elizabeth Rider Montgomery. Andy and the Lion was published in 1938 by Viking Press. The book was a runner-up for the Caldecott Award in 1939. A retelling of the fable Androcles and the Lion, Daugherty orginally designed the story as a wordless book. Text was added before publication at the request of the publisher.
Digital Collection: info:fedora/wwu:24050
Type of resource: Text
Object custodian: Special Collections
Related Collection: 20th century children's authors collection: writing about writing in letters and personal narratives
Local Identifier: 20thCCA_daugherty
Text preview (might not show all results): 20th Century Children's Authors - Daugherty ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - James Daugherty - Andy and the Lion ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Daugherty_01 ---------- Westport, Conn. Dear Elizabeth Rider Montgomery, I am naturally very encouraged to know that you contemplate li
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): 20th Century Children's Authors - Daugherty ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - James Daugherty - Andy and the Lion ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Daugherty_01 ---------- Westport, C
Show more20th Century Children's Authors - Daugherty ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - James Daugherty - Andy and the Lion ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Daugherty_01 ---------- Westport, Conn. Dear Elizabeth Rider Montgomery, I am naturally very encouraged to know that you contemplate listing Andy in your new book about books, and the story of their making. I have often wondered why the hell writers and artists ever go thru the enormous pain, effort, sweat and tears it takes to write a story or for that matter a single significant English sentence, paint a picture, or construct a poem, and then encourage the myth that they dash these things off in casual moods of airy inspiration. Perhaps you will throw some light on this mystery. I am somewhat at a disadvantage in the face of your questionnaire. As much of the data regarding time and place has escaped me and the particular story or picture book of Andy was never written at all. in the usual sense. I can however give you a more intimate genesis of its origin than your formidable questionnaire might reveal. I have always strongly felt that laughter was one of the great heal ing agents for the burdens of humanity. It lightens them at least. And i have always cherished a secret ambition to be able in some wa way to better spread this contagion of healing laughter. Another interest or theory I have contemplated is the telling of a story entirely in pictures without the use of words. In this country only Lynn Ward has done it- in his fine novels in wood cut. Of course the comic strip does this in a way but relies heavily on balloon captions and a compilation of plot rather than the simple but unlimited possibilities of pure pic turising At this point here is how Andy evolved. Mrs. Daugherty who has written several excellent juveniles, plays and novels, and myself were spending a long winter evening in our ---------- 20thCCA_Daugherty_02 ---------- frontier cabin in the Conneticut backwoods about fifty miles from New York. We were having some fine talk about the good plays we had seen and of course discussing the charms of Bernard Shaw 's play Androcles and the Lion. We had seen it performed in New York years ago. As you may recall it was the Lion that stole the show and had all New York rolling in the isles as they say for a whole season. It was in this mellow mood that I went into my studio before turning in and quickly sketched in pencil the picture sequence of Andy and the Lion. I naturally and unconsciously visualized the story in terms of my own middle western childhood. The problem that interested me was to tell a story communicating humor, good will and affection entirely thru the medium of pictures without words. The sketches lay in my studio for weeks among the Wilderness of a thousand and one drawings paintings and paraphernalia that litter this untidy shop. When supplies run low it is my practice to go into the settlements to trade and barter and stock up for the next stretch. Putting the sketches in the pocket of my store clothes I adventured to the great city with considerable misgiving and distrust. Greatly confused in the rushing stream of its energetic inhabitants, I happily remembered Kay Masee, as a person with a sense of humor and imagination and as a creative editor with the rare gift of extracting the best from the writers and artists of children's books. I had previously illustrated Benet's John Browns Body and other books for her. Miss Massee was vastly amused with the sketches and said you must make this into a book at once. This is an answer to prayer, You may be sure I said Amen. The finished drawings were make in brush and ink and a separate set of drawings for the yellow plate which enriches and gives depth to the printed impression. ---------- 20thCCA_Daugherty_03 ---------- Up to this point there were to be no words accompanying the pictu tures but when the proofs came in the editors decided that people were unaccustomed to reading pictures without text and that there must be words. As I had never written anything except personal correspondence I passed this up. The editors drafted a text but this just didn't seem to work out. Finally as a last resort Miss Massee and I sat in her office and wrote on the back of each sketch a line that sounded right. It took about half an hour and was great fun and the whole fitted together perfectly. As a happy finale the famous Spenser Collection of rare manuscripts at the New York Public Library bought the original drawings to add to their collection of representative American art in this field. Oddly enough this account seems to be the exception that proves the rule about books and pictures being fashioned thru blood, tears and sweat. Or maybe my theory is all wrong anyway. In the Haycraft "Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books" is an autobiography which gives you the answers to most of your questionnaire. And if you still want more with some photographs I think I can dig up something in the files. I side with those artists and writers who are finding in the heart and meaning of American life and its people their theme and inspirat tion. The surface here has only been scratched, the possibilities for rich expression are unlimited. If I have failed to supply what you want on this them of Andy I ha have anyway made the above effort to be cooperative. With best wishes for the new project, sincerely James Daugherty
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Identifier: wwu:24098
Title: Atwater - Mr. Popper's Penguins
Date: 1948-01-11
Description: One letter from Florence Atwater to Elizabeth Rider Montgomery. Mr. Popper's Penguins was a Newbery Honor book in 1939. Illustrated by Robert Lawson, the story continues to be enjoyed today.
Digital Collection: info:fedora/wwu:24050
Type of resource: Text
Object custodian: Special Collections
Related Collection: 20th century children's authors collection: writing about writing in letters and personal narratives
Local Identifier: 20thCCA_atwater
Text preview (might not show all results): <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <mods xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <identifier type="local">20th Ce
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Florence Atwater - Mr. Popper's Penguins ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Atwater_01 ---------- 7861 South Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois January 11,
Show more---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Florence Atwater - Mr. Popper's Penguins ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Atwater_01 ---------- 7861 South Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois January 11, 1948 Miss Elizabeth R. Montgomery Seattle, Washington My dear Miss Montgomery: I am sorry to have been so long in answering you. I did get your questionnaire, but found it a little formidable. Indeed I did not know how to answer a good deal of it. However, I can probably answer the questions in your letter - at least about Mr. Popper's Penguin's. My husband has been hopelessly paralyzed for the last fourteen years - but the facts about his career before then you could probably dig out of some old Who's Who. When he was quite young he taught Greek at the University of Chicago (I was one of his students there, as a matter of fact) but he gave up the academic life for journalism. For a number of years he wrote a humorous column for the old Chicago Evening Post over the signature Riq. He used also to write articles for magazines. As for the genesis of the penguin book, it grew out of our seeing the Byrd movies of Antarctica expedition. We were so enchanted with the movies of the penguins that like Mr. Popper. We sat through the movie twice. My husband began the book shortly after - probably with our own two daughters in mind for the audience. He abandoned the manuscript, however, and I dug it out of his desk a couple of ---------- 20thCCA_Atwater_02 ---------- years after his stroke, and decided to finish it. (I had previously done a few short pieces for magazines myself). The original manuscript was much more of a fantasy than the final form: it was all a sort of dream. I rewrote the first few chapters and supplied a practical domestic background. The humorous chapters, such as the one where the repairman is called to bore holes in the icebox for the penguins, I left untouched. The last few chapters I had to supply entirely. Does this answer your questions? It is kind of you to be interested, and I am sorry to have been to slow in answering. Sincerely yours, Florence Atwater (Mrs. Richard Atwater)
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