Page:The Borzoi 1920.djvu/176

138 You can read about him in The Encyclopoedia [sic] Britannica and you will learn there that "Hunger" is the book that first made him famous—almost a generation ago. This competent translation was first published in England in 1899, but Edwin Bjorkman's informing, useful introduction, was specially written for me.

Many who read this have doubtless already seen the little printed fall announcements that went out from my office some months ago. In some respects this announcement is inaccurate. For example, I shall not publish de Bekker's "Cuba." Mr. de Bekker was delayed in getting the manuscript written and as the book required elaborate and special handling from an advertising point of view—it was to carry much advertising matter—I decided finally that since he was able to get another publisher it would be better so. Over a year ago I persuaded Dr. A. A. Goldenweiser of The New York School for Social Research to undertake to write a good general introduction to anthropology—for the average reader. This was announced as "The Groundwork of Civilization," but as Dr. Goldenweiser has only just delivered his manuscript, the book must go over until next year.

And now I would like to say something about my plans for 1921. In a general sort of way I want to give more attention to the work of American authors and publish more American books. American publishers show, I believe, altogether too much deference to work that reaches us from England. Obviously most of the time the young English novelist is a better craftsman than the American, but there are springing up all over the United States—in Detroit, St. Louis and Washington as well as New York, men and women who do know how to write and who have observed to advantage the life about them. To bring forward work of this kind shall be my chief aim. However, we must give the devil his due even if he be a