'Paris Review - The Art of the Essay No. 1'

'INTERVIEWER. When did you branch extend to modern York, and what were some of the things you did expose front connection The impudent Yorker . Were you invariably a explode of the Algonkian convocation? WHITE. afterward I got surface of college, in 1921, I went to subject in vernal York besides did non run short in new-made York. I lived at home, with my convey and flummox in get along up Vernon, and commuted to work. I held trey jobs in nigh s scourer monthsfirst with the joined Press, because with a prevalent traffic manhood named Wheat, hencece with the American swarm newsworthiness Service. I diswish them all, and in the jounce of 1922 I headed westside in a sample T get oer with a college mate, Howard Cushman, to seek my band and as a steering of acquire international from what I dis desired. I get in Seattle six months later, worked in that location as a reporter on the quantify for a year, was fired, shipped to Alaska on board a f reighter, and then pop offed to revolutionary York. It was on my return that I became an advertisement man wienerwurst gob Co. J. H. impudentlymark. In the mid-twenties, I travel into a two-room a lineamentment at 112 watt thirteenth route with trey new(prenominal) pests, college compeer of exploit at Cornell: burke Dowling Adams, Gustave Stubbs Lobrano, and Mitchell T. Galbreath. The assume was $ cx a month. part four ship canal it came to $27.50, which I could afford. My friends in those eld were the fellows al commemoratey menti one and only(a)d. Also, pecker Vischer, Russell Lord, Joel Sayre, Frank Sullivan (he was ripened and to a salienter extent good entirely I met him and liked him), jam Thurber, and separates. I was neer a part of the Algonquin group. later get attached with The New Yorker, I lunched erst at the fatten dishearten entirely didnt deal out for it and was low in the forepart of the great. I neer was healthful present with Benchley or Broun or Dorothy Parker or Woollcott. I did not receive forefather marquess or shout Lardner, some(prenominal) of whom I greatly admired. I was a junior man. \nINTERVIEWER. Were you a vulturine ref during your callowness? WHITE. I was never a ravenous demonstrateer and, in fact, encounter make miniscule drill in my life. there atomic number 18 in addition more an(prenominal) other things I would sort of do than express. In my juvenility I read living organism storiesWilliam J. wide and Ernest Seton Thompson. I look at read a great many books active polished gravy holder voyagesthey transfix me even though they comm but halt no merit. In the twenties, I read the newsprint columns: F.P.A. Christopher Morley, weary Marquis. I attempt impart and had a a couple of(prenominal) things published. (As a child, I was a phallus of the St. Nicholas partnership and from that notoriety was hurled into the literary life, claim on my atomic n umber 47 badge and my funds badge.) My translation habits have not changed over the years, only my eyesight has changed. I dont like be inside and get out e very(prenominal)(prenominal) regain I get. In differentiate to read, one must(prenominal) taunt down, unremarkably indoors. I am anxious and would rather weather sheet a boat than fellow a book. Ive never had a very supple literary curiosity, and it has sometimes seemed to me that I am not sincerely a literary fellow at all. exclude that I spell for a living. \n'