F. SCOTT FITZGERALD ON AUTHORSHIP: ". Writing Has Been My Chief Interest in Life, and I Am in Every Sense a Professional. "

Assembling letters and notebook entries with articles and reviews written for publication, F. Scott Fitzgerald on Authorship provides Fitzgerald's public and private writings on his trade and craft. The forty-six selections in this volume construct an autobiographical account of Fitzgerald's twenty-year endeavor to maintain careers as a commercial writer and as a literary artist. Offering a clear sense of his seriousness about writing, they correct misconceptions that have impeded a proper assessment of Fitzgerald's professional authorship and distorted his reputation as a man of letters.
In a substantial introduction to the volume, Matthew J. Bruccoli positions Fitzgerald as a case history for the profession-of-authorship approach to American literary history formulated by William Charvat. Bruccoli notes that more is known about the professional life of Fitzgerald than about that of any other major American author, and, drawing on that wealth of information, he challenges familiar myths about Fitzgerald's squandering of fortunes and literary genius. Bruccoli exposes the error of segregating Fitzgerald's magazine and movie work from his novels, suggesting instead that a symbiotic relationship exists among these works and ties them together.
In his own words, Fitzgerald corrects the most condescending and irksome notion about him - that he was a literary ignoramus who wrote brilliantly without knowing what he was doing. As these letters, notebook entries, book reviews, and articles clearly indicate, Fitzgerald reached usable conclusions about the craft of writing, the discipline of authorship, and the obligations of literature.

In honor of Fitzgerald's birthday centennial, the University of South Carolina and its press are rolling out the red carpet with a celebration rivaling a party at Gatsby's. The publisher is releasing an unprecedented three volumes by or about the great writer, all of which have been edited by leading Fitzgerald biographer and scholar Bruccoli. The Centenary Exhibition is the program of a unique display of Fitzgerald memorabilia from Bruccoli's private collection on view at the university's Thomas Cooper Library in Columbia (and available on a web site at ). Fie! Fie! Fi-Fi! is a facsimile of the script for the two-act musical comedy written by Fitzgerald as a Princeton undergraduate in 1914. The show will be staged for the first time in 82 years as part of the university's festivities. On Authorship collects 46 pieces that present a portrait of Fitzgerald as both a commercial writer and literary artist. The selections include letters, notebook entries, book reviews, and articles that highlight Fitzgerald's discipline and dedication to the craft of writing. This centenary trilogy is the literary publishing event of the year and the perfect way to honor one of our nation's greatest men of letters. For Fitzgerald aficionados, it is a celebration just this side of paradise. Highly recommended.?Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.