vtji b«e«U0« no oi3» wanted to write about thorn* Tht 

 first knowledge 1 had of a general taboo I acquired 

 one evening when I happened to be on a Fall HlTor 

 boat along with Joseph Coates* He was a member of 

 Porter and Coates, an old Philadelphia book 

 publishing firm* He was also the editor of their 

 aagasine, the Hew Era < an intellectual monthly 

 along the lines of the Arena and the Horth American 

 Review ♦ He told we, *We have a manuscript in the 

 office which I ^ink is a great book bj a young man 

 I think is going to be a great writer. But I 

 think it will never be published. It's too frank." 

 How nearly right he was is evidenced by the fact 

 that, as I am told, Boubleday aoeepted the 

 naanaoript and Mrs. Doubleday px^vented its 

 publication. However, after several years and many 

 Journeys it was published. It was Theodore Dreiser's 

 Sister Carrie . 



Oilbt And wouM you say that in a way your standard of 

 what was a good book was what sold well? 



Coggins: Yes. 



ailbi It didn't bother you? 



Coggins s Ho, I didn't feel it was a cause. Any more then I 

 would have questioned the formula if I had been 

 working for a soap manufacturer. 



