It's a good thing to turn your mind upside down now and then, like an hour-glass, to let the particles run the other way.
The Haunted Bookshop (1919)
Printer's ink has been running a race against gunpowder these many, many years. Ink is handicapped, in a way, because you can blow up a man with gunpowder in half a second, while it may take twenty years to blow him up with a book. But the gunpowder destroys itself along with its victim, while a book can keep on exploding for centuries.
The Haunted Bookshop (1919)
The most interesting persons are always those who have nothing special to do: children, nurses, policemen and actors at 11 o'clock in the morning.
Travels in Philadelphia (1920)
Philadelphia was the first city to foresee the advantages of a Federal constitution and oatmeal as a breakfast food.
Travels in Philadelphia (1920)
Happiness is surely the best teacher of good manners: only the unhappy are churlish in deportment.
Where the Blue Begins (1922)
Christopher Morley was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, novelist, essayist and
poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He also produced stage productions for a few years and gave college lectures.
Biography
Christopher Morley was born in
Haverford, PennsylvaniaHaverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,...
. His father,
Frank MorleyFrank Morley was a leading mathematician, known mostly for his teaching and research in the fields of algebra and geometry...
, was a mathematics professor at
Haverford CollegeHaverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
; his mother, Lilian Janet Bird, was a poet and musician who provided Christopher with much of his later love for literature and poetry.
In 1900 the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. In 1906 Christopher entered Haverford College, graduating in 1910 as
valedictorianValedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
. He then went to
New College, OxfordNew College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, for three years on a
Rhodes scholarshipThe Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
, studying modern history.
In 1913 Morley completed his Oxford studies and moved to
Garden City, New YorkGarden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
. That same year he married Helen Fairchild (with whom he would have four children). They first lived in
HempsteadHempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
, and then in Queens Village. They then moved to
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and in 1920 they made their final move, to a house they called "Green Escape" in
Roslyn Estates, New YorkRoslyn Estates is a village in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by the village of Roslyn...
. They remained there for the rest of his life. In 1936 he built a cabin at the rear of the property (
The Knothole), which he maintained as his writing study from then on.
In 1951 Morley suffered a series of
strokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s, which greatly reduced his voluminous literary output. He died in 1957 and was buried in the Roslyn Cemetery in
Nassau County, New YorkNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
. After his death, two New York newspapers published his last message to his friends:
- Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.
Career
Morley began writing while still in college. He edited
The Haverfordian and contributed articles to that college publication. He provided scripts for and acted in the university's drama program (he also played on the cricket and soccer teams).
In Oxford a volume of his poems,
The Eighth Sin (1912), was published. After graduating from Oxford, Morley began his literary career at Doubleday, working as
publicistA publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
and
publisher's readerA publisher's reader or first reader is a person paid by a publisher or book club to read manuscripts from the slush pile, and to advise their employers as to quality and marketability of the work. They can exercise considerable influence over the offerings of the publishers for whom they worked,...
. In 1917 he got his start as a newspaper reporter and then as a newspaper columnist in Philadelphia. He also edited the
Ladies' Home JournalLadies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
(1917–1918) and the
Philadelphia Evening Public LedgerThe Public Ledger was a daily newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania published from March 25, 1836 to January 1942. Its motto was "Virtue Liberty and Independence". For a time, it was Philadelphia's most popular newspaper, but circulation declined in the mid-1930s.-Early history:Founded by William...
.
Morley's first novel,
Parnassus on WheelsParnassus on Wheels is a 1917 novel written by Christopher Morley and published by Doubleday, Page & Company. The title refers to the Mount Parnassus of Greek mythology; it was the home of the Muses.-Synopsis:...
, appeared in 1917. The protagonist, traveling bookseller Roger Mifflin, appeared again in his second novel,
The Haunted BookshopThe Haunted Bookshop is the 1919 novel by Christopher Morley, now in the public domain in the United States.-Plot introduction:This is a suspenseful novel set in Brooklyn around the time of the end of World War I. It continues the story of Roger Mifflin, the book seller in Parnassus on Wheels...
in 1919.
In 1920 he returned to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to write a column (
The Bowling Green) for the New York Evening Post.
He was one of the founders and a longtime contributing editor of the
Saturday Review of Literature. A highly gregarious man, he was the mainstay of what he dubbed the "Three Hours for Lunch Club". Out of enthusiasm for the
Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories, he helped to found the
Baker Street IrregularsThe Baker Street Irregulars are any of several different groups, all named after the original, from various Sherlock Holmes stories in which they are a gang of young street children whom Holmes often employs to aid his cases.- Original :...
and wrote the introduction to the standard omnibus edition of
The Complete Sherlock Holmes. He also wrote an introduction to standard omnibus edition of
The Complete Works of Shakespeare in 1936, although Morley called it an "Introduction to Yourself as a Reader of Shakespeare". That year, he was appointed to revise and enlarge
Bartlett's Familiar QuotationsBartlett's Familiar Quotations, often simply called Bartlett's, is an American reference work that is the longest-lived and most widely distributed collection of quotations...
(11th edition in 1937 and 12th edition in 1948). He was one of the first judges for the
Book of the Month ClubThe Book of the Month Club is a United States mail-order book sales club that offers a new book each month to customers.The Book of the Month Club is part of a larger company that runs many book clubs in the United States and Canada. It was formerly the flagship club of Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc...
, serving in that position until the early 1950s.
Author of more than 100 novels, books of essays, and volumes of poetry, Morley is probably best known for his 1939 novel
Kitty FoyleKitty Foyle, subtitled The Natural History of a Woman, is a 1939 novel by Christopher Morley. A bestseller in 1939 and 1940, it was adapted as a popular 1940 film....
, which was made into an
Academy AwardAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning movie. Another well-known work is
Thunder on the LeftThunder on the Left is a novel by Christopher Morley, originally published in 1925. In it, Morley looks at maturity, individual growth, and human nature...
(1925).
From 1928 to 1930, Morley co-produced theater productions (dramas) at his theater in
Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, which he had "deemed the last seacoast in Bohemia".
For most of his life, he lived in Roslyn Estates, Nassau County, Long Island, commuting to the city on the
Long Island Rail RoadThe Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
, about which he wrote affectionately. In 1961, a 98-acre (40-hectare) park was named in his honor on Searingtown Road in Nassau County. This park preserves as a publicly available point of interest his studio, the "Knothole" (which was moved to the site after his passing), along with his furniture and bookcases.
Notable works
- Parnassus on Wheels
Parnassus on Wheels is a 1917 novel written by Christopher Morley and published by Doubleday, Page & Company. The title refers to the Mount Parnassus of Greek mythology; it was the home of the Muses.-Synopsis:...
(novel, 1917)
- Shandygaff (book of essays, 1918)
- The Haunted Bookshop
The Haunted Bookshop is the 1919 novel by Christopher Morley, now in the public domain in the United States.-Plot introduction:This is a suspenseful novel set in Brooklyn around the time of the end of World War I. It continues the story of Roger Mifflin, the book seller in Parnassus on Wheels...
(novel, 1919)
- Pipefuls (collection of humorous essays, 1920)
- Where the Blue Begins (satirical novel, 1922)
- The Powder of Sympathy (collection of humorous essays, 1923, illustrated by Walter Jack Duncan
Walter Jack Duncan was a war artist for the United States Army during World War I.-Biography:Walter Jack Duncan was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He lived there with his family, which included a number of prominent actors, until he finished high school...
)
- Thunder on the Left
Thunder on the Left is a novel by Christopher Morley, originally published in 1925. In it, Morley looks at maturity, individual growth, and human nature...
(novel, 1925)
- Off the Deep End
Off the Deep End is the seventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's...
(collection of essays, 1928, illustrated by John Alan MaxwellJohn Alan Maxwell was an American artist known primarily for his book and magazine illustrations, as well as historical paintings...
)
- Born in a Beer Garden, or She Troupes to Conquer (co-author with Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
, 1930)
- Seacoast of Bohemia ("history of four infatuated adventurers, Morley, Cleon Throckmorton, Conrad Milliken and Harry Wagstaff Gribble, who rediscovered the Old Rialto Theatre in Hoboken, and refurnished it", 1929, illustrated by John Alan Maxwell
John Alan Maxwell was an American artist known primarily for his book and magazine illustrations, as well as historical paintings...
)
- John Mistletoe (autobiographical novel, 1931)
- Ex Libris Carissimis (non-fiction writing based on lectures he presented at University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, 1932)
- Shakespeare and Hawaii (non-fiction writing based on lectures he presented at University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, 1933)
- Human Being (novel, Doubleday, Doran & Co., Garden City NY, 1934)
- The Trojan Horse (novel, 1937)
- Kitty Foyle
Kitty Foyle, subtitled The Natural History of a Woman, is a 1939 novel by Christopher Morley. A bestseller in 1939 and 1940, it was adapted as a popular 1940 film....
(novel, 1939)
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Textbook of Friendship (analysis of Arthur Conan Doyle's writings, 1944)
- The Old Mandarin (book of poetry, 1947)
- The Man Who Made Friends with Himself (his last novel, 1949)
Literary connections
- Morley was a close friend of Don Marquis
Donald Robert Perry Marquis was a humorist, journalist, and author. He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He is remembered best for creating the characters "Archy" and "Mehitabel", supposed authors of humorous verse.-Life:...
, author of the Archy and MehitabelArchy and Mehitabel is the title of a series of newspaper columns written by Don Marquis beginning in 1916. Written as fictional social commentary and intended as a space-filler to allow Marquis to meet the challenge of writing a daily newspaper column six days a week, archy and mehitabel is...
stories featuring the antics and commentary of a New York cockroach and a cat. In 1924 Morley and Marquis co-authored Pandora Lifts The Lid, a light novel about the well-to-do in contemporary Hamptons. They are said to have written alternate chapters, each taking the plot forward from where the other had left off.
- Morley's widow sold a collection of his personal papers and books to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
after his death.
- Morley helped to found the Baker Street Irregulars
The Baker Street Irregulars are any of several different groups, all named after the original, from various Sherlock Holmes stories in which they are a gang of young street children whom Holmes often employs to aid his cases.- Original :...
, dedicated to the study of Sir Arthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
.
- Morley edited two editions of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, often simply called Bartlett's, is an American reference work that is the longest-lived and most widely distributed collection of quotations...
: 1937 (11th) and 1948 (12th.)
- Morley's 1939 novel Kitty Foyle
Kitty Foyle, subtitled The Natural History of a Woman, is a 1939 novel by Christopher Morley. A bestseller in 1939 and 1940, it was adapted as a popular 1940 film....
was unusual for its time, as it openly discussed abortion. It became an instant best-seller, selling over one million copies.
- Morley's brothers Felix
Felix Muskett Morley was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from the United States.-Biography:Morley was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, his father being the mathematician Frank Morley. Like his brothers, Christopher and Frank, Felix was educated at Haverford College and enjoyed a Rhodes...
and Frank were also Rhodes Scholars. Felix became President of Haverford CollegeHaverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
.
- In 1942 Morley wrote his own obituary for the biographical dictionary Twentieth Century Authors.
External links