The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Native Son, by Inez Haynes Irwin

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Title: The Native Son

Author: Inez Haynes Irwin

Posting Date: February 15, 2009 [EBook #3312]
Release Date: July, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NATIVE SON ***

Produced by David A. Schwan

THE NATIVE SON

By Inez Haynes Irwin

TO THOSE PROUD NATIVE SONS

James W. Coffroth
Meyer Cohn
Porter Garnett
John Crowley
Willie Ritchie
J. Cal Ewing
James Wilson
Andrew J. Gallagher

AND TO THOSE APOLOGETIC ADOPTED SONS

Albert M. Bender
Austin Lewis
Sam Berger
Xavier Martinez
Gelett Burgess
Perry Newberry
Michael Casey
Patrick O'Brien
Perry Newberry
Patrick Flynn
Fremont Older
Will Irwin
Lemuel Parton
Anton Johansen
Paul Scharrenberg
Waldemar Young

All of Whom Have Played
Some Graceful Part In Translating
California To Me

This Appreciation is Dedicated

THE NATIVE SON

The only drawback to writing about California is that scenery and
climate--and weather even--will creep in. Inevitably anything you
produce sounds like a cross between a railroad folder and a circus
program. You can't discuss the people without describing their
background; for they reflect it perfectly; or their climate, because it
has helped to make them the superb beings they are. A tendency manifests
itself in you to revel in superlatives and to wallow in italics. You
find yourself comparing adjectives that cannot be compared--unique for
instance. Unique is a persistent temptation. For, the rules of grammar
not-withstanding, California is really the most unique spot on the
earth's surface. As for adjectives like enormous, colossal, surpassing,
overpowering and nouns like marvel, wonder, grandeur, vastness, they are
as common in your copy as commas.

Another difficulty is that nobody outside California ever believes
you. I don't blame