w, as
one vitally concerned in book publishing, my interest in books has been
fundamentally unchanging--a wish to see more books read and better books
to read.

From one standpoint, _When Winter Comes to Main Street_ is frankly an
advertisement; it deals with Doran books and authors. This is a fact of
some relevance, however, if, as I believe, the reader shall find
well-spent the time given to these pages.

Grant Overton.

19 July 1922.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I THE COURAGE OF HUGH WALPOLE 15

II HALF-SMILES AND GESTURES 33

III STEWART EDWARD WHITE AND ADVENTURE 55

IV WHERE THE PLOT THICKENS 68

V REBECCA WEST: AN ARTIST 78

VI SHAMELESS FUN 88

VII THE VITALITY OF MARY ROBERTS RINEHART 102

VIII THEY HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME 118

IX AUDACIOUS MR. BENNETT 133

X A CHAPTER FOR CHILDREN 152

XI COBB'S FOURTH DIMENSION 166

XII PLACES TO GO 187

XIII ALIAS RICHARD DEHAN 196

XIV WITH FULL DIRECTIONS 212

XV FRANK SWINNERTON: ANALYST OF LOVERS 225

XVI AN ARMFUL OF NOVELS, WITH NOTES ON THE NOVELISTS 244

XVII THE HETEROGENEOUS MAGIC OF MAUGHAM 270

XVIII BOOKS WE LIVE BY 293

XIX ROBERT W. CHAMBERS AND THE WHOLE TRUTH 308

XX UNIQUITIES 321

XXI THE CONFESSIONS OF A WELL-MEANING YOUNG MAN,
STEPHEN MCKENNA 334

XXII POETS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 347

XXIII THE BOOKMAN FOUNDATION AND THE BOOKMAN 366

EPILOGUE 372

INDEX 373

PORTRAITS

PAGE
HUGH WALPOLE 17
STEWART EDWARD WHITE 57
REBECCA WEST 79
MARY ROBERTS RINEHART 103
ARNOLD BENNETT 135
IRVIN S. COBB 167
FRANK SWINNERTON 227
W.