Straws and Prayer-Books

'Straws and Prayer-Books' serves as a profound and witty epilogue to James Branch Cabell’s extensive literary cycle, the Biography of the Life of Manuel. This collection of essays and reflections explores the creative process and the philosophical underpinnings of romantic literature. Cabell examines the fundamental drive of the artist to escape reality through the construction of intricate, secondary worlds, positioning the writer as a weaver of dreams rather than a mere chronicler of facts.Throughout the work, Cabell delves into the distinction between realism and romance, arguing that the latter provides a more essential truth about the human spirit. He reflects on his own career and the mythical realm of Poictesme, offering readers an intimate look into the mind of one of early 20th-century America’s most stylistically unique authors. 'Straws and Prayer-Books' is both a defense of fantasy and a sophisticated meditation on the purpose of art, making it an essential read for students of literary theory and fans of Cabell’s imaginative fiction. It captures a significant moment in American letters where the boundaries between autobiography, criticism, and creative manifesto blur into a singular, compelling narrative.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.