Momentous Meetings: A Table For Four
The sun cast long shadows along the sidewalk in front of London’s Langham Hotel on the evening of August 30th, 1889. The tall American Joseph Stoddardt looked over the heads of the others on the sidewalk as he strode toward the door. He paused for a moment searching for the faces of those he was to meet for dinner. He turned to his companion and said ‘I believe we are just about on time Thomas. It would not do to be late.’
Stoddart, known more generally as J. M., was the editor in chief of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. The Philadelphia-based magazine was distributed across the United States. More than a year ago Stoddart embarked on a mission to increase distribution of his publication to England and the rest of the United Kingdom. After all Lippincott’s was an English-language literary magazine featuring original works, criticism, and reviews, so nothing could be more natural than to expand into the very home of English.?
Stoddart’s companion that day was Thomas Patrick Gill, former member of the House of Commons representing South Louth, Ireland. More recently he had also worked as an editor of NY-based magazines like The North American Review.?
It was not easy, but somehow Stoddart and Gill organized a dinner hosting three of England’s leading writers of the day: Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan-Doyle, and Oscar Wilde. It would be difficult to imagine a more eclectic group.?
As the duo strode passed the doorman and into the Langham’s lobby, it would have been impossible to miss the singular Oscar Wilde holding forth for a group of admirers of his magazine; The Woman’s World, standing around him. At 35 Wilde cut a dashing and styled figure. He wore his brimmed hat at a jaunty angle and adjusted his crimson cravat, walking stick in hand, answering questions of the ladies gathered about him.?
‘Oscar!’ Gill waved toward Wilde from across the room. They had spent some time together at Trinity in Dublin and it was through this connection they had convinced Wilde to attend.?
‘My dear Thomas!’ Oscar called as he broke the circle, perhaps rudely, and strode toward the pair of editors. ‘It is wonderful to see you! How have you been keeping now that you are through with government?’
‘Through with government? Never in life, Oscar, never in life. But let me introduce you to my singular friend Joseph Stoddart from Philadelphia’ replied Gill as the two shook hands warmly looking into one another’s eyes seeking the reflection of their own youth.?
‘It’s a real pleasure to meet you at last Mr. Wilde,’ said Stoddart. ‘Might I add how much my children and indeed, I as well, enjoyed your stories in The Happy Prince.’
Wilde wanted to dislike the American. After all, he had often been savaged in the American Press. But he also immediately recalled the working people of America with whom he had spent many tavern hours trying to forget the worries of the day. He warmed to Stoddart immediately.?
Just then a shorter gentlemen came out from behind the very tall Wilde. ‘I daresay you all are the party I am here to meet. Conan-Doyle is my name, Doctor Arthur Conan-Doyle.’ Conan-Doyle made quite a contrast to Wilde, not just due to their difference in height. The doctor’s drab brown suit and Hamburg seemed even more dour as he stood by Wilde. His grin was wide and cheerful though, as he stuck his hand out toward the party in general.?
After handshakes all around, Wilde hesitantly asked ‘And what of our fourth. I do not see Mr. Kipling?’ His head swiveled expectantly around the room.?
‘Alas’ Stoddart replied. ‘Rudyard Kipling had to send his regrets. Perhaps on another occasion.’
Conan-Doyle looked disappointed. ‘Ah, what a pity. I was so looking forward to meeting the esteemed storyteller.’
‘Indeed’ said Wilde. ‘Though perhaps we will find a way to muddle through without him.’ He waved his hand toward the restaurant door facing onto the Langham’s lobby. ‘Shall we?’
A few minutes later the four men were seated around their table. Drinks had arrived. Stoddart raised his glass, ice tinkling as he did so. ‘Well met, gentlemen’ he said. ‘To new adventures!’
‘To new adventures’ the rest of the party chanted, lifting their own glasses and sipping.?
‘Thank you all for attending’ Stoddart began. ‘As you know Lippencott’s is interested in extending our subscriber’s list into the United Kingdom. We are also quite interested in capturing some of the magic you two have so masterfully captured for our subscribers in the United States. I was hoping we could find some utterly unique ways to kick off this new enterprise for the gratification of our readers, and our pocketbooks.’
‘I must admit that I am a bit surprised, gratified but still surprised, in your interest in me for your new enterprise. After all, I was absolutely savaged by the press during my most recent visit to The States, at least by your eastern establishment,’ said Wilde.?
‘Well, I can tell you, Mr. Wilde’ replied Stoddardt. ‘We have a saying in our country to the effect that “all press is good press.” Everything is fine so long as the press is talking about you.’ This brought smiles to everyone, most especially Wilde.?
The discussion became more businesslike after dinner when the quartet adjourned to the smoking room for the traditional brandy and cigars.?
‘Tell me more about Sherlock, Dr. Conan-Doyle,’ Wilde inquired. ‘I adored “Micah Clarke”’ this referring to another of Conan-Doyle’s stories. ‘Much more than A Study in Scarlett,’ referring to the very first, and only, Sherlock Holmes tale penned a couple of short years before. ‘Though I thought I saw some reflections of myself within Holmes.’
‘Indeed, Mr. Wilde,’ replied Conan-Doyle. ‘If what I have read is true, there might be a resemblance in many ways. But I assure you it was not intentional.’
‘Oh no, my friend. I am vain but not so vain as to believe anyone is designing their characters after me! I only meant that we might coincidentally have some characteristics in common. I could only wish that my concentration and powers of logic could even approach those of Holmes.’
‘Ah!’ Conan-Doyle continued. ‘It seems you have noted one of my lurking thoughts about Holmes. That in any person mental brilliance or physical prowess is likely to be balanced by some other, perhaps more negative characteristics. While Holmes’ is certainly a brilliant man his habitual indulgences in pharmacopeia are a false rationalization, an incorrect deduction if you will. His brilliance cannot prevent his delusions.’
‘Yes, yes,’ Wilde replied enthusiastically, luxuriantly exhaling the smore from his Havanna. ‘He is aloof and remote but still ingeniously recognizable to your readers. I wonder that you have left him off after just one story!’
Stoddart leaned forward in his chair fascinated. ‘I have wondered that myself. Holmes seems ready made as a serial hero. I would have loved to have known that character better. We have all encountered those literary characters that we seem to form some sort of attachment of bond with. Holmes came so close to that in A Study in Scarlet.’
‘As to that gentleman, you intrigue me,’ said Conan-Doyle. ‘I do not pretend to identify highly with Holmes. I admit that there might be a bit of me embedded in John Watson, we both being doctors of a somewhat calm demeanor. I never imagined Sherlock as a character to identify with. I considered new stories for Dr. Watson but perhaps you are right. It is the intersection of the two men, so unlike yet sharing in a deep respect, even a need, for one another.’
‘There’s power in that thought,’ replied Wilde.?
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‘And perhaps money as well,’ muttered Stoddart.
Gill heard Stoddart’s mutter and leaned closer to him and whispered, “this sounds indeed promising.”
‘It is certainly something to consider, gentlemen. Though, I find Holmes takes my mind from better things,’ Conan-Doyle raised his snifter in salute. ‘You have given me much to consider!’
Stoddart and the others enthusiastically raised their glasses as well. ‘To considerations,’ intoned Gill.?
‘Considerations!’ they all replied.?
Stoddart pointed his cigar nonchalantly toward Oscar Wilde. ‘What about you, sir? Will you continue with your children’s fairy stories? They seem exceedingly popular. We would love to see something in that vein from you for our little magazine.’
‘I don’t know,’ Wilde replied pensively. ‘Sure, those stories have been well received. I certainly remain attached to the fantastic!’ He put special emphasis on fantastic. Perhaps suggestive of a new direction for fantasy tales.?
Conan-Doyle caught Wilde’s pensiveness and perhaps sensed a desire for something entirely new. ‘I hope you won’t find this impertinent,’ Conan-Doyle ventured. ‘While for me this may be an opportunity to return to something; it seems to me this might be an opportunity for you to break out in a totally different direction?’
‘You may be in the right of it,’ Wilde replied. ‘I do feel at a crossroad. I might turn left or right but continuing the path I am on now no longer offers an adequate outlet for my passions! I find I am to be judged in some way regardless of what I write. It is time to give my detractors and supporters something worthy of judgement.’ A sly grin crept across Wilde’s face as he trailed off.?
‘Yes, yes,’ said Conan-Doyle. ‘My stories are so grounded. They are a prisoner of the logical mind of a doctor. But your stories, my dear Wilde; your stories may fly wherever you please. I find myself jealous of your ability to conjure a world not ruled by convention.’
‘Not at all, Conan-Doyle,’ Wilde replied. ‘It is I that admire your ability to show order to a world that I fear both worships and rejects order. You appeal to their desire to understand the workings of a world that may be unknowable. In any event,’ Wilde continued. ‘I’ve not felt so inspired in some time.’
‘Nor I,’ replied Conan-Doyle with a grin.?
‘My goodness,’ Stoddart stammered for a moment and smiled broadly. ‘What have we unleashed!’ He raised his glass fairly beaming at his neighbors. ‘To the unleashed,’ he cried.?
‘The unleashed,’ they each solemnly intoned.?
Afterword
Each of our authors followed up this meeting with some of their most important work.
Within just a few months, Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle submitted his second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of Four . Reviving Sherlock from an early demise and pleasing generations of Holmes’s fans.
Oscar Wilde first submitted one of his more “conventional” fantasy tales to Stoddart, The Fisherman and His Soul . Stoddart duly published this work but requested something “longer.” This encouraged Wilde to write one of his best and most controversial works The Picture of Dorian Gray .
What a wonder it would have been to be a listening spider on the wall of the Langham Hotel that day. No one knows how the conversation really went. Perhaps my reconstruction is a dull representation of a more contentious meeting. It’s Stoddart’s brilliance in bringing these people together for this discussion that merits our consideration. It might have been simpler, easier, and less risky to meet separately. I would posit that Stoddart understood well the value in bringing these highly creative people together to discuss the future. By exposing very different people to truly divergent ideas must have seemed likely to produce a wonderful and valuable result. I cannot help but contemplate what the result would have been if the missing author, Rudyard Kipling, had been present. Though conventional in outlook, Kipling too was highly creative. What new worlds and adventures might he have conjured for us?
When I put meetings together for creative purposes, I try always to consider diverse thinking among the participants. The chance of conflict looms but true innovation is hiding in the shadows of that conflict. Let’s not be afraid to bring it on!
Interim Director at ECU Miller School of Entrepreneurship
2 年Count me as standing in line for a copy!
Go for it, Joe!!
Co-Founder MoonDust eLearning LLC
2 年Can’t wait to read the entire book!