First National Assembly Author's League of America

This recording contains the opening ceremony of the first national assembly of the Author's League of America, a meeting of authors and dramatists. This three day event was the first meeting in the organization's history of 45 years.

The evening's speakers include composer and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, author and president of the Author's League Moss Hart, and author, president of the Author's Guild, and instigator of the assembly William L. Shirer.

They discuss some of the great recurring issues facing authors, including exploitation by publishers and managers, the fight against censorship, and struggles to maintain and enforce copyright, both in America and abroad.

An unnamed speaker (likely Rex Stout) tells us that this is the first meeting of the Authors' League in 45 years. He tells it will be hard to tell whether the meeting will be fruitful. He request that attendees let the council and officers know if it was effective.
He introduces the president of the League, Moss Hart.

Hart mentions the idea was William Shirer. He talks about some of the needs and problems authors have and the importance of getting together to talk about them. Two things stand out studying the history of the organization: the same problems recur and the work of volunteers have been important.
He recalls some of the important figures: Arthur Train founded the organization,
an American Winston Churchill was the first president, Teddy Roosevelt played a large part in organizing the League, Elmer Davis paired with another Winston Churchill (UK) to form international rights for authors, Woodrow Wilson had an authors league of his own, with 5 ambassadors from the League, and Rex Reed and Fred Stone are mentioned.
He talks about the early defeats and inequities authors had to endure, involving exploitation, censorship, and struggles with copyright. He talks about the need for the League and how its historic figures contributed to authors' rights.

The unnamed speaker introduces William L. Shirer.

Shirer talks about the miracle of this first meeting of the League. Shirer distinguishes between the Authors' League and its two smaller member organization, the Author's Guild and the Dramatists' Guild. He argues that Authors Guild have been less organized than the Dramatists' Guild. He discusses the exploitation of authors and the fight for copyright. Authors got where they are by the work done by the Guild. He talks about the coming fight for royalties with publishers. The Authors Guild only has a minimum basic contract from Random House, Shirer proposes that this be expanded. Shirer feels that Russians ought to pay royalties, something that the Guild is negotiation with the Soviet Union for. He talks about a deal made with Scandinavian libraries as well as the state of magazine readership. He moots whether television affects readership of books.
He talks about the rebooted Authors' Guild Bulletin, under the editorship of a Mrs. Ralston. He talks about the income the guild receives from dues, and that the total needs to be double. He discusses the needs of writers, financial and otherwise. He recounts Samuel Johnson's quote '[n]o man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money." He counters with T. S. Eliot's aphorism "we write to keep something alive."

The unnamed speaker tells a joke and then introduces Oscar Hammerstein II, who owns two bulls.

Oscar Hammerstein II is pleased that this event is taking place. He compares the two guilds that comprise the League in a joking manner. He praises the sane leadership of the Authors' League and looks forward to meeting the councils of both guilds. He stresses learning the problems in front of the League. He discusses the early leaders of the League.
He talks about 1926, the first year of the Dramatists' Guilds first minimum basic contract. They noted that coming together was beneficial and a source of strength. He feels that that strength was used wisely. It improved not only the dramatist's lot, but all of the theater, including the managers, who at times were exploitative.
The 1926 work stated that the dramatists owned their creations and leased certain rights to them to managers and others.
Hammerstein praises Louise Hilcox and the people who work for the league.
He discusses two classes of problems - plagiarism and surprises. He notes the reorganization of Hollywood and the rise of television. He also is concerned about copyright, though he praises the efforts of those from the past.

The unnamed speaker returns to speak about authors' rights and the power of the League speaking as a group. He notes that the Dramatists' Guild have done better at doing this than the Authors' Guild. He asks League members to bring other writers into the League in the interest to increasing their powers and rights.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 150232
Municipal archives id: LT7643