Diogenes of Today

The collaboration between Tevis Clyde Smith and Robert E. Howard on “Diogenes of Today” presents a fascinating study in creative partnership. Both authors, hailing from Texas, shared not only a deep friendship but also a mutual interest in literature, history, and storytelling that transcended the typical boundaries of their time. Their decision to write a story together, alternating pages, allowed for a unique blend of their distinct voices and perspectives.

Smith and Howard’s writing process for this story—a back-and-forth exchange where each contributed a page in turn—enabled a dynamic and spontaneous storytelling method. This approach likely infused the narrative with a diverse range of ideas, tones, and directions, reflecting the confluence of their individual talents and imaginations. The initial intent to craft a tale of “bitter and sophisticated disillusionment” gradually giving way to “full-blooded Gargantuan mirth” suggests a creative journey that was as unpredictable to them as it is engaging to the reader. This evolution from a polished and bitter tone to one of candid humor not only signifies their flexibility as writers but also their willingness to let the story naturally evolve beyond its original premise.

Furthermore, their collaboration on “Diogenes of Today” showcases their ability to critique and satirize societal norms and personal expectations through the lens of humor and irony. The narrative’s shift from a critique of city life to an equally satirical view of rural simplicity exemplifies their shared skill in using satire to expose the complexities and contradictions of human nature and societal constructs. This story, therefore, stands as a testament to their collaborative genius, highlighting their capacity to blend humor with insightful commentary on the human condition.

Given the restrictions of their era’s publishing standards, particularly the norms and taboos surrounding humor and satire, Smith and Howard’s decision to pursue a narrative that would likely be barred from contemporary magazines speaks to their commitment to creative freedom and expression. Their partnership in writing “Diogenes of Today” not only contributed a unique piece to their literary legacies but also provided a window into the playful yet profound synergy that characterized their friendship and collaborative work.

Through this collaboration, Smith and Howard create a narrative that oscillates between humor and cynicism, using Walter Simpson’s journey as a vehicle to explore and critique human nature, social expectations, and the elusive search for authenticity.

In February 1929 Howard wrote to Smith (letter #101) and listed a lot of his titles, sales and rejections. From this letter we also learn:

This isn’t the whole list of course, but I haven’t forgotten more than four or five stories. Of course I started scores which I never completed, and completed several which I never sent off, but this list comprises the majority of those I did send off. In addition, I collaborated with one Clyde Smith on a short story and rewrote a novel, to say nothing of writing a novel on my own.

Howard shows some humor in referring to “one Clyde Smith” in the letter. The story is of course “Diogenes of Today”. The first novel mentioned was R. Fowler Gafford’s West of the Rio Grande (unpublished) and his own novel was Post Oaks and Sand Roughs.

Excerpt from the introduction for the book Red Blades of Black Cathay, written by Tevis Clyde Smith, on January 18th, 1970:

Our second story, “Diogenes of Today,” was written a year or two later. The story worked itself out as we took turns at the typewriter. Thinking back, I feel sorry for our character who was so naïve in passing up so much. “Red Blades of Black Cathay” came into being in 1930. I did the research and Bob did the writing. “Eighttoes Makes a Play” was another 1930 tale. I suggested the plot, Bob and I talked it over, and I did the writing, employing a style of storytelling popular at the time. The story was submitted to one of the leading pulp houses, but was returned, and went into my rejection drawer. 

Bob and I discussed “Diogenes” and we agreed that I should revamp the story and send it out. A more polished version was soon in the mails. Like the original, which you will read in this volume, it, too, was rejected, leaving “Red Blades of Black Cathay” the only one of the trio to be accepted at the time.

Smith also mentioned the story in his preface to “Report On A Writing Man” when that essay was reprinted in the second edition of Frontier’s Generation, 1980:

Bob and I co-authored “Red Blades of Black Cathay” and “Eight-toes Makes a Play.” Donald Grant published these two stories with “Diogenes of Today,” another story we wrote, about ten years ago. The book was in hardback.

“Diogenes of Today” is a satirical tale that delves into the disillusionment of Walter Simpson with the fast-paced and deceitful lifestyle of city dwellers, particularly focusing on his romantic entanglements. The story, a collaboration between Tevis Clyde Smith and Robert E. Howard, begins with Walter confronting his ideal girl in New York, only to realize she has been unfaithful and represents everything he despises about city life. In a moment of epiphany, he decides to leave the city in search of genuine and innocent country women, hoping to find solace and truthfulness absent in his urban experiences.

The narrative follows Walter’s journey into the countryside, where his ideals and expectations are consistently challenged and upended. Initially, he seeks the simplicity and purity he associates with rural life, only to encounter greed, deception, and coarseness that rival, if not exceed, the moral bankruptcy he fled. His interactions with various country folks – from a farmer’s extortionate charge for a meal to a young man’s aggressive misunderstanding over his wife – serve to disillusion him further.

Walter’s adventures reach a climax when he meets Marandy, a young woman who initially seems to embody the innocence and virtue he longs for. However, this illusion is shattered when Marandy and her friends display behavior and attitudes as corrupted and shallow as those Walter left behind in the city. His confrontation with Zeke Spigbee and the subsequent revelation of Marandy’s true nature lead Walter to a profound realization about the ubiquity of human vice, regardless of geography.

The story concludes with Walter’s return to New York, a city he had scorned, only to find comfort in its familiarity. His attempt to reconnect with Dumpums, a woman from his past, ends in the realization that he has missed his chance with her as well, cementing the story’s theme of disillusionment and the futile search for purity in a morally complex world.

• Walter Simpson: The protagonist, a city man disillusioned with urban life and its moral decay, seeks purity and simplicity in the countryside, only to be disenchanted by the realities he encounters.
• Ideal Girl/Dumpums: Walter’s initial love interest in New York, whose infidelity and superficiality prompt his quest for a more genuine connection.
• Old Man (Farmer): Represents the greed and inhospitality Walter finds in the countryside, challenging his idealized notions of rural life.
• Surly Young Man: A farmer’s relative who confronts Walter over a perceived flirtation with his wife, Amanda, highlighting the misunderstandings and suspicions prevalent outside the city.
• Amanda: The surly young man’s wife, mistaken by Walter for a sister, contributing to the story’s exploration of mistaken perceptions.
• Country Girl (Marandy): A young woman Walter meets, who initially appears to embody the virtues he seeks but ultimately reveals a nature as flawed as any city dweller’s.
• Zeke Spigbee: Marandy’s friend, whose crude behavior and language further disillusion Walter with country life.
• Various Country Folk: Including the barefoot boy and the hotel’s landlord and his daughter, each contributing to Walter’s growing realization that vice and virtue are not geographically bound.

• RED BLADES OF BLACK CATHAY, Grant, 1971
• SENTIMENT: AN OLIO OF RARER WORKS, REH Foundation Press, December 2009
• “SO FAR THE POET” AND OTHER WRITINGS, REH Foundation Press, December 2010

• Special thanks to Rob Roehm for providing me with digital texts.