Shelby Museum - Authors

Shelby Ohio Authors

DAWN POWELL
Background composed of covers of Powell's early novels and plays.



Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Gousha "spent their honeymoon in the city, staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania, opposite Penn Station on Seventh Avenue and Thirty-second Street."1



"After the honeymoon, for whatever reason, ... Joe returned to live with his mother, brother, and sisters at 540 Eighty-first Street in Brooklyn, while Dawn went back to living with Helen Kessel (her roommate) on West End Avenue.

"Powell would later say they had been inspired by the example of novelist Fannie Hurst and her husband Jacques Danielson, who maintained separate establishments while admitting to 'breakfasting regularly' together."1

1921


"Dawn and Joe eventually found an apartment together at 31 Riverside Drive - 'just an attic but so lovely' - and settled into the most traditionally domesticated period of Powell's life."1



Daily Globe - August 26, 1921:
“Born Monday, August 22nd, a son to Mr. and Mrs. R. Bousha (sic), of New York City. The new arrival has been named Joseph R. Bousha (sic) Jr. Mrs. Bousha (sic) was formerly Miss Dawn Powell of Shelby. Mrs. Steinbrueck of North Broadway, who is an aunt of Mrs. Bousha (sic), received the word yesterday."


The results of this event would profoundly effect the parents' lives, more so Dawn's, in many dimensions. Their newly born son, soon given the nickname Jojo, although he proved to be extremely intelligent, he exhibited emotional problems that would at that time, defy diagnosis. At different stages of his life, he was pronounced schizophrenic or perhaps he may have had cerebral palsy. Given today's methods he may have been diagnosed as being autistic. 1 Jojo's problems required huge amounts of special care and understanding from both his parents and later a special day nurse was employed to provide extra care for him. This of course was a tremendous emotional and financial drain on his parents who were not overly prepared in either of these disciplines.

During this time, the day nurse cared for Jojo and also provided opportunities for Powell to continue writing stories for magazines such as Snappy Stories and College Humor Magazine.

1922 issues

Both Dawn and Joe had minor drinking problems, but after JoJo's birth and ensuing health problems, the drinking became more severe and regular in both of their lives.

It was at this time that Powell began her first novel. It would take the better part of two years and was destined to be titled "Whither".


1924

The Daily Globe – February 1, 1924
“FORMER SHELBY GIRL
Writes Story of College Life Which Appears in February Munsey's.


"The many friends and admirers of Miss Dawn Powell, that's the way we like to remember her, although she is married now and we don't remember her married name, were surprised and pleased today when they were reading the February issue of Munsey's magazine to find in it a very interesting story of college life by Miss Dawn Powell. The subject of the story is 'The Little Green Model' with a secondary line, 'The truth about certain scandalous proceedings at Lucas college'.

March 1924 issue

"It is a very interesting story of college life and will sure be of interest to the one hundred or more Shelby boys and girls who attend college besides those of us at home who knew Miss Powell when she was a student at Shelby high school. After graduating from Shelby high she continued her studies at Lake Erie College for Women at Painesville from which institution she graduated. She has a host of friends in Shelby who are glad to note her success in the literary world. I. I. P. Harper, of the Shelby News Co., states that he had a run on the Munsey magazine this morning when the fact became generally known that it contained an article written by a former Shelby girl.”


The Boston Globe – December 1, 1924

" 'I know', writes Dawn Powell, 'you feel the same way I do about it - there's no fun in being famous when no body will admit it. Here I thought that having my first novel accepted would reduce my friends to a perpetual salaam. I would sit back and just deprecate, 'O really, it was nothing - absolutely nothing. I'm sure I don't know why you people make such a fuss over it'. Well, either I don't know a salaam when I see one - good heavens maybe it's fish - or I have a nasty bunch of friends who wouldn't hand even Sappho anything. Instead of sitting back in coy embarrassment, I am obliged to stand on a chair and shout, 'Hey, you! Stop talking about Michael Arien! I'm trying to tell you that I've sold my novel! Isn't it wonderful? Aren't you thrilled?' And even then they go on talking.

"I'll never forget the awful disillusion of the Day the News Came, I opened the letter with palpitating heart, 'Whither sold! All there was to do was to rush out and telephone the good news to everyone - or at least to the places it would do the most good.

"I rushed to the cigar store, restraining an impulse to confide in the clerk. I would telephone everyone - absolutely everybody.

"Unfortunately I only had 15 cents. Let's say I hadn't been to the bank yet. With one of those three nickels I had to call the New Man I was going to lunch with. I hastily selected the two friends who would be most interested and impressed with my good news.

"B. is a lot older than I am and has been writing for years. I'd told her all about my new novel while I was writing it, so I felt she'd be just the one to appreciate my success.

" 'You've sold it?' Her voice came incredulously to me over the wire. 'My dear - let me get this straight. Surely you don't mean that - er - silly little thing you've been fooling with all year?'

" 'I do', I said indignantly. 'It's not silly. I sold it.'

"I caught an inarticulate exclamation. 'And I,' she murmured, 'have been working 10 years on mine. Oh. it's not fair! Why you're barely- (age here).'

"I waited a moment for him (sic) to make a gesture at congratulation. She didn't so I hung up.

"I tried G. next. She wants to be a playwright and we often used to plan the kind of evening coats we'd have when we both got famous.

" 'Congratulations,' she laughed. 'And I just sold my play to Belasco for $100,000 - all in pennies.'

" 'But I mean it - I really did sell my novel'.

" 'Listen, Dawn,' she said firmly. 'I'm busy now - frightfully busy, and haven't a minute to fool . . . See you at the little old one-arm lunch room tomorrow'.

" 'I'm not going to the lunchroom,' I shrieked. 'I'm going to the hotel'.

" 'Well, then, day after,' she said presciently, 'so long.'

"There was still the New Man. I inserted my last nickel in the box. The New Man was jovial. I said I'd forgotten that I had another date that noon. I always do that. He was properly regretful. He was about to hang up.

" 'O, Mr. Smith,' I cried desperately, 'I sold my novel.'

" 'What's that?'

" 'I said I sold my novel,' I repeated, and waited for the accolade.'

" 'O,' he said politely, 'I didn't know you sold books.'

" 'You and I, Mr. Brown, are the only ones who realize that Dawn Powell is - or is about to be - a famous novelist.'

"The story is sad, but practically all my tears are being saved up for myself. The neglect, inattention and supreme calm with which my new book has been received is breaking my heart."





1925




The Daily Globe – March 11, 1925
“WHITHER"
Novel by Dawn Powell Has Been Published by Small, Maynard & Co.
" 'Whither,' a novel written by Dawn Powell, former Shelby girl and niece of Mrs. A. M. Steinbrueck of North Broadway, has just been published by Small, Maynard & Company. The novel is handsomely bound and has just been placed on sale at the book stores all over the country. Dawn Powell will be remembered by many of her Shelby friends who are quite glad to hear of her success in the literary world. She is a graduate of the Shelby high school and finished her education at Lake Erie College.

"Dawn Powell, in her novel, has traced with her pen a cross-section of New York City life as a young girl finds it, and presents her picture with unusual zest and piquancy, tinged just enough with satire. Realistic, yet it has beauty, that potent charm so entirely lacking in the vast majority of realistic novels.

"What small town girl alone in New York does not find herself staring life face to face? Even the closest of friends cannot solve problems for her and the impersonal acquaintances, who are scrambling for 'Art for Art's sake,' because they must amuse themselves, are poor teachers. But Zoe is strong and daring, though too serious in her purpose not to have a difficult time of it. She drives forward, suffers necessarily, then finds the way more happy with the uplifting influence of love.

"I. P. Harper, of the Shelby News Company, will be glad to take your order for 'Whither' and since it is written by a Shelby girl the probabilities are that the sale of the novel will be quite extensive here."



Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) April 4, 1925
OUR AMERICAN LANGUAGE
"But this, from Dawn Powell's 'Whither,' deserves quotation:
'. . . . I came in a checkered suit, with a straw suitcase, and when I said 'Water' everyone looked at me and said, 'What is this child saying? Surely she doesn't mean wottah?' New York is no gamble for me at all, because I had $6 to fall back on - (pinned to my stocking. Fortunately we didn't roll 'em in 1918).' "



Passaic Daily News (Passaic, New Jersey) May 18, 1925
"Whither"
"In 'Whither' (Boston: Small, Maynard and Company), Dawn Powell has traced a cross-section of life in New York City as a young girl finds it. . . . Zoe Bournes, a small town girl, alone in New York, finds herself staring life face to face.

" 'After all, Zoe was glad she was left in the office alone, for she was slowly working up a profound sympathy for herself and at any moment she might begin to weep. All alone in New York, and with no friends! (She was able to brush the girls aside with a gesture, for after all they really didn't care about her!) And such a little bit of money to go on! Thirty-five dollars a week couldn't buy you New York. And then to have her hopes for a splendid coup in the 'Companion' ad dashed to the ground! Of course that might have been bearable if it hadn't been for Cornell taking Peggy out like that, absolutely oblivious to her own attractions.'

"Thus her difficulties. But these, by the end of the tale, are overcome. Zoe is wishing happiness to a companion, before taking leave. 'You ought to have been a great actress. Perhaps if you worked a little harder -. '

" 'I know Zoe. But you can't work hard for something that you're not sure is going to make you happy. Do you know what I mean? I've failed, but I don't care because I don't think success would have made me much happier. It's just that sometimes you don't know what you want. You might have done the same thing Zoe, only - well, you knew from seeing the rest of us so discontented.' "

"And then Zoe is carried away by her new husband, and finds that the world has become much simplified."



Powell started work on this, her first novel, in 1922. This is a story of a young girl raised in the country who purposely came to the big city as a fulfillment of her dreams. The story was largely auto-biographical and possibly revealed much of her early life that she later would regret. Not long after 'Whither' was published she disclaimed it and never included it in later listings of her novels. The above article in the Boston Globe may be somewhat the result of her own disappointment. Decades later she was still upset to see remaining copies of her first work and was critical of those who had purchased it. Probably several copies were originally sold at Isaac Harper's News Stand at 33 West Main Street in her homwtown of Shelby. If one would have saved a copy, their foresight would have paid off handsomely. As of today, July, 2019, a first edition copy of Whither, in fine condition with a very near fine dust cover is offered on an online auction website for the sum of $35,000. This almost certainly would produce a smile on its author's face could she see it.



The Daily Globe – June 30, 1925 “MRS. JOSEPH GOUSHA
Nee Dawn Powell, Now Guest of Sister in Cleveland.

"Mrs. Joseph Gousha and son of New York are visiting the former's sister, Mrs. Edgar E. Pocock, of Claredon road, Shaker Heights. Mrs. Gousha will be remembered by Lake Erie College alumnae as Dawn Powell. She has just written a novel which is soon to be followed by a second. - Cleveland Plain Dealer."




"In mid-June 1925, Dawn and Joe decided to separate - perhaps temporarily, possibly for good. Joe stayed in New York while Dawn went out to Ohio with three-year-old Jojo to visit her sisters and Auntie May."1

This visit did not go well.

"Dawn immediately recognized that a complete break was not at all what she wanted. . . One morning shortly after their arrival in Cleveland, Dawn took the boy along on a grueling taxi ride out to Painesville for a Lake Erie College class day. Homesick and confused, Jojo had a tantrum in the cab. 'It took two hours to calm him down and by that time I did not look like the rich New York alumnae at all', she reported to Joe.

"Throughout much of their stay in Ohio, Jojo was 'totally unmanageable.' He smeared cold cream over Mabel's (Pocock) recently redecorated walls, and every morning woke up the whole household (including Mabel and Edgar Pocock's three young children) three hours before the appointed time. He wet the bed twice ('in spite of a hearty spanking,' Dawn said). And he had 'never cried so much or so inopportunely in his life.' " 1




By this time Powell had moved to Greenwich Village where she would live for the remainder of her life. Her list of friends and acquaintances was growing to include newspaper editors, playwrights, poets, nightclub entertainers, as well as other writers and translators. She spent much time in the neighborhood speakeasies and according to her diary entries, consumed a good deal of adult drinks. She was working on her next novel that she gave a working title of "The Dark Pool".



She Walks in Beauty



1. Dawn Powell - A Bibliography, Tim Page, Henry Holt and Company - 1998.

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