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Show 409 He encouraged Muir to use first person narration, and worked to keep him from the habit of repeated superlative adjectives. But those were jobs any editor might accomplish. Johnson went beyond his professional duty with constant encouragement, ensuring that Muir kept at work. Johnson reminded Muir that he was a writer, and insisted that he was a great writer. At the same time he criticized Muir's work. And Muir's letters indicate that he did not take criticism well at all. He became cranky and irritable; he complained like a mule with a heavy load. As a direct result of their association, Muir wrote with renewed force and direction. Now he had a specific goal, the creation of Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks. His three essays for Century were significant literary and historic pieces. Not only did they represent the first effective and popular arguments for the creation of National Parks in America, but they were also significant contributions to the public idea of a National Park. Further, as a result of these articles, Muir was encouraged by Johnson to reconsider his earlier essays and revise them in the form of The Mountains of California. There were also political implications, as we shall see. Johnson was instrumental in the formation of the Sierra Club, and in making John Noble, Secretary of the Interior, a key ally in the fight for National Parks. But for now, I would like to consider the literary aspects of their partnership. |
