work. Eventually Armstrong himself is corrupted by
the system that he initially despises. The novel
closes as he makes an attempt to save himself by re-
locating to a rural environment and practicing
medicine in a more humane and honest way.
Thurman’s damning portrait of the politics
and grim realities of a city hospital prompted him
to tell LANGSTON HUGHES that he wanted to
avoid being admitted to any such place. “If you
ever hear of me being ill, don’t let them send me to
any city hospital,” he advised his friend. “I am sure
to be given the black bottle.”
The novel received mixed reviews. It was
praised by Clifford Mitchell of the Washington Tri-
bunefor its convincing profiles of “the motives and
characteristics of the whites” depicted in the novel.
THENEWYORKTIMES,however, dismissed it as a
“squalid” text that “flagrantly exaggerated” hospital
conditions and the personalities of its staff. Two
years after the novel’s publication, however, Thur-
man’s portrait of court-ordered sterilizations of poor
people in The Internebecame the basis for an inde-
pendently produced film entitled Tomorrow’s Chil-
dren.That project and Thurman’s subsequent work
in films earned him the high weekly salary of $250.
Bibliography
van Notten, Eleonore. Wallace Thurman’s Harlem Renais-
sance.Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1994.
Inter-State Tattler
The weekly newspaper that the NEWYORKCITY–
based Inter-State Tattler Company began publishing
in 1925. BENNIEBUTLER,GERALDYNDISMOND, and
GEORGEB. JONESwere among its editors. Writers for
the newspaper included T. THOMAS FORTUNE,
THEOPHILUSLEWIS, and MARYWHITEOVINGTON.
It covered current events and was known for its juicy
details about social events. The weekly also pro-
moted entertainment and sporting events and gener-
ally covered news by and of interest to African
Americans.
The paper, which ceased publication in 1932,
was part of the city’s dynamic African-American
press, which included the AMSTERDAMNEWSand
the NEWYORKAGE.Isaacs, Edith Juliet (Rich)(1878–1956)
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native who became a
highly respected figure in American drama circles
and an advocate of American theater. Edith Juliet
Rich, who married Lewis Isaacs, a New York City
lawyer, began her professional life as a journalist.
After stints at the Milwaukee Sentinel,she went on
to write for the Ladies’ Home Journaland Ainslee’s
Magazine.She became the editor of the journal
Theatre Artsin 1918.
In the 1920s she collaborated with ALAIN
LOCKEon an exhibition of African artifacts gath-
ered during the Blondiau–Theatre ArtsExpedition
to the continent. Once the exhibit closed, Isaacs
purchased the items and divided them between the
Schomburg Center of the NEWYORKPUBLICLI-
BRARYand HOWARDUNIVERSITY. The Schomburg
collection includes several hundred sculptures and
other artifacts.Isaacs, Edith Juliet (Rich) 271