[Ads-l] Adage Origin: The Only Good Author Is a Dead Author

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Thanks to Stephen and Jesse for their responses. While researching
"the only good author is a dead one" I did encounter "the only good
Indian is a dead Indian". Both fit the same template, and the origin
of this template is an intriguing question. "The Concise Oxford
Dictionary of Proverbs" (2003) lists some other variants that fit the
template. The "good Indian" saying is the earliest.

Researcher Ralph Keyes wrote about the "good Indian" saying in "Nice
Guys Finish Seventh" (1992). It has often been attributed to U.S.
General Philip Sheridan with a date circa January 1869. Sheridan
denied saying it. Ralph Keyes indicated that on May 28, 1868, Montana
Congressman J. M. Cavanaugh said on the floor of the House, "I have
never in my life seen a good Indian (and I have seen thousands) except
when I have seen a dead Indian."

Paremiologist Wolfgang Mieder explored this saying in a Winter 1993
article in "The Journal of American Folklore" titled "The Only Good
Indian Is a Dead Indian: History and Meaning of a Proverbial
Stereotype". The first match was the same one mentioned by Keyes.
https://doi.org/10.2307/541345

Here is an earlier 1867 citation for the saying:

Date: Sep 4, 1867
Newspaper: Daily Missouri Republican
Newspaper Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Article: Indian Peace Commission
Quote Page 2, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-louis-republic/140048819/

[Begin excerpt]
The people all through there were in favor of killing off the Indians,
as the only good Indian was a dead one.
[End excerpt]

Here is a 1933 citation which mentioned both the "good author" and
"good Indian" sayings; thus, exhibiting awareness of the template. I
encountered this citation during the research for the current QI
article.

Date: November 3, 1933
Newspaper: The Toronto Daily Star
Newspaper Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Article: Poetry Is Preferred If I Fed A Family
Start Page 1, Quote Page 2, Column 7
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
"What about the general standard of literature nowadays?" "There's
just as good writing now as any time. We can't see the woods for the
trees. Custer said, 'The only good Indian is a dead Indian'. We think
the only good author is a dead one."
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
>
> The Dictionary of Americanisms has examples of _good Indian_ in this construction from 1868 and 1884, so, earlier.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
>
> On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 03:49:44PM -0400, Stephen Goranson wrote:
> > Perhaps someone has already traced this.
> > If so, what is the chronological relation with "the only good Indian is a
> > dead Indian" and "a good Indian is a dead Indian"?
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 1:54 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > 00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > Living authors are often viewed with a mixture of suspicion and
> > > aggravation. Here are three versions of a pertinent adage:
> > >
> > > (1) The only good author is a dead author.
> > > (2) All good authors are dead authors.
> > > (3) The best author is a dead author.
> > >
> > > Jesse Sheidlower inquired off-line about this saying. Interestingly,
> > > there are two different interpretations. Publishers and editors use
> > > the adage to encapsulate a collection of complaints about writers,
> > > e.g., late manuscripts, poor quality writing, and exorbitant monetary
> > > demands.
> > >
> > > Academics and critics use the adage to signal that a delay is required
> > > when evaluating the worthiness of a writer. Typically, the quality,
> > > impact, and longevity of a literary oeuvre can only be accurately
> > > judged many years after the author has died.
> > >
> > > Here is a link to the QI article:
> > > https://quoteinvestigator.com/2025/09/16/good-author/
> > >
> > > The earliest match I found in the domain of publishing and editing
> > > appeared on September 29, 1886. Anonymous editors received credit. The
> > > earliest match in the domain of criticism and academia appeared on May
> > > 29, 1895. The attribution was anonymous. Here is the beginning of an
> > > overview showing selected examples together with dates and
> > > attributions:
> > >
> > > 1886 Sep 29: … they will not pay a man for manuscript unless he will
> > > agree to die before it is put in print. This precaution is taken so
> > > that the author can’t come in afterward and “cuss” about the bad
> > > proofreading. Also on the theory that the only really good author is a
> > > dead one. (Attributed to anonymous “western editors”)
> > >
> > > 1895 May 29: We must not conclude that all good books are old books,
> > > nor that all good authors are dead authors. (Anonymous)
> > >
> > > 1903 Feb: It is unnecessary to assume, of course, that the only good
> > > authors are dead authors. Undue depreciation of the literature of the
> > > day may be quite as futile as undue approval … (Edward Fuller)
> > >
> > > 1906 Sep 20: From the teacher’s point of view one is tempted to lay
> > > down the rule that the only good authors are dead authors. (Irving
> > > Babbitt)
> > >
> > > 1916 Apr 22: It is a mistake to suppose that the only good authors are
> > > dead ones. Some colleges have fostered the idea that literary genius
> > > is extinct. (A. S. Mackenzie)
> > >
> > > 1919 May: They were often bookworms that had bored their way through
> > > countless musty volumes, it being their first axiom that the only good
> > > author is a dead author. (Attitude ascribed to “old college
> > > professors” by Elizabeth Hodgson)
> > >
> > > 1921 May: There have always been—there will always be—people like Mr.
> > > Knox, who feel that the only good author is a dead author, and the
> > > only good story an unpopular story. (Attitude ascribed to Vicesimus
> > > Knox by an unnamed writer)
> > >
> > > Earlier citations and interesting material would be welcome.
> > > Garson
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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