Template:Did you know nominations/Viola Roseboro'

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by Theleekycauldron (talk) 23:02, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

Viola Roseboro'

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... that after Viola Roseboro' suggested Willa Cather rewrite My Ántonia completely, Cather may have based the novel My Mortal Enemy on her? Source: Reportedly, on reading the manuscript for My Ántonia, she told Cather, “[You] have told your novel through the wrong character’s eyes, from the wrong point of view. Have you the courage to throw the [manuscript] away, and sit down and re-write it from [Jim Burden]’s point of view, you have a great book.” Cather heeded her words.[1] AND ... honestly, there's an 18-page essay in a major literary journal dedicated entirely to the proposition that Roseboro' was the model for the protagonist of MME, analyzing the parallels one by one. The title of the essay is "Viola Roseboro': A Prototype for Cather's My Mortal Enemy. It's on JSTOR, but fortunately you have JSTOR access via your Wikipedia Library account.

Created by DragonflySixtyseven (talk). Self-nominated at 03:31, 13 August 2021 (UTC).

Comment (not a review): This nomination appears to be incomplete: The QPQ is missing. The QPQ checker isn't working for me but I found several past DYKs with QPQs from this nominator so I believe one is needed. —David Eppstein (talk) 19:10, 14 August 2021 (UTC)

Sorry, did a bunch of comments on other entries, and then reviewed Template:Did you know nominations/Kazimierz Kowalski as a whole. DS (talk) 04:16, 15 August 2021 (UTC)

Interesting bio, on fine sources, o copyvio obvious. How about the image? - I am sorry, I am not happy with the hook. You (author) know that she was an editor, and know the names of author and works, - for someone unfamiliar it's like Chinese, and without a place in history (location, time). It's clever, but too clever for my taste. I'll approve it if you insist but would be happier with mentioning that she discovered Jack London, or was a "reader of real genius", and then perhaps some of the original. Having inspired a novel character is interesting without knowing names of author and novel. If I'm the only one not knowing the novels, please forgive my ignorance. - Minor suggestions for the article: the bolded other name is more common to have in the lead, the all-capitals in references don't have to be kept, and how do you feel about an infobox? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:24, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

What I was thinking was the misleading implication that Roseboro's suggestion led Cather to consider her an "enemy"; if that doesn't thrill you, I'll figure out an ALT or two. Infobox: go ahead. DS (talk) 15:22, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

I confess that I missed the "enemy" point completely. I may be the only one so blind, - don't struggle too hard to find hooks. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:25, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

@DragonflySixtyseven, David Eppstein, and Gerda Arendt: comment how is the hook not focused on that apostrophe? That's so much more interesting to me—

ALT1: That Viola Roseboro' "fiercely defended" the apostrophe in her name? Roseboro’—she fiercely defended that apostrophe, reserving her family name, Roseborough, for her life on the stage—was more zealous than many a missionary.

Just a thing to consider. theleekycauldron (talk • contribs) (they/them) 21:50, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

Incorrect ping of User:David Eppstein, oops

Meh, fine. Apostrophe ALT1, okay. DS (talk) 15:10, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

@Gerda Arendt: are you approving nomination? theleekycauldron (talk • contribs) (they/them) 01:52, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

If you both accept, who am I to not accept. I miss some little hint about why we have an article about here, instead of only fierceliness, - a quirky crowdpleaser. Would you say about Teresa Żylis-Gara only that she has a funny accent in her name. I give you a tick but am open to changes. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:09, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

How about ALT2: ~~... that after Viola Roseboro' told Willa Cather how to make My Ántonia a success by completely rewriting it, Cather may have based a second novel on her?"~~

This way you don't need to recognize the novels' names. @Gerda Arendt and David Eppstein:? 17:15, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

or ALT3: "... that Viola Roseboro' said that Booth Tarkington's novel The Gentleman from Indiana had been 'sent by God Almighty'?""It was when McClure's was making a great hunt for a good serial that I saw her one morning bringing into the editorial sanctum Booth Tarkington's "The Gentleman from Indiana," tears celebrating the discovery as she cried, "Here is a serial sent by God Almighty for McClure's Magazine!"[2]

(unless it's a problem that I only added that detail to the article just now.) DS (talk) 17:32, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

... and our article on TGfI is about the 1915 movie adaptation, not the novel. I'll have to write a stub about the novel. DS (talk) 17:41, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

Thank you for the offers, DS! I like ALT3 much better than ALT1! Now that I'm awake I think your original suggestion is better than ALT2. I was probably tired when began the review, sorry about that, - "mortal enemy" is certainly more catchy than "second novel" whether you know it or not. So, prep builder, better take the original which I approved. If you want to pursue the ALT3, please write the stub first. We have time. - I moved the last comments above the last line. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 19:55, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

ALT0 to T:DYK/P7