SOURCE: "James Gibbons Huneker," in American Literary Criticism: 1900-1950, Hendricks House, Inc., 1951, pp. 60-3.

An American critic and educator, Glicksberg has written widely on American literature. In the following essay, he criticizes Huneker for not developing a theory of aesthetics upon which to base opinions.

Born in Philadelphia on January 31, 1860, Huneker was fortunate in having parents who were sincerely devoted to the arts of music and painting. His early passionate interest in literature precluded the thought of preparing him, as his mother wished, for the priesthood. He studied law for some years at the Law Academy in Philadelphia, but he was not destined for that profession. Unable to shake off his deep passion for the arts, particularly music, he went to Paris, where he studied music at the Sorbonne. There he discovered that he lacked the fundamental talent to become a professional musician. In the meantime, he had...