A Book About Myself

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Book About Myself is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Theodore Dreiser • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A Book About Myself

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

Was it not on every tongue?

A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XII Reading 1/45

A Book About Myself

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Book About Myself is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

/aɪ wɑːz ˈwɔːkɪŋ daʊn ðə ˈmɑːrbəl hɔːl ʌv ˈaʊər ˌedəˈtɔːriəl flɔːr wʌn deɪ nɑːt lɔːŋ ˈæftər aɪ ərˈaɪvd wen aɪ ˈnoʊtəd ɑːn ə dɔːr æt ɪts ekˈstriːm end ðə wɜːrdz ɑːrt dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

Line 2

The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

/ðə ɡloʊb ɪn ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ hæd noʊ ɑːrt dɪˈpɑːrtmənt æt liːst aɪ ˈnevər dɪˈskʌvərd ɪt/

Line 3

The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

/ðə mɪr wɜːrd ɑːrt ˌɔːlˈðoʊ aɪ hæd noʊ riːl ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ ʌv ɪt wɑːz ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ tuː miː/

Line 4

Was it not on every tongue?

/wɑːz ɪt nɑːt ɑːn ˈevəri tʌŋ/

Line 5

A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Chicago noun US /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading “The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.”

department noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading “I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.””

editorial adjective US /ˌedəˈtɔːriəl/

of or relating to an article stating opinions or giving perspectives

From this reading “I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.””

fascinating adjective US /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/

capable of arousing and holding the attention

From this reading “The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.”

Globe noun US /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

marble noun US /ˈmɑːrbəl/

a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material

From this reading “I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.””

noted adjective US /ˈnoʊtəd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.””

Rembrandt noun US /ˈrembrænt/

influential Dutch artist (1606-1669)

From this reading “A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

marble hall noun + noun

In this reading “I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.””

for instance preposition + noun

as an example

In this reading “A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.”

extreme end adjective + noun

In this reading “I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.””

All words in this reading · 60

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

Artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

artistnounUS /ˈɑːrtəst/

a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

DepartmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

Doré

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

editorialadjectiveUS /ˌedəˈtɔːriəl/

of or relating to an article stating opinions or giving perspectives

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Was it not on every tongue?

extremeadjectiveUS /ekˈstriːm/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

fascinatingadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/

capable of arousing and holding the attention

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

GlobenounUS /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

instancenounUS /ˈɪnstəns/

an occurrence of something

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

marblenounUS /ˈmɑːrbəl/

a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The _Globe_ in Chicago had no art department, at least I never discovered it.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

paintedadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪntɪd/

coated with paint

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

RembrandtnounUS /ˈrembrænt/

influential Dutch artist (1606-1669)

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading Was it not on every tongue?

understandingnounUS /ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading A man who painted or drew was an artist; Doré was one, for instance, and Rembrandt.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The mere word _art_, although I had no real understanding of it, was fascinating to me.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading I WAS walking down the marble hall of our editorial floor one day not long after I arrived when I noted on a door at its extreme end the words: “Art Department.”

Chapter 12 of A Book About Myself by Theodore Dreiser holds 225 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 12 of A Book About Myself contain?

Chapter 12 holds 225 sentences of A Book About Myself, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of A Book About Myself by Theodore Dreiser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 225 sentences, grouped into 45 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 12 of A Book About Myself?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Book About Myself

Common questions about reading A Book About Myself by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Book About Myself?

Yes. All 8541 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62995 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Book About Myself is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62995, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Book About Myself take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1709 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Book About Myself

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Book About Myself, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Formulating: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Book About Myself; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Book About Myself; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII

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