Morley Roberts in the Western Avernus.

The article discusses the experiences that led to the writing of "The Western Avernus" by Morley Roberts. He lived in San Francisco with very little money for a spell but eventually found work and managed to earn enough to secure passage back to Britain in late 1886. Roberts and George Gissing, the well-known British novelist, were good friends. Roberts let the words pour onto paper: he completed the manuscript in less than a month, and "The Western Avernus" or, "Toil" and "Travel in Further North America" appeared in late 1887. It was his most successful book, although over the next half century he wrote another 70, as well as plays, poetry, and numerous short stories.