Discouraged by this failure, Fort burnt the manuscripts, but was soon renewed to begin work on the book that would change the course of his life, The Book of the Damned (1919), which Dreiser helped to get published.
Descurajat de acest eșec, Fort a ars manuscrisele, dar a fost solicitat curând să înceapă lucrul la cartea care îi va schimba cursul vieții, "Cartea Damnatelor" (1919), pe care Dreiser l-a ajutat să o publice.