In which HPL writes to Edwin Baird, his first editor at Weird Tales . They talk a bit of business before HPL launches into his autobiography. Yes, we have no bananas. Lovecraft mentions the name of his childhood cat in this letter, and after wrestling with very mixed feelings Andrew chose to bleep it. Thanks to Arkham House for their Selected Letters of H.P. Lovecraft .
In which Lovecraft writes to Donald Wandrei, a young correspondent who will go on to be one of the founders of Arkham House, and play a key role in preserving Lovecraft's legacy. This episode is coming out on the Ides of March, the 83rd anniversary of Lovecraft's death. We want to take a moment to humbly recognize HPL's vast contributions to popular culture and to our lives. Ave et Vale! Our thanks to Hippocampus Press for their Letters to Donald Wandrei and others. Both of the movies that HPL m...
In which HPL attempts to bring good cheer to his depressed friend Rheinhart Kleiner. We hope Rheinhart took comfort from Howard's suggestions of fixing his love life by cultivating a cosmic perspective. Music by Troy Sterling Nies. Our thanks to Arkham House. Jason Thompson, who created the feature-length animated film version of The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath also created an RPG based on the never-written story HPL mentions in this letter, The Club of the Seven Dreamers . If you don't alread...
In which HPL and Robert E. Howard discuss a number of issues of the day. They opine about the Massie Affair, an incident in the Hawaiian Islands which proved a magnet for many of America's ugliest racial views. Warning: this episode includes discussion of racism. Special thanks to Hippocampus Press for their two volume edition of A Means to Freedom: the Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard . If—like Lovecraft—you would like to own a complete copy of the Necronomicon , be sure to check ...
In which HPL writes to Robert E. Howard during his trip to New Orleans. And in which Sean and Andrew grapple with the language of racism and other problems. Special thanks for Hippocampus Press for their two volume series A Means to Freedom: the Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard .
In the thrilling conclusion of our coverage of Lovecraft's eternal letter, he tells Frank Belknap Long everything he fails to understand about art, history and much more. Lovecraftian opinions abound in this vigorous diatribe. Our thanks to Arkham House for making this letter available. To read the rest of it for yourself, check out Selected Letters: Vol. III .
HPL assaults Catholicism and other intellectual outrages. This one may ruffle some feathers as Lovecraft lays it on thick in part three of his lengthy letter to his friend Frank Belknap Long. Includes a short and pleasant detour to Quebec! Be sure to check out the website of The Museum of Jurassic Technology , and visit in person if you ever get the chance. In the gift shop they have the wonderful book No One May Ever Have the Same Knowledge Again. Frank Belknap Long wrote a memoir of HPL entitl...
In part two of HPL's lengthy letter to his friend Frank Belknap Long, Lovecraft speaks his mind about the merits of pure science. Listen as he disdains commercialism and the machine age in his diatribe celebrating knowledge for its own sake. Greeks ahoy!
In which HPL upbraids, chides and spanks his poor young friend Frank Belknap Long about weird literature (and several other topics to boot!). The first of a four part series which documents one of HPL's longest and most broad-ranging letters. CORRECTION: Andrew was in error in this episode when he said that all of the letters from HPL to Frank Belknap Long have been lost. While it's true that no one seems to know the location of any letters written after 1931, there is a fabulous trove of letter...
In which Lovecraft describes both his diet and his thrift as he documents his shopping and dining habits in alarming detail. For added fun he walks the wife of sci-fi writer Fritz Leiber through fascinating branches of his family tree. Special thanks to Wildside Press for their book Fritz Leiber and H.P. Lovecraft: Writers of the Dark , edited by Ben J.S. Szumskyj and S.T. Joshi....
At the suggestion of S.T. Joshi, we read a letter to James F. Morton. Brimming with snappy 1920s slang, HPL's letter grapples with his ideas on writing, creativity and the best ways to get your kicks. Lamp it! Music by Troy Sterling Nies Special thanks to S.T. Joshi and Hippocampus Press Here's an online version of Morton's 1906 book "The Curse of Race Prejudice" ....
Howard unfurls his most vigorous inner-cynic as he attacks political ideals and modern poetry in this letter to Washington DC poet Elizabeth Toldridge. You can see a poem Toldridge wrote about HPL at the Brown Digital Repository here . Music by Troy Sterling Nies Special thanks to Hippocampus Press for their book H. P. Lovecraft: Letters to Elizabeth Toldridge & Anne Tillery Renshaw...
Just before Christmas, Lovecraft meets Vrest Orton for the first time. Howard is smitten by his young visitor. Is it a blossoming bromance or something more? Don't miss the giddy side of HPL in part two of his Christmas letter to his Aunt Lillian. Music by Troy Sterling Nies Thanks to the Brown Digital Repository at Brown University
HPL sends his aunt a very telling Christmas letter. Written while he was living in Brooklyn, the letter is revealing about both HPL and those closest to him. Music by Troy Sterling Nies Special thanks to the Brown Digital Repository at Brown University. You might need a New York Times subscription to see it, but there's a fascinating article about the crazy rich Wendel family . And while you're surfing, learn more about the fascinating Byron Khun de Prorok ! Lovecraft hoped to get a job at the P...
High school admirers Robert Bloch and Willis Conover both wrote fan letters to Lovecraft. Here we see HPL writing back to these two young writers who will go on to correspond with HPL and have fascinating lives after Lovecraft's death. You can learn more about Willis Conover here . You can hear his voice in this YouTube video . Music by Troy Sterling Nies Thanks to Hippocampus Press and Carrollton-Clark Publishing...
In which Lovecraft delivers some unexpected bad news. Intellect collides with emotion in this letter to poet Ann Tillery Renshaw. Thanks to Hippocampus Press . Music by Troy Sterling Nies
In which HPL deploys shocking language in a feisty letter to his friend, Wisconsin schoolteacher Maurice Moe. Thanks to Arkham House . You can read a much less abridged version of this letter in the book H.P. Lovecraft: Letters to Maurice W. Moe and Others from Hippocampus Press. Music by Troy Sterling Nies....
In which Lovecraft writes his friend and fellow author of fantastic tales, Clark Ashton Smith. As wildfire threatens Smith's California home we're reminded how nothing ever really changes... Thanks to Clark Ashton Smith guru Scott Connors and to Hippocampus Press .
In which HPL writes to his mother about his delightful visit to a gathering of amateur press friends for St. Patrick's day. Sent a few weeks before her death, it's Howard's final extant letter to his mother. Special thanks to our friends at the Brown University Digital Repository where they keep and digitally share with the public many of HPL's original manuscripts. You can see a thrilling ad for David Van Bush with Lovecraft's commentary here . If you want to read some of Bush's books, you can ...
In which we read a letter from HPL to August Derleth from November 7, 1926. We discuss unique qualities of HPL's correspondence with Derleth, and his essential role in sharing Lovecraft's works with the public. Special thanks to the helpful team at Hippocampus Press .
A set of three shorter letters written one hundred years ago, in which 29-year-old HPL dispenses relationship and life advice to one of his earliest correspondents, Rheinhart Kleiner. Hear of Lovecraft's encouragement to the lovelorn, his temptation to try the dreaded cannabis, and more! These letters come from The Selected Letters of H.P. Lovecraft Volume I. Our deepest thanks to Arkham House Publishing. You can find them at www.arkhamhouse.com Music by Troy Sterling Nies....
In his first letter to Robert H. Barlow, written on June 25, 1931, HPL very kindly answers a few important questions of a young fan, and begins what will prove to be a very important relationship. Our thanks to Dan Viafore for being our audio consultant. Original music by Troy Sterling Nies. Special thanks to S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz. The text of the letter came from their book O Fortunate Floridian , published by the University of Tampa Press ....
