| 000-0611 | |
|---|---|
| FROM H. P. Lovecraft | |
| TO Robert E. Howard | |
| 25-Mar-1933 |
Abstract
Lovecraft praises Howard's "The Scarlet Citadel," "The Tower of the Elephant," and "Autumn," comparing him to Lord Dunsany; Lovecraft apologizes for any misunderstanding on his part for their long-running controversy in letters regarding the mental vs. the physical (praising again "The Scarlet Citadel" and "The Black Stone," and with an aside thanking Howard for the transcript of Henry S. Whitehead's letter to Adventure) seguing into sports (and achieving an individual's full potential) leading into the cosmic "importance" of man and the higher values of intellectual achievement and aesthetics (comparing Howard favorably against Otis Adelbert Kline, Hugh B. Cave, Seabury Quinn and E. Hoffmann Price), and from there to snobbery, horse breeding, and book-collecting; on economic serfdom versus historical slavery and freedom (with reference to Soviet Russia and Bertrand Russell), shifting back to frontier life vs. urban life; returning to civilization vs. barbarianism, particularly Lovecraft's understanding of Howard's claim of barbarianism as superior (with a long example of barbarism versus childhood adolescence), shading into history of civilization, decadence, and barbarianism (with a closing note on Lord Monboddo, as Lovecraft explains he did not intend any insult by comparing Howard to him); more on those who fear cats and other animals, with anecdotes (including his mother's fear of dogs, and Prof. William Ellery Leonard's The Locomotive God); on Howard's historical writing regarding Texas (with reference to political corruption, the American Civil Liberties Union, Frank Belknap Long, the Gladewater Journal, "Ma" Ferguson's administration, etc., veering back into a defense of civilization); on Howard's comments regarding buffalo hunters and the situation in Kansas; Lovecraft's surprise at Howard's relative youth (with reference to "Wolfshead"), praise for Tevis Clyde Smith's Frontier's Generation, and looking forward to stories involving Gottfried von Kalmbach; on Lovecraft's enjoyment of museums; on Lovecraft's education and early writings ("The Beast in the Cave," "The Tomb," "Dagon," "Polaris," etc.), discovery of weird and fantastic fiction (the Arabian Nights, Edgar Allen Poe, Greek and Roman myths, Lord Dunsany, etc.), and travels, ending with his current financial troubles and "The Colour Out of Space"; more on his actual schooldays (including the incident regarding "Can the Moon Be Reached By Man?") and his subjects (mathematics, Latin, etc.); on Howard's school-yarns (poking a bit of fun); on a trip Lovecraft took to Hartford, Connecticut. Postscript: Derleth submitted Lovecraft's "The Dreams in the Witch-House" to Weird Tales, who accepted it; "The Festival" due for a reprint; spring in Providence.
Cited By
Articles
Books
Included In
- A Means to Freedom (unabridged)
- Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft (abridged)
| Preceded By 033-0214 | Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard | Followed By 033-0221 |
|---|---|---|
| Preceded By 033-0214 | A Means to Freedom | Followed By 033-0221 |
| Preceded By 000-0610 | Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft | Followed By 000-0612 |