Abstract

Praise for Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep," and hoping he submits it to Farnsworth Wright at Weird Tales (comparing it very favorably to G. G. Pendarves' "Abd Dhulma, Lord of Fire"), and sending the manuscript on to Robert E. Howard; Smith glad to hear that Wright has accepted "Through the Gates of the Silver Key," and Smith might draw an illustration for it, though he has not yet heard back on the illustration for "The Charnel God" (which may or may not get the cover); on Margaret Brundage's covers for Weird Tales (suggesting she may have borrowed from Frank Utpatel's illustration for Derleth and Schorer's "The Star-Spawn"); on Smith's Averoigne and Gallic history (with reference to James Branch Cabell's Poictesme and "The Disinterment of Venus"), seguing briefly into discussion of Romance languages; on Walter de la Mare's "Mr. Kempe," "All-Hallows' Eve," and "Seaton's Aunt"; Smith has not read The Dark Chamber, and would appreciate the loan, offering to loan The Geography of Witchcraft and The Lady who Came to Stay in return (which both J. Vernon Shea and August Derleth enjoyed), seguing into a discussion of Montague Summers and Margaret Murray's theories on witchcraft, mentioning as well a series of articles by Prof. Rene Thevenin; on the pictures by Boleslas Biegas (many of which symbolize music, Smith naming Beethoven and Chopin), leading into a brief mention of Richard Ely Morse' weird library, and more on weird art; thanks for the picture of the Ashton House (and of possible branches of the family in England); thanks for the clippings, and Smith's lack of writing; enclosing a letter from Desmond Hall of Astounding Stories, leading in to an argument about psychology and the thin divide between science fiction and fantasy; on the strange letter-writer Olsen (who wrote Smith in regards to "The Nameless Offspring").

*Note:* On the envelope of this letter, Lovecraft outlined some history of Averoigne and an incantation to Tsathoggua, related to 000-0674.

Cited By

TBD

Included In

• Clark Ashton Smith: Letters to H. P. Lovecraft (abridged)
• Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith (unabridged)