Abstract

On Lovecraft's trip and the pictures he sent, particularly Edgar Allan Poe's cottage in Philadelphia (and E. Hoffmann Price's comments on Poe); returning to their old debates (with Howard apologizing if he has offended Lovecraft), with sections on values, fascism and government, tolerance and personal freedom, the conditions that caused violence in the old West, on crimes in the Old South and Texas (with a racist/immigrant slant), on a riot in a courtroom arising when a police officer struck a woman, leading into their argument of barbarism and civilization (and chivalry), an assertion that Howard discusses only his personal tastes (and Howard countering the point, particularly their mutual desire to have lived in the past eras in their respective regions); Howard waxing romantic on the Texas geography, and the inadequateness of his description of Calsbad Cavern; on E. Hoffmann Price's visit (and colelction of oriental rugs), and the possible connection of savate with the foot-fighting of lumberjacks (and anecdotes of fighting "unarmed"); a lengthy appreciation of Jack Dempsey, and his spread of boxing in Europe; glad Lovecraft liked "The Garden of Fear" in Marvel Tales, and looking forward to Lovecraft's Some Notes on Interplanetary Fiction; Howard trying to break into Terror Tales, sold the Conan serial "Beyond the Black River" and "The Moon of Zambebwei" (retitled "The Grisly Horror") to Weird Tales; would like to see R. H. Barlow's bas-relief of Cthulhu, and glad to see an issue of the Fantasy Fan dedicated to Lovecraft; on the situation in Europe (particularly the assassinations of Englebert Dollfuss and King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, with some choice words for the French); on a special policeman maddened by marijuana in San Antonio; on a possibility of war (with the supposition that Hitler and Mussolini are puppets for capitalists, referencing Maj. general Smedly Butler's claim of being approached to lead a military coup); Alabama University invited to the Rose Bowl (leading to Howard's talk of his ancestors the Henrys in Alabama), and on football news in general; on an accident at Lake Brownwood letting out too much water (and more on erosion); enclosing some unpublished verses and hoping Lovecraft writes for Weird Tales in the coming year; on the local elections (and Upton Sinclair's defeat in California and Tom Mooney); on winter in Texas, and wearing a narrow-brimmed hat (Howard preferring a cap or sombrero).

Cited By

TBD

Included In

• A Means to Freedom
• Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard