Microblog Memes

I wish we'd gotten to see the rest of Lovecraft's redemption arc.

He died so soon after beginning to realize and acknowledge that his views about the world had been abhorrent.

Edit to add:

If anyone's curious to read an example of the beginnings of his realization, check out this letter, written about a month before his death:

https://github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/blob/master/19370207-Catherine-L-Moore.md

It's a fairly long letter, but the whole thing is interesting. He seems to have been radicalized and was becoming quite critical of capitalism, if not a full blown Marxist. You'll find the following quote in the last paragraph:

I looked around for a 1924 photograph of myself to burn, spit on, or stick pins in! Holy Hades—was I that much of a dub at 33 ... only 13 years ago? There was no getting out of it—I really had thrown all that haughty, complacent, snobbish, self-centered, intolerant bull, & at a mature age when anybody but a perfect damned fool would have known better!

There's more evidence in there than just that passage, but this is already becoming a wall of text!

My favorite fact about Lovecraft was that he was so fucking racist, the KKK told him to chill the fuck out on his racism.

Things that freaked H. P. Lovecraft out:

• Geometry
• Stars
• Cool air
• Subways
• Old houses
• Corners of rooms
• Violin music
• Flute music
• The very concept of dreams
• Realistic paintings

It would be easier to list the things that didn't freak Howard out.

The man was a neurotic anxious mess who was scared of everything around him in his time and checked into the psych ward multiple times. I guess it shows in his writings

I once read that Lovecraft went on a big antisemitic rant only to be gently reminded by his wife that she was Jewish.

I've never seen anyone try to sell horror this way, far from enough for it to be a thing.

Lovecraft being a neurotic mess afraid of everything is probably why his books are so good. He did a great job with filling his books with that sense of existential dread.

Take a shot every time Lovecraft says something is unknowable or indescribable.

Most writers or artists of any kind are not as cool as you want them to be. H.P. was essentially a nerdy upper class dandy. He was horribly sheltered and coddled all his life by his mom and her sisters. He'd probably faint if he had to go out in the rain without an umbrella.

I enjoyed his writing but you have to separate the art from the artist. Just like not all action heros are badasses, they just look like that on film.

or sharing an elevator with an Irishman.

The New York Times calls Going Down, "Lovecraft at his spine-chilling best! An Arkham professor of antiquities steps into a lift and gets the ride of his life!"

The great artists are wizards, they bring us magic.

They are insane.

They are not like us.

Judging them is like trees judging frogs.