Went to S. T.'s for his Memorial Day Cook-out, & he shew'd me ye manuscript for the Lovecraft/Smith correspondence. It is huge!! The bibliography alone will probably take up fifty pages, so we expect the book to exceed 700 pages. Gonna be AMAZING! Apparently there are far more Lovecraft letters extant than there are from CAS.

"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.

Quick article on CAS' correspondent William Lumley: [onanunderwood5.blogspot.com]

I eagerly look forward to the Lovecraft/Smith correspondence publication!

It will be the last book (along with two others which I have yet been unable to find in the desired editions) that I will add to my personal library of science fiction, horror, and fantasy books! After that my collection will be complete, the chase will be over, and I will look for no more books! My library has become very well rounded to my particular lifetime needs. Any time left of my late life, that may then exceed (most unlikely!) reading/re-reading all of these books to full satisfaction, will exclusively be dedicated to creativity, not to further consumption of others's works.

Derrick of Hippocampus Press was interviewed at Legends of Tabletop on Tuesday -- [www.legendsoftabletop.com] -- and mentioned lots of interesting forthcoming items, including the CAS letters. I am not sure which volume will be first, but they will start appearing in 2017, apparently.

Okay, finally finished ONE of my projects for this year: abstracts for all of the letters in The Shadow of the Unattained are up on on Wikithulhu, and cross-referenced with the Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith (and other volumes of letters as appropriate). It ain't much, but it might give folks some idea of the contents...and where to find the letter they're looking for.

[www.wikithulhu.com]

The HPL/CAS correspondence is now up for pre-order: [www.hippocampuspress.com]

Martinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Martinus Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > I don't know how many letters from CAS to HPL
> will
> > be included.
>
> But I do now -- in his latest EOD mailing, David
> says that there are "perhaps only 90 pieces".


The Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith (Arkham House) includes 33 pieces. Not sure how many were included in Clark Ashton Smith: Letters to H. P. Lovecraft (Necronomicon Press), for I sold my copy (sometimes I regret that, because it had a few playful CAS illustrations not included in the Arkham House volume).


Martinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The HPL/CAS correspondence is now up for
> pre-order:
> [www.hippocampuspress.com]
> ected-letters/dawnward-spire-lonely-hill-the-lette
> rs-of-h.-p.-lovecraft-and-clark-ashton-smith


ORDERED! It was not out of stock, yet! Haha!
Missing out on this volume, could actually be, I am afraid, one of the great losses of my life. Reading Lovecraft's letters through the years, has been equal to having a great friendship. Here he is paired up in conversation with his unequaled literary peer, the one and only, the great, weird fiction and cosmic artist, Clark Ashton Smith! It should lead to invaluable, frank, and inspired discussions about our favorite subjects: literature and fantastic imagination. And since they are on similar levels of intelligence, there is no room for pretension, mentally unfocused relaxation, or patronizing adaptations of conversation. Each must give everything of his intellectual honesty, or fall out.

Knygatin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Martinus Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Martinus Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> >
> > > I don't know how many letters from CAS to HPL
> > will
> > > be included.
> >
> > But I do now -- in his latest EOD mailing,
> David
> > says that there are "perhaps only 90 pieces".
>
>
> The Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith (Arkham
> House) includes 33 pieces. Not sure how many were
> included in Clark Ashton Smith: Letters to H. P.
> Lovecraft (Necronomicon Press), for I sold my copy
> (sometimes I regret that, because it had a few
> playful CAS illustrations not included in the
> Arkham House volume).
>

I have it up on wikithulhu: 44 letters, some of which crossover with the Selected Letters of CAS.

Thanks Ancient History. I had no idea I lost some of the correspondence when I sold that book. But I trust all will be recovered with the new volume.

I can't think of any other of Lovecraft's correspondents, beside C. A. Smith, that would inspire an equally sympathetic and stimulating communication back and forth. (Unless Lovecraft and Smith were somewhat intimidated from respect for each other?!) The Mysteries of Time and Spirit volume, with letter to and from Donald Wandrei, was interesting in parts, ... but it was also painful to sense a growing irritation between Lovecraft and Wandrei.

All good friendships have their respectful arguments; hell, that was one of the defining characteristics of Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard's correspondence, which makes for excellent reading. Lovecraft's correspondence with Derleth was also revealing, although in a different way.

The final cover artwork for Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill is now presented (I kind of liked the draft, showing a postal package left on Lovecraft's doorstep (presumably containing one of CAS's sculptures).). It now seems to have moved to CAS's doorstep instead. Not sure what to make of it; looks rather mysterious.

[www.hippocampuspress.com]

A bit off topic here, but I wonder about the Lovecraft Hippocampus Press volume of Letters to James F. Morton. Is this the most particular volume of letters in which Lovecraft is at his most politically and philosophically freespoken?

It seems Lovecraft used a different voice depending upon who he wrote to. Mentoring younger correspondents. With Morton he seemed to show a certain youthful behaviour, allowing almost childishness, due to the age difference of 20 years; and dared to be a little silly and loose, unashamedly theatrical and humorous, loudly imitating local slang and so forth.

In the letters to C.A. Smith, I expect he will be more fully controlled in his behaviour, focusing seriously on an equal social level to CAS, sharing similar interests, without either preaching or fawning.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 23 Jul 17 | 02:55AM by Knygatin.

Lovecraft did shift his tone with regards to his correspondent - he was, for example, careful not to say anything antisemitic to Robert Bloch - I'm not sure if his letters to James F. Morton or J. Vernon Shea are more "political," since both discuss race and politics in a good bit of detail.

Which of Lovecraft's correspondents are most interesting and enjoyable to read? For example, how do the letters of Donald Wandrei, R. E. Howard, and C. A. Smith compare to each other?

I also wonder if anyone here has read the letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Are they intellectually interesting, or mostly socially polite courtesies?

Quote:

Which of Lovecraft's correspondents are most interesting and enjoyable to read? For example, how do the letters of Donald Wandrei, R. E. Howard, and C. A. Smith compare to each other?

To me, the letters of Lovecraft and Howard are the most interesting - because we have so much of the correspondence on both sides, and because they were so different on matters that you can get interesting arguments on both sides. After REH, I would say Lovecraft's letters with CAS and August Derleth are most interesting.

Quote:

I also wonder if anyone here has read the letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Are they intellectually interesting, or mostly socially polite courtesies?

I've read the Selected Letters. Less range than Lovecraft, but of great interest to fans of Tolkien's work; to me J. R. R. Tolkien just doesn't quite "come through" in his letters to the extant Lovecraft does.