I only recently was informed as to the existence of this site, and am delighted to see Clark getting this kind of recognition. I was priveleged to be his closest friend and confidant in his last years - if details of those years are
of interest, I shall be glad to contribute. I have a considerable number of holographs of Clark's unpublished work and some drawings and photographs (including his favorite). In perusing the other sites, I note that no
mention is made of his having literally read every book
in the Carnegie library in Auburn - after dropping out of public school, he educated himself in this way. His memory was encyclopedic; once, during a game we used to play in
which someone would recite a first line of some poem, and
then another person was required to give the next, etc.
Clark acknowledged his appreciation for Charles Lamb (Elia) and was able to complete a poem I had begun. Any time we
were stumped, he always knew the next line of anything -
amazing. Also, I have thus far found no mention of his translations of Baudelaire - and that he was self-taught in
French and Spanish. Genevieve Sully, and subsequently
her daughter Helen often hired Clark as a woodcutter.
Daughter Helen was a fine violinist and participated in the
WPA orchestra led by composer Ernst Bacon who crossed paths
with that entire arts community in the 30's (founder of the
Carmel Bach society). The "Happy Hour" in Auburn's "Old
Town" was Clark's favorite watering hole, and from very
early childhood I can recall seeing this tall, wiry figure
in knee boots striding up High street clutching a small bag of groceries and a little bottle of burgundy (as late as
when I knew him as an adult, Loomis Burgundy was .69 a
gallon). Some of my fondest memories of him involved
black bread, cheese, and burgundy ("and thou beside me
singing in the wilderness" - Clark would have added).
Dylan Thomas had become all the rage in the 50's and
Clark loved the rhythm and power of this poetry, and
recognized that it was evocative of the powerful rhythms of
Anglo-Saxon and in the tradition of Gerard Manley Hopkins whom he admired greatly, though he had rarely attempted to emulate these styles - perhaps though in lines like, "the
sunset gonfalons are furled..."
Memories flood back and I ramble too long. I have signed
copies of the earliest works, some re-signed in his mature
signature when he gave them to me, and, since my time has
some definite parameters (common to Heart-Transplant recipients) - I am beginning to consider selling them to
someone who really understands their value and will treasure them as I have. I really need to pass on all of my collection of "Ashtoniana". Contact me if you wish to know
more about Clark's last 5 years.(PS: I have a copy of his
only play - we performed it one evening in Pacific Grove -
Does anyone know what became of the original?

Hi,

Hard to know where to begin, so let me start by thanking you for share your knowledge of CAS. AS time goes by there are fewer and fewer people who had meet him still alive.

I, and the site visitors, are ravenous for any all information you care to share. Unpublished CAS work is incredibly rare and a complete treat.

I don't know if you are aware of the recently published "Black Diamonds" a work CAS wrote when he was 19 published by "Hippocampus Press".

CAS's translations of Baudelaire are on the site in the poetry section.

You mention Dylan Thomas as an influence, do you know if he ever read any of the Beats (Burroughs, Kerouac etc.)?

Finding a buyer for your singed works shouldn't be a problem there is a fair amount of demand for theses works, you could consider donating them to a university for preservation purposes -but that's up to you.

Which play do you have? On the site I have
The Fugitivies (A Fragment)
The Dead will Cuckold You (whole thing)
Venus and the Priest (A Fragment)

Do you know if CAS did the cat sculpture outside his Pacific Grove house?

Enough for now,
Boyd.

I am copying your guestbook post here as it is the more appropriate place for it in the circumstances.


Name: Dr. William C. Farmer
Email: remraf3@att.net
Home Site:
Comments
My brother found this site, and through this connected with an old friend, Don
Fryer. Your site is incomplete without
my contribution. I was Ashton's closest friend in his final years. Carol came to my home for refuge and solace after his death. We spent many happy and brilliant hours together in Pacific Grove, though I had met Clark
through my friend Ethel Heiple. I will not take time now to relate the history, but will part at this point by mentioning that I have some of his artwork, and a great pile of holographs of some unfinished work. I have a typed copy of his only play (which we read through together one evening), and signed copies of "Sandalwood", "The Star
Treader", and "Ebony and Crystal" as well as the short stories. If you wish to know this latter part of Ashton's life, please write. I am glad to see an
appreciative renaissance of interest in
CAS. (note: I also have a copy of
"California Poets" which includes a
poem he wrote under the pseudonym,
"Timeus Gaylord" - a name created from the surname and maidenname of his parents - though you no doubt are already aware of this.

cut from email -please log in to post, so every one can share

Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 00:09:02 +0000
From: remraf3@att.net
To: phorum@eldritchdark.com
Subject: Re: CAS [1:113:114]

I have "The Dead will Cuckold You" -

He had looked at the "beats" and rejected them out
of hand as barbarous.

Ashton truly was "not of this world".

He did not do the Cat - that was Carole's done by
some acquaintance in the "artsy" community she had
known before she married Clark.

I noted a reference to Clark's stepson, but not the
step-daughter - I remember her as a rebellious, busty,
blonde 16 year old. No doubt married.

Do you have the Spanish translations and the
"Timeus Gaylord" works?

I will try to find time to put some of the holographs
on the scanner and send them to you.

Thank you for answering - I will be happy to share all
that I can about Clark.

I dont have the stepdaugters name can you provide it for the record.

I did not think the cat was by CAS but it was listed as being by him on some web site.

I have some spanish translation by CAS, but the same ones i dont know, can you provide a list?

Dialogue was published in Weird Tales, May 1943 as being by Timeus Gaylord, it was latter published in Spells and Philtres and Selected Poems under his own name and i have that on the site.

CAS' stepdaughter's name was Terry Kuhn, nee Dorman. Her husband, Richard Kuhn, ran CASIANA for many years until he turned it over to Bill Dorman.
Best, Scott

Dear Mr Farmer,
Your post is quite fascinating, thank you for sharing your memeories with us! I would strongly encourage you to begin writing down all you can remember. Once you begin doing this more memories are sure to follow. Clark Ashton Smith is finally becoming recognized as the major poet, fictioneer, and pioneering influence in fantasy and science fiction that he so richly deserves: any information you can add will be greatly appreciated!
-Ron

I have made a preliminary look through the manuscipts Clark gave me. They are exactly in the order I received them - some are "For
Bill Farmer" - all had received some water
damage during the move to Pacific Grove. What follows is an outline of the general contents of
these holographs. I believe you will find it interesting:
1) amended typed copy - "Temporality" dated by
CAS in ink 4/13/28 -poem
2)Shapes in the Sunset: poem typed with marginal
additions of some length - to Bill Farmer
3)Averoigne: hand written on envelope, both sides,
addressed to CAS from Uxbridge, Middlesex (1949)
4)Rubaiyat of Saiyid: two quatrains with indications of intention to add 4 more.
5)The Isle of Saturn: poem - to Bill Farmer
6)Reve Parsien: poem from Baudelaire
7)The Haunted Gong: short story, 4 pages both sides.
8)The Opal of Delhi: 2 pages one side.(see#27)
9)Night: poem, unsigned
10)The Emerald Eye: 9 page short story
11)Prologue: short story, incomplete, one page
12)7 page story fragment in pencil
13)Bedouin Song:poem/verso, poem "Zuleika,An
Oriental Song."
14)The River of Live/The World - poems
15)Note to Frank Murray Co. re manuscript of
"An Officer's Story" -
16)Several pages incomplete Short story, begins
with letter from Sultan of Turkey.
17)The Fulfilled Prophecy: Short story with
title page.
18)Introduction: one page opening to a story
19)The Shah's Messenger: 4 page short story
20) The Emir's Captive: 17 page short story
21)Prince Alcorez and the Magician: one page,
incomplete short story
22)Fakreddin: short story, legal size paper,closely written both sides in very fine handwriting -- either very early Smith or copied
for submission by his Mother.
23)The Adventurer: short story 18 pages, very
poor quality, hard to read.
24)The Guardian of the Temple: short story, 9 pages.
25)Fragment torn from magazine of opening of
story, Up the River Parana, by Theodore Child
26/27)The Opal of Delhi:5 pages (connect with previous entry)
28)The Malay Cruse: 6 page short story
29)2 pages of short story in pencil marked 169
30)The Sword of Zagan: story, 171 pages.
31)The Haunted Chamber: 4 pages, short story
32)Benares: poem in pencil, 5 stanzas of
quatrains.
33)stray page - part of story
34)The Yogi's Ring: partial page

Obviously these need to transcribed, but this
gives you a preliminary look at a catalog of
the holographs - I already mentioned the
play which is part of this group.
Hope this is useful

This is a fabulously important discovery! You are the fortunate possessor of several early short stories, dating from the period when Clark began to sell fiction to THE OVERLAND MONTHLY and THE BLACK CAT. CAS' statement that he wrote several juvenile novels based upon the Arabian Nights, VATHEK, and Kipling had only turned up THE BLACK DIAMONDS, but now you have revealed a second romance by the nascent bard. Of the other short stories you list, Brown University has fragments of versions of "The Emerald Eye," "The Fulfilled Prophecy," and "The Emir's Captive," while others, specifically "The Haunted Gong," "The Opal of Delhi," "The Shah's Messenger," "The Emir's Captive," "The Haunted Chamber," and most especially the evocatively-titled "Guardian of the Temple," are unknown to Smith scholarship. Our understanding of Smith's development as a writer can only be enhanced by these discoveries.

Question regarding the anthology CALIFORNIA POETS: is this the book published by Henry Harrison and Company in 1932, with a foreword by Helen Hoyt? (Incidently, she was a correspondent of Ashton's, and I have copies of her letters from CAS which will appear in the forthcoming Arkham House CLARK ASHTON SMITH: SELECTED LETTERS.) If so, I find five poems by CAS, but nothing by Timeus Gaylord. The only appearance of this pseudonym between hardcovers that I know of is in Derleth's DARK OF THE MOON. If the Harrison-Hoyt CALIFORNIA POETS is indeed the book to which you are referring, on what pages does Timeus make his appearance?
Best,
Scott Connors

Actually, that should be Teresa. Scott

I am also reeling with the implications of the material you have posted. At 171 pgs., "The Sword of Zagan" is an amazing discovery. Does it appear complete? Also you mention having 2 pgs, untitled, but bearing the page number 169. It appears very likely you have the missing pages from "The Black Diamonds" S.T. Joshi states in his introduction that pages 167- 170 are missing!!
The story "The Adventurer" also appears to be a new discovery, as well as "The Yogi's Ring". However this last could be the same as the story titled "The Yogi" which is listed in Fryer's bibliography under Juvenilia.
Mr. Farmer, your holdings are of course extremely important! Many thanks for sharing this great news with us!!
Please check the untitled pages (169) for references to "The Black Diamonds" or "Mustapha"
All for now, I've got to try and calm down a bit!
-Ron

A belated welcome to Dr. Farmer. Thank you for sharing all of this fascinating material with us!

Jim

Dear Dr. Farmer:

Thanks for posting the list of your vast
collection of Clark Ashton Smith works.
He's been my favorite author ever since I read the British reprints of the early seventies-- I even compiled a glossary of vocabulary from his tales that approaches 700 words, which I will send to you if you'd like. John Hitz

John Hitz wrote:
>I even compiled a glossary
> of vocabulary from his tales that approaches 700 words, which
> I will send to you if you'd like. John Hitz


How about sending it to me so i can put it up on the site?

Boyd.