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HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT, AMATEUR: One cannot stress enough the importance of Amateur Journalism upon the shaping of H.P. Lovecraft, the man and H.P. Lovecraft, the writer. Lovecraft admitted in his revealing speech to the 1921 Amateur Convention - "I was as close to the state of vegetation as any animal can be . . . secluded subterranean quiescence . . . Amateur Journalism has provided me with the very world in which I live." He entered this world of letters at the age of twenty-four, immediately recognized as its major talent and personality and within the first year of membership was appointed "Chairman of the Department of Public Criticism." He published his own paper - THE CONSERVATIVE from 1915 to 1919 and served two terms as its President. He remained an active member until his death.

LOVECRAFT THE WRITER: Amateur Journalism was Lovecraft's sounding-board; at first he thought himself a poet - "When I entered amateurdom, I unfortunately possessed the delusion that I could write verse . . . Since emerging from the poetical delusion, I have been . . . following my natural inclination toward fantastic and imaginative fiction." Lovecraft's first verses & fictions were published within the pages of the Amateur Journals and the listings that follow offer a representation of both poetry & prose well predating his first professional submissions to Weird Tales.

LOVECRAFT THE PERSONALITY: The majority of the journals in the listing offer neither verse nor prose, but this does not negate their importance. Through the pages of the various journals we discover what I term, "Lovecraft sightings;" Lovecraft watching a total eclipse, Lovecraft hosting/hosted by fellow amateurs, Lovecraft describing his travels, Lovecraft gets married, Lovecraft's aunt dies, even Lovecraft takes a roller-coaster ride! In other words, virtually the entirety of Lovecraft's life was documented as "reality tv" in the amateur journals!

And now discover for yourself in PART I of my H.P. LOVECRAFT BIRTHDAY offerings, HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT, AMATEUR!


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