April 1922: The Woodbee

The seller epegana once again pulls a rarity out of thin air. Read:
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Description:
"THE WOODBEE" - April, 1922
Edited & Published by Leo Fritter
"Mr. Lovecraft makes our case!" - Leo Fritter

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was a very big fish in the pond of Amateur Journalism and it has always astounded me {Terrence McVicker} why he continued to participate in Amateur Journalism virtually until the day he died; this bone of contention is one example. The editor and former president of the United membership Leo Fritter, engaged in a multi-issue criticism of Lovecraft's snubbing of amateur writings except those of himself and his friends.."monopoly is Mr. Lovecraft's own child, conceived and born of his arbitrary methods in passing upon the manuscripts submitted to him...he rejects much good material, simply because it does not suit his tastes" . Lovecraft had responded by stating that he was attempting to "raise the literary standards" but Fritter responded by saying "the standards are so high that only a few gifted members can qualify...Mr. Lovecraft is out of tune ...he travels so high that only a few can live in the rare atmosphere upon which he seems to thrive!...Just where Mr. Lovecraft did you get your self-assumed....Grand Mogul and High Priest...receive your appointment...and from whence comes your right to thus speak as the Supreme Court of Amateur Journalism?" - Leo Fritter

Certainly this is pretty strong stuff! Three pages of criticism of HPL & his policies. These attacks by Leo Fritter are noted in Joshi's biography of Lovecraft.

Nice copy of this slick-papered 'zine stapled.

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From Joshi (HPL: A Life} p,.181, Leo Fritter had been supported by HPL in 1915 for president. Fritter expressed a widely held sentiment that HPL was being too strict in his selection. Lovecraft concluded, "The question is one which should ultimately be decided at the polls." {CP}