An Antiquarian Treasure: Read

It is now 49 minutes to midnight on a worknight on the evening of 28 April 2010. I sit an type this so you can read about a month later - typos and all.

The first page is in black print, save two red-coated devils of some sort with serrated, Robin-masks, tip-pointed head-hoods, each mirror images of one anothr, and grasping or holding a gazing ball of some sort. A few pages in, a picture of Wilfred Talman is reproduced from 1935. At the rear is a photo of Lovecraft and Long.

The first card reproduced is Roger Williams. Now you must understand, I got this sight unseen (the Ebayeum images were teasing in their paucity) and it was a bit of a gambel. The letters of Talman seem barely to be mentioned by contemporary scholars, since they are postcards, few in number, and collateral and perhaps subserviant to the letters of Kliener, Galpin, Wandrei, Derleth, and REH now coming out.

So I scanned, with now very weary eyes, the few words of the first postcard and read, "Went up to Ladd Observatory last night for the first time in 20 years." Since it was dated "Feb. 9, 1927" does this, I wondered, imply that 1907 was the last eyar of his visits to Ladd Observatory?

Since Chrispy is in the midst of hundreds of pages of notebooks trying to piece together Lovecraft's youth from Humpty-Dumpty pieces with no "paint by number" color-codes this was an amazing find on the very first page.

I shall now go to sleep with implications and probabilities on the mind.

More .. later.

An Antiquarian Treasure: Opened

Plastered with colorful Japanese stamps, and taped more tha King Tut's mummy, I began to whittle away at the invulnerable plastic. Minutes passed, and finally with much wheezing, and much ripping, the envelope gave up its contents - another wrapped layer. That was a bit easier, the heavy corrugated plied away from the next obstacle, a taped plastic bag!

At last, I slid the precious cargo out, and beheld the buff colored, somewaht parchment-textured cover resembling in a small fashion a chapbook. Inside, the reduced-sized, cream-colored paper was pristine in look, but bizarrely odiferous. I sniffed, thought, sniffed again, wondered, and then it struck me.

It wasn't cigarette smoke, but more likely a cross between cigar and pipe tobacco. The pages were unharmed - in fact they looked barely used, turned, read, or otherwise examined. But they had absorbed years of smoke.

I'm sure the smell will fad with time, but as a non-smoker, I'm especially compelled by the striking smeel of tobacco.

My parents smoked, chain smoked on may occassions. My grandmother did snuff. She and her husband raised tobacco for decades. I cringed, and nearly screamed, at my first sight of a big, thick, prickly, nub-legged, green tobacco worm. But I never smoked.

Well, now that the item slid forth on the evening of 28 April 2010, what next?

More tomorrow.

An Antiquarian Treasure

On the evening on 28 April 2010, I received from far away Hirshima, Japan, my Ebayeum auction win! "Yr Obdt Srvt: Some Postcards Of Howard Phillips Lovecraft Sent To Wilfred Blanch Talman".

Over the next few days I'll type in the oddities of an antiquarian collector - me.

It started - as it always does - as a whim; an impulse click. "Hmm, that's pretty interesting." Then, click! Assuming I would lose the bid, I moved on to perusing images of the beginning of the 20th century Providence, Rhode Island. Imust be very wary, and in a perfect control of will, before I stroll through to much "antiquarian Lovecraft teritory" lest I cede the mortgage of the house in lieu of acquiring some $15,000 Lovecraftian obscurity.

I checked back at the end of the auction, and - knock me over with a feather - I won! Thus began the next journey of R. Alain Everts' quaint little book. (c) 1988 The Strange Company, this unnumbered, unsigned copy of a printing of 200.

It's journey was interupted, becuase little did we realize the package had to be signed for. I came home, signed the slip, placed it back out in a zip lock bag on a rainy night tucked into the corner of our brass mailbox for the postal person to pick up the next day. Three days later, it had arrived.

I came home, but the world trabveler had to ait a bit longer, and my 48 minute, 18 mile drive home through clogged Derby Week traffic left me fatigued. The fish pon pump had to be cleaned, and a plant righted. (We now have 5 large, and oddly after 5 years, 12 baby fish that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere last Fall.) Then off to a few other things, and as the 10 O'clock hour approached I finally opened the packet.

More tomorrow.

Postcards of Lovecraft Sent to Talman

YR OBT SERVT Postcards of Lovecraft Sent to Talman

This was a recent Ebay auction, and while only 200 copies of this were printed in 1988, there do seem to be several floating about. Chrispy was lucky enough to win the auction on this one (located in Japan) at slightly less than the market rate. Others seem were at:

Kathmandu Books (Winter Park, FL, U.S.A.)
THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY / (ROCHESTER, MI, U.S.A.)
Leonard Shoup (Burlington, ON, Canada)
Bookworks (Evansville, WI, U.S.A.)

All this on 12 April 2009, so coincidentlly this seems to be one that can be found. They are in various conditions, and at least one had the original shipping envelope. It's printed by R Alain Everts, and includes 10 postcards on 24 pages: "Talman was an editor and genealogical researcher. Contains the text and picture of 10 postcards written to Talman between 1927 and 1933. With footnotes and photos."

Listed between $20 and $60 depending on condition and the savvy of the book seller and their need for a return on investment.

LOVECRAFT'S DAUGHTER: R. EVERTS V.1,2,3 STRANGE PRESS?

Recently seen on Ebay.

LOVECRAFT'S DAUGHTER by R.ALAIN EVERTS No pub Strange Press/EOD? All three issues in fine condition, A truly remarkable study of "Carol Weld who was in fact the daughter--albiet the step-daughter-- of Howard Phillips Lovecraft" Interviews and pictures of Sonia Greene Very In teresting.

A Unusual and Historic Court Case About Lovecraft

http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/757/757.F2d.124.84-1027.html

R. Alain Everts {See other posts by clicking the label below}

757 F.2d 124
23 Ed. Law Rep. 871
BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE IN the STATE OF RHODE ISLANDand Providence Plantations, and Wilfred B. Talman,Plaintiffs-Appellees,v.Randal Alan KIRSCH, a/k/a R. Alaine Kirsch, a/k/a RandallAlaine Kirsch, a/k/a R. Alain Everts, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 84-1027.
United States Court of Appeals,Seventh Circuit.
Argued Nov. 5, 1984.Decided March 7, 1985.As Amended March 8, 1985.
David E. Lasker, Buffett, Dew, Blaney, Olson & Lasker, Madison, Wis., for defendant-appellant.
John C. Carlson, Lawton & Cates, Madison, Wis., for plaintiffs-appellees.
Before ESCHBACH and POSNER, Circuit Judges, and WISDOM, Senior Circuit Judge.*
WISDOM, Senior Circuit Judge.
1
This appeal presents the question whether the district court erred in dismissing defendant Randal Alan Kirsch's counterclaim against Brown University for libel.1 Brown University published a "Notice to Bookmen" in several prominent bibliographic publications stating, in effect, that Kirsch had solicited or accepted materials in the name of Brown University without Brown's authorization, and that Kirsch had not turned over this material to Brown University. On appeal, Kirsch alleges that the district judge usurped the role of the jury in determining the defamatory meaning of the Notice to Bookmen and that the district court erred in finding there was no genuine issue as to any material fact concerning the truthfulness of the Notice. We find no error in either determination and accordingly affirm.
I. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS BELOW
2
Randal Kirsch collects the works, manuscripts, and letters of Howard P. Lovecraft, an early twentieth century author of science fiction and fantasy tales. In June 1968, Kirsch, then a student at U.C.L.A., visited Brown University's John Hay Library, which houses a large collection of materials relating to Mr. Lovecraft. Kirsch proposed that the library pay the rental on a tape recorder and furnish him with tapes to enable him to travel about the country to conduct taped interviews with persons who had known Lovecraft or had corresponded with him. He proposed to donate the tapes to the Lovecraft collection at the Library. The librarians accepted this offer.
3
Kirsch had been in communication with Wilfred B. Talman, who had known Lovecraft from the early 1920's until Lovecraft's death in March 1937. Kirsch had written four letters to Mr. Talman before finally meeting him in July 1968. In the first and second letters, Kirsch asked mainly for documentary information. In the third letter, Kirsch wrote: "I would certainly be grateful for whatever material you may be able to give me regarding yourself and HPL and the Lovecraft Circle Members."
4
After that request for material, Mr. Talman answered that he did indeed have some materials and had recently been sorting through "some Lovecraftiana". Mr. Talman asked, "I trust your desire for information is purely personal, and that you're not counting on me to help with information for a book or something."
5
Kirsch answered, saying that the research was not for a book, "but all goes to Brown University":
6
"My research is not for a book, but all goes to Brown University, who is sponsoring my trip around New England to tape the reminscenses [sic] of those who know HPL."
7
On or about July 13, 1968, Kirsch visited Talman's home in New Jersey and interviewed him there. Near the outset of the taped interview, Mr. Talman again asked about the nature of Kirsch's research:
8
Talman: "Tell me before we start in, or perhaps we are already started, what is the--under what section of Brown University is this being done?"
9
Kirsch: "Well, the special collections department. A Mrs. Hathaway is the head of it, had given me the tapes, the recorder to go and do this material gathering."
10
In a later, unrecorded portion of the visit Talman told Kirsch that he wished to donate some materials to the library at Brown University. Kirsch told Talman that he had no idea when he would return to Brown University, except that he had to return the tape recorder after two months. Kirsch accepted the materials, and hand wrote a receipt which he left with Talman. It read in full:
11
"Saturday, July 13, 1968
12
"Received from Wilfred Blanch Talman, one box of material, including diverse letters from H.P.L. (complete), several MSS, several pulp magazines, several amateur journals, 3 books by Randall Alan Kirsch, on behalf of Brown University."
13
The district court found, and the record supports, that Talman had formed an intention to donate his collection of Lovecraft letters to Brown University several years before Kirsch's visit. Talman later explained why he had given Kirsch the materials: "[S]ince Kirsch represented Brown, he could save me some moving trouble and the trouble of a subsequent donation to Brown myself, if he could readily deliver the Lovecraft letters I felt should eventually go to Brown." Talman also gave some materials to Kirsch that Kirsch was to keep for himself. Kirsch took both his own gifts and the materials intended for Brown when he left. He did not give the materials to Brown despite the University's written request for them.2 Nor did he return the tapes.
14
Kirsch had also communicated with Sonia Lovecraft Davis, the widow of H.P. Lovecraft. Mrs. Davis intended to donate some or all of her material to the special collections library at Brown. Mrs. Davis later alleged, both in letters to him and to his grandparents, that Kirsch had kept materials intended for the library. The library received a copy of Mrs. Davis's letter to Kirsch's grandparents.
15
Kirsch also obtained Lovecraft materials from Ethel Morrish, another of Lovecraft's relatives. Mrs. Morrish lent Kirsch some photographs, which he promised to return "within ten days of receipt". Over six months later, her grandson, an attorney, wrote Kirsch asking for the return of material. Five weeks later, he again wrote Kirsch requesting immediate return of the Lovecraft material and threatening legal action if the material was not returned by October 15, 1972. On July 19, 1973, Robert Harrall wrote to the attorneys for Brown University indicating that Mrs. Morrish would be willing to join in a suit to retrieve her material.3
16
In late July and early August 1973, librarians David Jonah and Stuart Sherman worked with other persons, including an attorney, in drafting a notice to Bookmen. The Notice, in full, read:
17
"The Brown University Library wishes to alert antiquarian booksellers, dealers in manuscript material, collectors and librarians that Mr. R. Alain Kersch, also known as R. Alain Everts, Randal Alan Kirsch and other variations, is known to have solicited in the name of Brown University, letters, manuscripts and possibly printed materials and photographs by and about Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937), the Providence author of weird and fantastic tales. Such material has been for his own personal use and has not been turned over to Brown University.
18
"We wish to disclaim having at any time authorized Mr. Kirsch to solicit or accept Lovecraft or any other materials in the name of Brown University. We request that persons having information about materials solicited by Mr. Kirsch, alias Everts, in the name of Brown University Library communicate with the Director of Libraries, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, or telephone collect to 401-863-2162."
19
In 1974 Brown filed an action for replevin of certain Lovecraft material that Kirsch had collected. Kirsch removed the action to United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin under diversity jurisdiction. Upon removal to the district court, Kirsch filed a counterclaim stating a cause of action for libel against Brown based on the Notice to Bookmen and alleging damages in excess of $10,000. In 1984 the district court entered a judgment for Brown on its original complaint. That judgment was not appealed. On December 3, 1983, the district court adopted the magistrate's findings and granted Brown's motion for summary judgment, dismissing the Kirsch's counterclaim with prejudice. This appeal followed.
II. DISCUSSION
20
A. The District Court Did Not Usurp the Role of the Jury
21
On appeal, Kirsch argues that the district court erred in not permitting the jury to ascribe a "more derogatory meaning" to the Notice to Bookmen. The district judge acknowledged that a reasonable innuendo was that Kirsch was a "thief, crook, or conversioner" but held that "[t]his goes to the gravity of the possible consequences flowing from the language" rather than being a "reasonable perimeter of implication of the advertisement".4
22
In ruling on the motion for summary judgment against the libel claim, the district court outlined two areas in which a genuine issue of material fact could exist: (1) what Brown University stated or implied in its Notice to Bookmen, and (2) whether the statements were substantially true. Although there was no dispute as to the actual language of the Notice, the parties differ on the limits of the words' capability for defamatory meaning. Kirsch argues on appeal that the district court abused its discretion in determining the perimeters of the words' meaning rather than leaving this question for the jury.
23
The district court recognized that "[i]t is for the fact-finder--in this case, a jury--to determine the perimeter broadly or narrowly, thus casting heavily or lightly the burden of persuasion imposed upon the accused libellant to prove substantial truth". The court reasoned, however, that this "perimeter-setting" must be within the bounds of reason as determined by the court. The court then established the interpretation of the Notice that was least favorable to Brown, the moving party, but that was still within the bounds of reason, to rule upon the motion for summary judgment.
24
Kirsch relies on Fitzgerald v. Penthouse International, Ltd., 4 Cir.1981, 639 F.2d 1076, to support his argument that the meaning of a communication is always a jury question. In Fitzgerald, however, the Court held that the publication was capable of both a defamatory and a nondefamatory meaning, and therefore presented a question for a jury. The district court in Fitzgerald, by stating that the article was not defamatory, went beyond its authority to make the determination of whether the statements in the article were capable of being defamatory and resolved the factual issue of whether the statements were actually defamatory. But here the district court has, upon the motion for summary judgment by the alleged libelee, judged the publication by the reasonable light least favorable to the moving party, and so he is not required to submit all possible meanings of the alleged defamation to the jury. As stated in Meier v. Meuer, Wisc.1959, 8 Wis.2d 24, 98 N.W.2d 411, 414:
25
"The duty of the court at this stage is to determine whether the language used is reasonably capable of conveying a defamatory meaning to the ordinary mind and whether the meaning ascribed by plaintiffs is a natural and proper one. 'The words used must be construed in the plain and popular sense in which they would naturally be understood.' "
26
The district judge's reading of the Notice to Bookmen, for purposes of summary judgment, captured all of the reasonable defamatory meanings and inference of the publication. The remaining question is whether the publication, read by this light, was true. The truth of an allegedly defamatory statement is a complete defense. As this Court held in Simonson v. UPI, 7 Cir.1981, 654 F.2d 478, 481, "Under Wisconsin tort law, [a] defamation action cannot succeed unless it is shown that the alleged defamatory statements were both defamatory and false". There are both state and federal cases where courts have taken the course of the district court here, to find the words to be defamatory, then grant summary judgment because there was no material dispute as to the truthfulness of the statements as construed. Lathan v. Journal Co., Wisc.1966, 30 Wis.2d 146, 140 N.W.2d 417, 421-23; Simonson v. UPI, 7 Cir.1981, 654 F.2d 478. We now turn to the issue of genuine disputes over material facts.
27
B. Genuine Issue of Material Fact Regarding the Truth of the Statement
28
It is well established that summary judgment is to be "cautiously invoked to the end that parties may always be afforded a trial where there is a bona fide dispute of facts between them". Associated Press v. United States, 1945, 326 U.S. 1, 6, 65 S.Ct. 1416, 1418, 89 L.Ed. 2013, 2022-23. The court is to determine whether there are issues to be tried; it is not to try disputed issues on the affidavits. Jaroslawicz v. Seedman, 2 Cir.1975, 528 F.2d 727, 731. The burden is on the moving party to establish the absence of any genuine issues of material fact. Rose v. Bridgeport Brass Co., 7 Cir.1973, 487 F.2d 804, 808.
29
The defendant argues on appeal that the plaintiff did not meet this burden to establish the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Specifically, Kirsch alleges that there was an issue of fact as to whether he solicited materials in the name of Brown University, as to whether he had been authorized by Brown University to make such solicitations, and whether the defendant kept the material for his own use. The statement asserted defensively as true need not be "true in every particular"; all that is required is that the statement be "substantially true". Lathan v. Journal Co., Wisc.1966, 30 Wis.2d 146, 140 N.W.2d 417, 423 (citing Meiur v. Meurer, Wis.1959, 8 Wis.2d 24, 29, 98 N.W.2d 411). Based on the factual propositions set forth in the district court opinion--none of which is clearly erroneous--the trial court is correct in holding that "as of the time of the advertisement, [Kirsch] had solicited materials in the name of Brown University when he had not been authorized to do so, and had kept such materials for his own use." Brown University has therefore presented a complete defense to the libel claim as a matter of law.
III. CONCLUSION
30
The district court did not err in establishing the outer bounds of reasonable inferences from the Notice to Bookmen. Nor was there any genuine issue of material fact with respect to summary judgment. We have examined Kirsch's other claims, including his allegation that the district court applied an improper legal standard in determining summary judgment, and find them without merit. The order of the district court is accordingly affirmed.
*
The Honorable John Minor Wisdom, Senior Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, is sitting by designation
1
The original claim was Brown University's action for replevin. The district court entered judgment for Brown on its original complaint. Only Kirsch's counterclaim for libel presents issues on this appeal
2
On December 4, 1969, David A. Jonah, the director of libraries at Brown, wrote Kirsch for the materials from Mr. Talman:
"I have recently learned through a letter received at the Library inquiring about Lovecraft material that Wilfred Talman of Upper Saddle, New Jersey had given you the letters which Lovecraft had written to him, with the understanding that they were to be passed on to Brown. To date we have not received them and Mr. Talman is wondering why we have not acknowledged their receipt.
"Would you kindly forward these to me at your earliest convenience so that I may write to Mr. Talman and tell him that the letters are now at Brown. I did not wish to write to him that you have not turned them over to the Library.
"May I please have a prompt response."
3
There is no allegation here that Kirsch took these materials in the name of Brown
4
In so holding, the judge apparently determined that although some people reading the Notice may conclude that the defendant was a thief who should be arrested on sight, this was not a reasonable inference or innuendo
The district court held:
"The jury would make its choice between or among the alternative perimeters, and would then proceed to answer whether, within that perimeter, substantial truth was uttered.
"However, this perimeter-setting, like all jury functions, must be performed within the bounds of reason, and it is the judge who must determine those bounds. There are many cases, of course, in which, until the judge has heard the evidence, she or he is not equipped to circumscribe the jury's role in terms of reasonableness. But when the question is to determine the limits of reasonableness in the effect to be given the words of a document, such as the advertisement in the present case, the judge is as well equipped sooner as later to determine the limits of reasonableness. There are many exceptions to this, when the interpretation of the words of a document can be informed and facilitated by evidence of its setting, such as the use of scientific or commercial terms, but this is not one of them. The Lovecraft materials apparently addressed the occult, but there is nothing exotic about the language of the advertisement in question.
"I hold that the broadest, yet reasonable capability [sic] of defamatory meaning, and the most extended, yet reasonable perimeter of implication of the advertisement is: that defendant had solicited materials in the name of Brown University when he had not been authorized by Brown University to do so, and that he kept such material for his own use."

Lovecraft's Personal Life (Esoteric Order of Dagon)

Above is a reproduction of a hand drawn map by Lovecraft's hand. -CP.

The seller of this item states: HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT & SEX OR:THE SEX LIFE OF A GENTLEMAN THE OUTSIDER edited by R. Alain Everts

This eight-page paper was prepared for the 2nd mailing of that group of HPL acolytes that call themselves "The Esoteric Order of Dagon" or simply "EOD". Despite some personal rants & raves (isn't that what Fandom is for!?) the editor did indeed present a most noteworthy mailing for the "EOD" here. The two-page headlines discussed by the editor with Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis during his visits with her, do open a window into HPL's most private life .
I won't spill any of the beans but suffice to say that you will be - if not surprised, at least more informed! In addition the cover depicts HPL's own drawing of his beloved "Providence" and there is another reproduction of HPL's holograph in a letter printed to an amateur regarding voting for the Amateurs, circa 1916.

William Hope Hodgson is present with poetry and a rebuttal of Sam Moskowitz's biographical facts about WHH's life by editor Everts. Additionally there is poetry by another of the California Romantics & a contemporary of Clark Ashton Smith, Nora May French, who took her own life at age twenty-six. A scant eight-page publication but loaded with many many more pages of relevance!

The seller estimates the production of this circular: "does twenty-five copies sound about right for this early paper?"

Winifred Virginia Jackson

I have other blog entries on the controversial relationship of HPL to WVJ. But look at that picture. Could Helen of Troy be any more beautiful?

The seller states: WINIFRED VIRGINIA JACKSON - LOVECRAFT's LOST ROMANCEBy George T. Wetzel & R. Alain EvertsOne of the necessities & beauties of "fandom" publications is printing speculations such as this! Coincidental sharing of seemingly random information can lead to serious literary sleuthing! Taking the lead from the late HPL pioneer George T. Wetzel, Alain Everts dug even deeper and assembled a very convincing argument that, if HPL was not romantically involved with the lovely Ms. Jackson, he was certainly enamored with her! A fascinating woman in her own right, HPL was interested enough and thought highly enough of her writing to collaborate with her on two of her tales - "The Crawling Chaos" and "The Green Meadow" both published under her pseudonym of Elizabeth Berkeley. HPL also wrote a glowing four-page article on her poetry published in "The United Amateur", March, 1921 under the title - "Winifred Virginia Jackson: A 'different' poetess", which is reproduced herein. Photographs of Jackson are reproduced evidencing her beauty even into her 40's, along with a photograph of HPL AND A PHOTO TAKEN BY HPL!I believe this sixteen-page paper was prepared for a mailing of "The Esoteric Order of Dagon"A fine paper indeed.

Lovecraft's Legacy: 1974

Nyctalops, Vol. 2, No. 2 (#9) July 1974

Front Cover by Dennis Tiani
The Four Faces of The Outsider by Dirk Mosig
In Search of Yig by John Koblas
The Horror Film Yith by Walter DeBill, Jr,
Howard Phillips Lovecraft and Sex by R. Alain Everts
Artfolio by Hermut Weske
Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Photographs by R. Alain Everts
H. P. Lovecraft: The Early Years (Part 2) by Kenneth Faig, Jr.

Priced at $9.50

Rare Etchings and Odysseys: Lovecraft's Legacy from 1987

1987 Etchings & Odysseys #10.

Includes (see comments for the full text of Table of Contents)

A Song of the Werewolf Folk Robert E. Howard pm
Clark Ashton Smith: Emperor of Dreams
Ashtoroth Armas T. Salminen
Great Cthulhu Armas T. Salminen
Destiny [2] Brian Lumley
The Spectacles in the Drawer Thomas Ligotti
Lord Dunsany and Lovecraft R. Alain Everts

Lovecraft Centennial Issue: Fantasy Commentator

FANTASY COMMENTATOR, (ed. A. Langley Searles): Fantasy Commentator: Lovecraft Centennial Issue (Whole number #41).. 1990 (Fall). First edition. Oversize wrappers. Small-press magazine: "articles, verse and regular features": 76 pages. (#20053) VG copy with stained front cover and a little soiled rear cover (internally clean and unmarked).

Contents are stated to be:

4- 9 • Death of a Gentleman: Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s Last Days • R. Alain Everts • nf
9 • Deception • Steve Eng • pm
10-11 • A Sheaf of Sonnets by Contemporaries of Howard Lovecraft
10 • Mad Dreams (for H.P. Lovecraft) • Richard Ely Morse • pm The Phantagraph Oct ’36
10 • The Tavern • Robert E. Howard • pm Singers in the Shadows, Robert E. Howard, Donald M. Grant, 1970
11 • Atavism • Elinor Wylie • pm Nets to Catch the Wind, 1921
11 • White Death • Clark Ashton Smith • pm The Star-Treader and Other Poems, A.M. Robertson, 1912
11 • Galaxies • Stanton A. Coblentz • pm The Mountain of the Sleeping Maiden, 1946
12-30 • Bernarr MacFadden and His Obsession with Science-Fiction: Part Five— “Ghost Stories” Magazine • Sam Moskowitz • nf
30 • The Skater of Ghost Lake • William Rose Benét • pm The Forum Nov ’25; “edited for republication by Lee Becker.”
31-34 • Lovecraft’s Two Views of Arkham • Edward W. O’Brien, Jr. • nf
34-41 • Book Reviews
34-36 • The Supernatural Tales of Fitz-James O’Brien • Sam Moskowitz • br
36-37 • Rama II, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee • James A. Lee • br
37-38 • Lord of the Hollow Dark, by Russell Kirk • Edward W. O’Brien, Jr. • br
38-39 • Sixty Selected Poems, by Joseph Payne Brennan • H. R. Felgenhauer • br
39-41 • The Parents of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, by Kenneth W. Faig Jr. • A. Langley Searles • br
41-48 • Father Images in Lovecraft’s ’Hypnos’ • John McInnis • nf
48 • “Lovely, Dark, and Deep” • Lee Becker • pm
49-55, 48 • Sons of Super-Science • Mike Ashley • nf; noted as “slightly abbreviated chapter” from his forthcoming book on Gernsback; article continues from p.55 to p.48.
56-65 • The Lovecraft Centennial Celebration • Sam Moskowitz • nf
65-67 • Lovecraft Psychoanalyzed • Wilfred B. Talman • nf; ms. of this supplied by R.A. Everts.
68-72, 67 • Voyagers Through Eternity: A History of Science Fiction from the Beginnings to H.G. Wells; Part VI • Sam Moskowitz • nf; mostly on Verne’s Moon stories; concludes on p.67.
72-74 • Open House: Letters from Readers
72-73 • letter • Sam Moskowitz • lt; long letter on life and recent death of Don Wandrei.
74 • letter • David A. Drake • lt
74 • letter • John Francis Haines • lt
74 • letter • Tom Cockcroft • lt
74 • Beyond the Role Reversal Sector • Steve Sneyd • pm
74 • Under the Fluorescent Moon • R. L. Boas • pm
74 • Illumination • John Francis Haines • pm

Lovecraftiana: Winifred Virginia Jordan, Part III.

Howard Lovecraft was quite a dandy and apparently his company was sought after by the ladies in amateur journalism. If you are writer, you probably belong to an on-line writer circle. I belong to zoetrope, the Horror Library, and a few others. Back in the day, things were done by USPS (long delays in getting reviews back), telephone (very expensive), and get-togethers. The gatherings were events, but as a true Edwardian, Lovecraft was genteel and quite an antiquarian poseur. His carefully worded exposition of one event showed that the ladies were quite taken by him – if one reads between the lines.

In the August 31, 1921 letter to the Gallomo, he reveals, “Later there arrived … the Aonian W. V. J. {Virginia Jackson}. Having an interesting tiff with Mrs. Miniter in cattishly civil dialogue whose iciness was delectably veiled with politeness… Mrs. Miniter decided to introduce fiction into her account of the meeting, and has been telling the world that ‘W.J.V. did not speak to me for over an hour after she arrived’. Hell, how the cats fight! But I am outside it all – a cosmic being apart, as ‘tewer. Although I am of course on the … Jackson side in any real warfare {there were factions in the amateur movement}, I shall be civil to Mrs. Miniter as long as she is civil to me, despite the view of W.V.J. … that I ought to observe a more marked coolness as a mark of United loyalty. No mere poet can tell me anything about loyalty… Mrs. Miniter invited me to stay over at 20 Webster {an address – maybe hers}, but I was wretchedly tired and decided to omit the signal…” [1]

Joshi [2] relates that George T. Wetzel and R. Alain Everts report that it was widely known in the amateur circles that Virginia and Howard were an item and romantically linked. There is said to be a photograph of them at a Massachusetts beach.

Then, a third ‘girl’ enters the letter’s conversation. “Am now notified that I must act as host next Saturday .. when there will descend upon Providence no less a whirlwind than … Mrs. Sonia H. Greene … what can one do to entertain such a human dynamo … “
[1]

Lovecraft’s language tends to shift to colloquial jazz age when he is trying to be cute and cagey to impress the reader. He also introduces a dodge, but the truth seems to be that he enjoys being sought after. “Galba {i.e. Galpin} yuh’d orta hear what she {Sonia} says about you in her latest 12 pages! If your ma don’t watch out, she’ll kidnap yuh!” [1]





1. H.P.Lovecraft: Letters to Alfred Galpin, Joshi & Schultz, pp. 95-104.
2. Joshi in the Jackson entry in H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia.