voluminous banner

In addition to his classics of horror fiction, it is estimated that Lovecraft wrote 100,000 letters — or roughly 15 every day of his adult life — ranging from one-page diaries to seventy-page diatribes. Perhaps 20,000 of those letters have survived, in the hands of private collectors and at the John Hay Library in Providence.

In each episode of this podcast, we'll read one of these letters (or part of it) and then discuss it. In his letters HPL reveals an amazing breadth of knowledge of philosophy, science, history, literature, art and many other subjects, and forcefully asserts some highly considered opinions (some of which can be upsetting).

And of course his letters offer a fascinating window into his personal life and times. Although we've been working with Lovecraftian material for over 30 years, we still find interesting new things in his letters, and while we don't claim to be experts we look forward to sharing them with a wider audience.

Subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get podcasts! Or listen right here!

RSS Feed

  • Episode 40
  • Posted July 26, 2020

I Genuflect, I Grovel

In which HPL writes to Wilfred Talman, abjectly apologizing for miscommunication regarding the idea of HPL writing a novel. This letter from late in Lovecraft's life is revealing about both his work and his concerns for his young friend's reputation.

Music by Troy Sterling Nies. Our thanks to Hippocampus Press for their book Letters to Wilfred B. Talman and Helen V. and Genevieve Sully.

Noh MaskBookplateNoh theatre makes extensive use of masks, and here's a wonderful example. This mask shows a different facial expression depending on the angle at which it is seen! Learn all about Noh theatre!

At right is the bookplate that Wilfred Talman designed for HPL.