May 25, 2020
In the sometimes uncomfortable finale of our three-part letter to J. Vernon Shea, HPL opines on weightier topics, including the looming forces of war and peace, and issues of justice (social and otherwise) surrounding the famed Scottsboro Boys trial. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains numerous bleeps and some awkward conversation. Not recommended for those uncomfortable with discussing racism.
HPL mentions Lincoln Steffens in this letter, a famous liberal muckraking journalist who wrote about the corruption of politics in Rhode Island, St. Louis, and other places. If you want to hear more about corrupt Providence politics, we recommend the podcast Crimetown.
The "nice little Jew" HPL mentions at the very end of the letter was Julius Schwartz, who would go on to become a prominent editor of famous titles at DC comics, including both Superman and Batman. Schwartz commissioned the collaborative story "The Challenge from Beyond", jointly written by Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Frank Belknap Long, Abraham Merritt and C.L. Moore in 1935.
You can get a copy of The Lady Who Came to Stay from our friends at Hippocampus Press. We did!