Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and and Clark Ashton Smith,
1922-1931, Volumes 1 and 2 (Hippocampus Press, July 14, 2020). Cover art by David C. Verba

I’ve been reading Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, a two-volume set edited by David E. Schultz and S.T. Joshi. I talked about this in my company newsletter sent out a short while ago, and I’ll repeat it here for the interested.

Lovecraft paid great deference to Smith on their initial contact, but they soon became fast friends, with fun nicknames for one another. Lovecraft recognized genius when he saw it.

This is what he wrote to Smith:

My dear Mr. Smith:–

I trust you will pardon the liberty taken by an absolute stranger in writing you, for I cannot refrain from expressing the appreciation aroused in me by your drawings and poetry, as shown me by my friend, Mr. Samuel Loveman, whom I am now visiting in Cleveland. Your book, containing matter only chronologically classified as juvenilia, impresses me as a work of the most distinguished genius; and makes me anxious to see the new volume from which I understand is in preparation.

Of the drawings and water-colours I lack a vocabulary adequate to express my enthusiastic admiration. What a world of opiate phantasy and horror is here unveiled, and what an unique power and perspective must lie behind it! I speak with especial sincerity and enthusiasm, because my own especial tastes centre almost wholly around the grotesque and arabesque. I have never succeeded in evoking even a fraction of the stark hideousness conveyed by any one of your ghoulishly potent designs.

I should deem it a great honour to hear from you if you have the leisure and inclination to address an obscurity, and to learn where I may behold other poems by the hand which created such works as “Nero,” “The Star-Treader,” and the exquisite sonnets which companion them. That I have not work of even approximately equal genius to exhibit reciprocation, is the fault of my own mediocre ability and not of my inclination.

Apologizing for this intrusion upon your time, and again expressing the appreciation which every renewed glimpse of your work increases, I beg the honour to remain

Yr most obedient Servt.

H P Lovecraft

Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill is available from Hippocampus Press. Both volumes were published on July 14, 2020. Volume 1 is 402 pages, priced at $29.50; Volume 2 is 406 pages, priced at $30. Both volumes have covers by David C. Verba.

Order directly from Hippocampus Press.

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Jeffrey P. Talanian’s last article for Black Gate was a look at The Mad Wizards at Planet X Games. He is the creator and publisher of the Hyperborea sword-and-sorcery and weird science-fantasy RPG from North Wind Adventures. He was the co-author, with E. Gary Gygax, of the Castle Zagyg releases, including several Yggsburgh city supplements, Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer, and Castle Zagyg: The Upper Works. Read Gabe Gybing’s interview with Jeffrey here, and follow his latest projects on Facebook and at www.hyperborea.tv.