Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 31 minutes ago
Recently I learned that H.P. Lovecraft had undergone a surprising and dramatic political transformation in the final years of his brief life. I wanted to read a few of Lovecraft's letters and discuss his views on capitalism, socialism, and the influence of the profit motive on artistic expression. (In the middle part of this episode, I also indulge in a bit of culture war stuff, so consider yourself warned.) In these letters from the last several years of his life, his notorious racism seems to fade, and he explicitly rejects the reactionary political ideology he held prior to 1931. He ruthlessly critiques capitalism, speaks glowingly of Marx, and warns us that our only options are socialism or barbarism. Anyone familiar with the author knows how out of kilter this feels compared to the absurdly reactionary person who most of us know as Lovecraft.
First episode on Lovecraft youtu.be/t2DPGROfCsQ
@waldenpod twitter.com/waldenpod
Lovecraft Letters:
1937, Catherine Moore github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/blob/master/19370207-Catherine-L-Moore.md
1936 Arthur Sechrist github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/commit/b7a7248e4bcc8fadc4164ef6ed347d3e8aa11006
1934, Helen Barlow github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/commit/5188e8dc2fde4551b84108276e096a95054677d6
Lovecraft Audiobooks:
Dagon youtube.com/watch?v=ncTdn6Aakxo&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=1&t=2s
The Call of Cthulhu youtube.com/watch?v=XM9Z39D1yyI&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=17&t=159s
At the Mountains of Madness youtube.com/watch?v=e2iSmE129uQ&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=14
The Shadow Over Innsmouth youtube.com/watch?v=gviofDcypzE&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=12&t=495s
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:53 Flawed Characters, Real and Fictional
09:30 Letter to Catherine Moore (1937)
13:00 Letter to Helen Barlow (1934)
15:32 Letter to Arthur Sechrist (1936)
17:23 Art & the Profit Motive
19:52 The Shadow youtu.be/pXSBiGoVr7g?t=874
Transcript & References emersongreenblog.wordpress.com/2021/10/18/h-p-lovecrafts-1931-radical-political-transformation
Recently I learned that H.P. Lovecraft had undergone a surprising and dramatic political transformation in the final years of his brief life. I wanted to read a few of Lovecraft's letters and discuss his views on capitalism, socialism, and the influence of the profit motive on artistic expression. (In the middle part of this episode, I also indulge in a bit of culture war stuff, so consider yourself warned.) In these letters from the last several years of his life, his notorious racism seems to fade, and he explicitly rejects the reactionary political ideology he held prior to 1931. He ruthlessly critiques capitalism, speaks glowingly of Marx, and warns us that our only options are socialism or barbarism. Anyone familiar with the author knows how out of kilter this feels compared to the absurdly reactionary person who most of us know as Lovecraft.
First episode on Lovecraft youtu.be/t2DPGROfCsQ
@waldenpod twitter.com/waldenpod
Lovecraft Letters:
1937, Catherine Moore github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/blob/master/19370207-Catherine-L-Moore.md
1936 Arthur Sechrist github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/commit/b7a7248e4bcc8fadc4164ef6ed347d3e8aa11006
1934, Helen Barlow github.com/punchmonster/Lovecraft-Letters/commit/5188e8dc2fde4551b84108276e096a95054677d6
Lovecraft Audiobooks:
Dagon youtube.com/watch?v=ncTdn6Aakxo&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=1&t=2s
The Call of Cthulhu youtube.com/watch?v=XM9Z39D1yyI&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=17&t=159s
At the Mountains of Madness youtube.com/watch?v=e2iSmE129uQ&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=14
The Shadow Over Innsmouth youtube.com/watch?v=gviofDcypzE&list=PLG8klsjxFY-P3ITpqoMqvTyRDd7qg7RVK&index=12&t=495s
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:53 Flawed Characters, Real and Fictional
09:30 Letter to Catherine Moore (1937)
13:00 Letter to Helen Barlow (1934)
15:32 Letter to Arthur Sechrist (1936)
17:23 Art & the Profit Motive
19:52 The Shadow youtu.be/pXSBiGoVr7g?t=874
Transcript & References emersongreenblog.wordpress.com/2021/10/18/h-p-lovecrafts-1931-radical-political-transformation
