5 ms·

Interesting article. As someone he would have likely considered a "beast of semi-human nature" myself, I'm admittedly biased against Lovecraft. At any rate I f

Interesting article. As someone he would have likely considered a "beast of semi-human nature" myself, I'm admittedly biased against Lovecraft. At any rate I found it interesting that the New Yorker didn't squeeze in a throwaway mention of this awful aspect of Lovecraft's personality, given the sympathy it evokes for the member of another oppressed class (homosexuals): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft#Race.2C_ethnicity.2C_and_class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft#Race.2C_ethnic... Although actually now having read through it more carefully, it's really an article about Barlow, and I can see how delving into Lovecraft's despicable attitudes would just be a distraction. EDIT: Actually, they did squeeze in exactly said throwaway mention I would have expected, so my original observation was just plain wrong. Thanks ffm for the correction.

ffn 10y ago
The article actually does actually mention something along the lines of "Lovecraft's literary legacy is threatened in the 50s by his rumored homosexuality and today by his latent racist attitudes". But yes, you're absolutely right, an article about a man's tragic life really has no place in loudly screaming that one of his early influences was racist.
- rrdharan 10y ago
  Shows how carefully I was reading it. Thanks for the correction.
  - returnbuyer 10y ago
    Constantly looking to get triggered.
    - sctb 10y ago
      Please don't be rude like this to other users.
      - returnbuyer 10y ago
        It's a good self realization to have.
yummyfajitas 10y ago
Should every article about people from historical eras discuss the fact that they held views which were extremely common then, but are uncommon now? For example, should every article about Lincoln mention his opposition to miscegenation, his views on blacks being unsuitable as voters and jurors (and generally inferior) and his desire for them to emigrate? Should every article about any particular Roman mention their lack of opposition to gladiatorial combat and crucifixion?
- mynameishere 10y ago
  Well, if the elite consensus view of Lincoln changes, you can be sure they will mention all that and more. (Did you know he was a shameless shill lawyer for railroad interests?)
- aomurphy 10y ago
  Lovecraft's racism was significantly more extreme than for his time. He constantly called New York "Jew York", even while married to a Jew. He was a complicated fellow, but explicitly wished not to be a product of his time, but an imagined better era (Specifically he calls out the time of Queen Anne in one of his letters0.
  - yummyfajitas 10y ago
    Lovecraft (who lived from 1890 to 1937) was far from extreme, and did not favor much beyond a degree of cultural (and possibly genetic) protectionism. The goal was to preserve the unique beauty of each culture including many cultures besides his own (he was quite fond of Japan). He strongly criticized Hitler, who he called a clown and who's policies he called barbaric. His main critique of the Jews was their cultural influence: "Aryans ought not to leave their guidance and interpretation to persons of an irreconcilable Semitic culture,...If the Jews had a nation of their own (and they would if they had our guts and self-respect) I’d be the first to insist that it be kept free of Aryan influences. As it is, I honestly regret the Aryan taint (any infusion is a taint if it’s where it doesn’t belong) in the noble and ancient culture of Japan." (Quote from here: https://chuckhoffman.blogspot.in/2016/03/making-excuses-for-lovecrafts-racism.html https://chuckhoffman.blogspot.in/2016/03/making-excuses-for-... ) Even today many folks hold similar views: think of SF nimbys and other left wing activists who are critical of the cultural influences of tech bros and gentrifiers. He also thought blacks were fundamentally inferior; are you going to characterize this as somehow uncommon in the 1890-1937 era?

ffn 10y ago

The article actually does actually mention something along the lines of "Lovecraft's literary legacy is threatened in the 50s by his rumored homosexuality and today by his latent racist attitudes". But yes, you're absolutely right, an article about a man's tragic life really has no place in loudly screaming that one of his early influences was racist.

rrdharan 10y ago
Shows how carefully I was reading it. Thanks for the correction.
- returnbuyer 10y ago
  Constantly looking to get triggered.
  - sctb 10y ago
    Please don't be rude like this to other users.
    - returnbuyer 10y ago
      It's a good self realization to have.

yummyfajitas 10y ago

Should every article about people from historical eras discuss the fact that they held views which were extremely common then, but are uncommon now? For example, should every article about Lincoln mention his opposition to miscegenation, his views on blacks being unsuitable as voters and jurors (and generally inferior) and his desire for them to emigrate? Should every article about any particular Roman mention their lack of opposition to gladiatorial combat and crucifixion?

mynameishere 10y ago
Well, if the elite consensus view of Lincoln changes, you can be sure they will mention all that and more. (Did you know he was a shameless shill lawyer for railroad interests?)
aomurphy 10y ago
Lovecraft's racism was significantly more extreme than for his time. He constantly called New York "Jew York", even while married to a Jew. He was a complicated fellow, but explicitly wished not to be a product of his time, but an imagined better era (Specifically he calls out the time of Queen Anne in one of his letters0.
- yummyfajitas 10y ago
  Lovecraft (who lived from 1890 to 1937) was far from extreme, and did not favor much beyond a degree of cultural (and possibly genetic) protectionism. The goal was to preserve the unique beauty of each culture including many cultures besides his own (he was quite fond of Japan). He strongly criticized Hitler, who he called a clown and who's policies he called barbaric. His main critique of the Jews was their cultural influence: "Aryans ought not to leave their guidance and interpretation to persons of an irreconcilable Semitic culture,...If the Jews had a nation of their own (and they would if they had our guts and self-respect) I’d be the first to insist that it be kept free of Aryan influences. As it is, I honestly regret the Aryan taint (any infusion is a taint if it’s where it doesn’t belong) in the noble and ancient culture of Japan." (Quote from here: https://chuckhoffman.blogspot.in/2016/03/making-excuses-for-lovecrafts-racism.html https://chuckhoffman.blogspot.in/2016/03/making-excuses-for-... ) Even today many folks hold similar views: think of SF nimbys and other left wing activists who are critical of the cultural influences of tech bros and gentrifiers. He also thought blacks were fundamentally inferior; are you going to characterize this as somehow uncommon in the 1890-1937 era?