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Home , Arkham, Arkham House, August Derleth, Basil Copper, Lonesome Places, Memory (H. P. Lovecraft)

August This space -will contain the Society’s logo when it is available Derleth

Society VOL.l NO. 2 OH

AUGUST DERIE TH: A GIANT REMEMBERED

by

It began in the late twenties and early impossible to make judgement now at this thirties when I, a very young schoolboy, seemingly vest distance in time - the first beceme aware of the harsh, pungent covers of . aroma of American pulp-fiction. These publications have long since disappeared Amazing to recall that they were available from British bookstalls, but I can close to every comer then at the counter of my my eyes and smell them now, plunge again particular Woolworths in Kent for an in­ in into the already yellowing credible threepence apiece and I had pages. dozens of them in my pulp fiction collec­ For the American had in­ tion. All gone with the wind, alas, and vaded Britain in a big way and the gaudy not one single copy remains to romanticise yellow, purple and scarlet covers were my shelves. stacked carelessly in large mounds in Woolworths and in racks at railway book­ At about the same time I began desultorily stalls. The cowboy and gangster maga­ collecting the famous Not at Night series zines, notably Black Mask, which con­ of horror stories, edited by Christine tained the early short stories of Campbell Thomson and published by Selwyn Chandler, interested me not at all. and Blount at the amazingly low price of two shillings. They had first appeared My mind had already been entrapped by in 1925 but it was not until much later the fantastic, the macabre and the ter­ that I discovered them, probably around rible, and along with the imaginings of 1935 when their price had not risen by such writers as Wells, Bierce and as much as a penny. Blackwood, I was immediately taken by the statuesque nudes and Laocoon-like If I remembered correctly there were writhings of squamous, blasphemous crea­ twenty volumes in the original series, tures from the lower depths which en­ they sold in stupefying quantities - livened or perhaps disfigured - it is tens of thousands - and these volumes, Years passed but the name of August together with the Weird Tales editions, Derleth continued to emerge in a variety first introduced me to some writers who of spheres; as editor; as anthologist; were later to make giant reputations. as the chamnion of Lovecraft. I also Strangely enough, I recall only a few became enamoured of an excellent writer titles from this period. One Weird Tales of ghost stories, whose delicate-hued opus was FORCES MUST BALANCE by someone narratives had something in them of called Ed Earl Repp, though the story and itself sounds more like science-fiction (whom I knew and met many times as a than the macabre. journalist).

For by now the macabre had taken firm The ghost tales were written by a man hold and I devoured every book, classic named Stephen Grendon and again it was or otherwise, that I could get hold of a long time before I learned that and between the ages of ten and eighteen. were the same person. I Slowly, favourites began to emerge; I discovered House in the first two remember once, at about the age of twelve, or three years of the war when rare being terrified by a story in Weird Tales copies found their wey to British shores; which concerned a thing which was disem­ and when serving aboard a motor torpedo bowelling sheep on a lonely hillside. boat engaged in fighting German E-boats in the Channel during some of the most I rediscovered the piece, graced by good bitter winters of the war, I found off- paper, decent type and between hard-covere duty consolation in the philosophy of many years later; it could only have been Thoreau, and his remembered tranquility H.P. Lovecraft's celebrated THE of Pond. HORROR which chronicled the terrible ad­ ventures of the immortal Wilbur again, there was a connection Whateley. Names were emerging with Derleth; for I discovered now, both in the pages of Weird he was an essayist, a fine nature Tales and in the Not as Night writer, a biographer of Thoreau series. and he himself had often walked the shores of Walden Pond. Peace One of them had written some sto­ came, more years went by but ries which took my fancy. Togeth­ still Derleth was a name in the er with Lovecraft, Henry S. White­ background and gradually he began head, Hazel Heald (I did not then to permeate my consciousness in know of Lovecraft's ghost-writing) many different fields. and a handful of others, he became my favourite. Remember, that in the I pursued a career in journalism, thirties and even the fourties, good became a newspaper editor, collected macabre writers were few and far between books, travelled and amassed a collection and their work had to be sought in the of historic films. When I was struggling pages of the anthologies that were issued to establish myself as a professional sparsely and at long intervals over the writer of novels, non-fiction studies and years, or in the occasional single-writer macabre stories nearly two decades ago collections. All in hardback, for there his name again came before me on the were few paperbacks then. fly-leaf of a book. He was an author and a publisher, was he not? But it was Some titles remained in the mind, began not until some time later that, on im­ to reappear as anthologies became more pulse, I wrote to him. frequent. A particular favourite was PRINCE BORGIA'S MASS. Another was THE He replied in most cordial terms, asking TENANT. A third THE EXTRA PASSENGER. to see my work. Some of my tales had Their author was a man named August already seen publication in Pan Books Derleth. »nd I was astonished to learn that he had already heard of me. His encour­ In the pulp magazines, sandwiched among agement, long and enjoyable letters and advertisements for trusses and cures for his patronage when he offered to publish acne, it was difficult to take even the my first American hardback under the best macabre fiction seriously. Given imprint of his famous , the dignity of hard-covers and graceful formed one of the warmest and most de­ tyoe these writers began to emerge as lightful strands of my writing life. serious literary figures, even intte small, specialised niche they had chosen. Unfortunate indeed that our correspondence I had only recently received a letter was to last only five or six years, for from him in hospital one beautiful summer his chats on paper, in which he was in­ morning in 1971 and was reading it et credibly frank about his financial and breakfast when I was called to the phone other difficulities, were a constant at 8.30 a.m. It was my old friend example to me of honesty and courage in Richard Davis and the news he imparted the face of great odds which bolstered was like a physical blow. Certainly the my own resolution in times of discourage­ small literary world which embraces the ment and financial difficulty«, macabre and the fantastic was shaken to its foundations. Yet not one English I have already paid public tribute to daily or evening newspaper saw fit to August on both sides of the Atlantic in chronicle his death. my own non-fiction studies, so I would prefer to paint a more intimate picture Like Lovecraft he passed almost unnoticed of a good-humoured, generous and loveable except for the gigantic ripples in the human being in these random recollections. small, rather esoteric world he had chosen I am on record as spying he was a Renais­ to make his own. So celebrated a writer sance men. This was literally true and as had once in public pro­ his huge appetite for literature and claimed a great future for the young life kept him at his desk under an in­ Wisconsin writer; perhaps he did August credible work-load that would have con­ a disservice, for ever after he drew on sumed lesser men, for decade after decade. the quotation and basked in the kudos it had brought him. A great deal of his work was slipshod and careless, of course; what of that? He Understandable, perhaps, yet the rainbow wrote too much, turning out nearly 200 he sought somehow always eluded him; books as well as thousands of pieces of year after year he toiled on, sometimes journalism. Agreed. But at his best he working against mountainous debts, sup­ could write beautifully, and much of his porting his family of two small children work will last. Surely his ghost story and his aged mother; his heme; the pub­ MR GEORGE is one of the finest things of lishing house he had founded; and still its kind in the language. finding himself able to make the generous gestures toward friends and struggling He was in turn poet, essayist, pasticheur writers who would perhaps never have of in his famous SOLAR found publication at all except within PONS series; broadcaster; Hollywood the covers of The Arkham Sampler, the script-writer; journalist; newspaper small magazine issued as a corollary to columnist; macabre writer, both in the the Arkham House imprint. novel and the shorter form; champion of Lovecraft; publisher and founder of the Yet he was not a tragic figure; he enor­ world's finest macabre imprint, ARKHAM mously enjoyed his life and the literary HOUSE; regional novelist with massive acclaim he found inside and outside his historical sagas like WIND OVER WISCONSIN; home state, and by any standards his was book column editor; anthologist; nature a gigantic achievement in so many fields. writer; great walker and tireless collec­ Better, perhaps, to have specialized more; tor of comic strips, of which he had to have written less; and published fewer possibly the world's largest collection; poor writers. Yet he could not have done collector of morels, a delicacy in the other than he did; for he was August mushroom line in his search for which he Derleth, a proud, generous, kindly man, tramped miles through his beloved whom I shall always be geld to have known, Wisconsin woods. even through the medium of the many lengthy and sometimes hilarious letters He was humorous; incredibly generous, we exchanged. often paying one for work which would not see print for literally years. He It was true, though, that August did care was the last of the all-round litterateurs; about the neglect of his more serious the complete man of letters, as he often work as an important regional novelist proclaimed himself. He had a huge zest and he greatly regretted, as he often for life; loved wisely and unwisely; was told me, that such books as EVENING IN himself greatly loved. A man of enormous SPRING, RESTLESS IS THE RIVER and SHIELD physique and enormous appetite, both for OFTHE VALIANT had never been published food and the good things of this life, in England or Europe. Ironically, though, his fell was like that of a giant oak. this will probably prove to be only a matter of time. His stories have been widely Again, a wistful note is struck a little paperbacked in America and in addition later, in August, 19&7, "it is gratifying to the two“Volume hardback edition being to know that my paperbacks are well dis­ issued by Arkham House —(I little thought played and selling well over there. But in 1935 as a small child that lj.0 years I confess I would be more gratified at later I would spend some eight months publication of such a book as WALDEN editing and revising the entire Canon for WEST, which is a considerably more solid Arkham) — plans are now afoot to publish creative achievement." the tales in England. On a writer "drying up". "But dry periods I have myself so far written some four come to us all, really. I know many volumes of Solar Pons storiesa following writers, old and young, and these periods August's original model9 and this has are as natural as anything in a creative been one of the most pleasing tributes individual^ life. They are difficult for I could have paid to his memory and to one-type writers, but of little moment the long and fruitful collaboration I in tthe case of a more versatile writer. have enjoyed with Arkham and its Editor, They've never really troubled me, and I James Turner. mention the instance in 'Lovecraft as Mentor' solely because it was so v. Volumes of anthologies edited or presented unusual in my experience. It is less so by August are now in print on a world now, of course, since I've lived a much scale; in hardback from such distinguished longer time — 30 years longer, to be English publishers as Gollencz; and in exact." paperback from such diverse imprints as New English Library, Panther and Mayflower. On the macabre, "I suppose it is inevitable His reputation can only increase and ap­ that I should be identified primarily as preciate as the years bo by while Arkham writer in the domain of the macabre, though House itself in its prosperous and steady only p. quarter of my work (including detec­ continuance is a living memorial to his tive fiction) could be so classified, and courage and his life-work. I look upon that writing as rather an entertainment.«," Let me end by selecting a few typical • extracts from his letters — (end I hope On publishing, "I'm putting up a ware­ one day that perhaps Arkhem might issue house this coming year (1969), probably a selection chosen from the thirty-odd in the summer; that will slow up my book years that August was in charge). production a little, but no matter.., I have a jr. novel to do directly I finish In 1967 he wrote, "I am sorry, though, the revision of the biographical memoir that my work in England seems to be — for it is that of HPL, rather than a limited to entertainment" — none of my biography, which I wouldn't undertake serious work has been published over until all the Lovecraft letters have been there, and that is a matter of great brought out"• regret because, for one thing, it is after all my best, and, for another, I've "Yes, of course, I have a master file of always been a profound Anglophile.” the Arkham House books. I suspect there must now be about 100 of them. But ware­ And in the same letter, ”1 suppose that house or not, I do expect to do more MR GEORGE is one of my better tales of selective publishing beginning in a few the macabre. I am also rather fond of years; I publish too many slow-moving MRS MANIFOLD, , A ROOM books, end that leaves me peroetually IN A HOUSE and THE PANELLED ROOM... Like running a hand-to-mouth business, with yourself, I admire the work of Robert just enough money for the bills and none Aickman and Roald Dahl. Dahl is rather with which to enjoy myself; and, since more in a class with John Collier, while I'll turn 60 2/21+ (1969) I do feel I'd Aickman seems to me more in the tradition better set up a savings account, instead of M.R. James and Wakefield.” of just a checking account, so that I won't be caught disastrously short in the On a postcard the same year, ”l've been event of an economic recession of major off teaching for a fortnight and now face proportions, which, in these inflationary all the accumulated mail — and that times,is not an improbability, no matter never comes in small amounts, often how much our respective governments fancy averaging £0 letters a day.” they've hedged against that possibility". *0n moving house, "I should hate to think Before I forget I should add a few more I might have to do it some day - what things to the list of his achievements; with my many thousands of books, to say devoted father and family man; the writ­ nothing of the stock of Arkhsm House - ing of children's books; the filming of yet this latter will have to be moved his works for TV and the cinema; a new this summer when my new warehouse is up, venture, the recording of his own poems, out of the basement and one gable room read by himself; his prolific lecturing of this spacious house, and into the new stint at universities in Wisconsin, where quarters for a more efficient operation. he conducted seminars; walking; dwimming; That is a prospect I view with horror, the writing of detective stories, which esp. since I must...prepare two books included the Judge Peck series; chess; for the printer, teach two weeks, and and the collecting of a library of over then go into hospital early in August 12,000 volumes, with special emphasis on (1969) - my gall bladder must be removed, end the macabre, of course. they tell me". Among his many honours were the award of On his family, "Yes, thank you, the the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1938 and children are well. April Rose will be recognition from a large number of uni­ 15 August 9, end Walden 13 August 22. versities and organisations followed. April already helps with Arkham House, He received the Apostolic Blessing of entering books so that I can pay royal­ Pope John for his Wisconsin Books series ties when they fall due, without delay... in 1959. My major work, -i.e., that I want most to do, must now wait upon my return from In my mind's eye I still see him, a hospital". kindly and gigantic figure, striding along beside the shore of Walden Pond or On his illness, (3rd November, 1969). giving up the whole of May every year, "Yes, my silence has been due to illness. wandering the woods in search of his I am just back from hospital - 87 days beloved morels. And his cheerful saluta­ on my back, operations, pneumonia, tion, at the end of his letters, in which peritonitis, pleuritis, a collapsed and one seemed almost to hear the voice; All punctured lung, hepatitis - well, you best, always. Cordially yours. name it. Had I been a heavy smoker or drinker, I’d have been planted by now; These are cliche's, I know, but true just being neither, and keeping myself in the same. We shall not see his like good condition saved me. One dr. de­ again. He will be missed through the scribed me to another as’a tough old years, not only by me to whom he was a bastard’ which I took as a compliment. friend and an encourager, but by countless For a month my condition was critical, thousands whom he had helped by his gener­ but now I’m back at the old stand - v. osity, his example, his courage and his weak, learning to walk... I face 500 talent. All best, always, August. letters to answer". This article, written especially for the One could go on quoting. Several things August Derleth Society Newsletter by stand out from all this. Great physical Mr. Copper, is copyrighted 1977 by Basil courage; lion-heartedness in adversity; Copper and may not be reproduced without good humour; optimism; generosity and permission of the author. probity in business dealings. Any one of these things would outweigh the debit Illustrations are by Bill Hartwig side of most men. SOURCES The Chronicles Of Solar Pons, Myer oft 5c Moran, 197 3 • * Works of August Derleth mentioned in Mr. This latter work contains "The Copper’s article may be located as follows: Adventure of tthe Unique Dickensians." Short stories of the macabre Awaiting publication: The Solar Pons Omnibus. From Mr. George and Other Odd Persons Arkham House, 1963. * The üolar Pons series has also been "Mr. George," pp. 3-3U. published by pinnacle Books, 275 Madison "Mrs. Manifold," pp. 22$-239. Avenue, N.Y., N.Y. 10016 "The Extra passenger," pp. 152-162. "The Extra Passenger," may also be Book Length Works found in , August Derleth, Editor, Rinehart & Co., N.Y., 191+7. pp. Walden West, Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 59-68. OP N.Y.,“T961T OP _ > Stanton & Lee, Sauk From Lonesome Places, Arkhem House. City, Wise.” * 1962. OP "The Lonesome Place," pp. 3-12. Evening In Spring, Chas. Scribner's "A Room In A House," pp. 68-79. Sons, N.Y., 1W1. OP __ » Stanton & Lee, From , Arkham Sauk”7TityT^isc., «• House, 191+1. ÖP ~ "The Panelled Room," pp. 228-21+1+« Restless Is The River, Chas. Scribner's Sons, N.Y. 1939. From , Arkham ______, Stanton & House, 19l|.8. OP " Lee, SauE City," Wise. * "Prince Borgia’s Mess," pp.? "The Tenant," pp. ? The Shield Of The Valiant, Chas. Not Long For This World was also Scribner' s“Sons, N.Y. 191+5 • publTshecT"by Ballantine Books, N.Y 1961. ______Stanton & Lee, Sauk City, Wise. * The Solar Pons Series OP - Out of Print In RE: Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure: ■» - available of Solar Pons, My croft & Moran, 191+5« OP macabre works and Soler Pons books from Arkham House, Sauk City, Wise. The Memoirs of Solar Pons, Mycroft & 53583. Moran, 1*551. ÖP other works from, Stanton & Lee, Sauk City, Wise., 53583» Three Problems For Solar Pons, Mycroft & ^oran, 195^ ÖP NEW SOCIETY MEMBERS The Return Of Solar Pons, Mycroft & Moran, 1958. OP Robert S. Dennison Patricia C. Anderson James Foster Mrs. Cecil Burleigh The Reminiscences Of Solar Pons, John Martens Mrs.Orilla Blackshear Mycroft & Moran, 1961. OP Lisa Mulcahy William A. Gromko Peter J. Relton Mrs. K.E. Neumann The Casebook Of Solar Pons, Mycroft Malcolm Ferguson Robert K. Searles & Moran, ? OP Steve Misovich Harry 0. Morris Jr, Mr. Fairlieta Final Journey, Mycroft Special mention and apologies to Tom & Moran, 1968. * Collins whose name was accidentally omitted from our first list. Sorry Tom. k Praed Street Dossier, Mycroft & Moran, i960. OP Due to limited publicity of the Society’s existence, all members who join during The Adventure Of The Unique Dickens- our first year (November 1977 to October ians, Mycroft & Moran, ? OP 1978) will be considered as charter members. DIOGENES, SHELVE YOUR LANTERN'. TAVERN BILL t>y That August Derleth was an extraordinary Steve Eng person is hardly an arguable point among members of this Society, but did you know Time-feast: that: On May 21, 1938 August Derleth wrote a book review for the Capitol The ghouls are all gobbling the years, (Wise) Times? Not a very extxaordinary event, you may argue. But wait, there's Space-beast more to come. Is drinking Eternity's tears - review in question was written by Derleth on the occasion of the publi­ At least cation of one of his own books; he reviewed The House On . The Death Angel pays for our beers.

A bit irregular, perhaps, but so what? "Tavern Bill" is copyrighted by Steve Eng, Ready I Mr. Eng has also appeared in - see issue #9, p. 261].. "May He panned it I Yes, August Derleth said Eve" some very unkind things about his own book! RECOMMENDED READING

Derleth wrote: "THE HOUSE ON THE MOUND This issue we are pleased to recommend ...might serve as an object lesson for four works to our members, two old, two would-be writers in how not to write a new. novel and it demonstrates depressingly - now that I see it in print - how faith­ EVENING IN SPRING has been recalled by ful adherence to history and biography, August Derleth as one of his favorite when the author elects to use real people works. He once stated that it was almost under ttieir own names in his work, can completely autobiographical. stulify his imagination and such fictive skill as he may possess. In my consider­ Perhaps the subject of this work may ed judgement (I have never been partic­ prove a bit too sentimental for some ularly noted for false modesty), THE reader's tastes, but for those who can HOUSE ON THE MOUND emerges as a dull and recall the bitter-sweet memories of teen­ rather tiresome novel." age romance, and how very important it all seemed then, EVENING IN SPRING is so faith­ Charles A. Pearce, of Duell, Sloan and ful a reproduction of the pangs of first Pearce, Derleth's astounded publishers, love that it almost hurts to read it. It countered with the following: "...an is a sensitive work; a fine example of engrossing major work by one of America's Derleth's versatility as a writer. most important and versatile writers". ■» 100 BOOKS BY AUGUST DERIE TH, originally Mr. Pearce added: "This is the first published by Arkham House, is available time we have known an author to bludgeon in a paperbound reprint from Stanton & his own work. Fortunately, he did it Lee and well worth the modest price of with a blunt and dull instrument and, for $3.00. It is an invaluable reference for the most part, he missed his aim, and he Derleth fans since it contains a list of did have the saving sense to call his not only his first one hundred and two review a 'Minority Report' . * works with detailed publishing histories, but a list of his works filmed for tele­ Who was right, publisher or author? vision, a list of magazines and periodicaLs Read the book and decide for yourself. in which his writings have appeared, infor­ Share your opinions with the newsletter mation on recordings, lectures, and ap­ and we'll publish the results of this praisals of August Derleth's writing. "member's poll" in a future Newsletter. The information in 100B00KS is, of course, Whatever the outcome of our poll, August incomplete since August Derleth went on to Derleth certainly has to be classified as write many more books, and achieved "one of a kind". numerous other literary accomplishments. Perhaps the members of the August Derleth «■From the Capital Times, Madison, Wise. Society would be interested in updating May 21, 1938. Permission to reprint the information in this work? One place granted by Elliott Maraniss, Exec. Editor we might begin is with the list of EDITORIAL ■ August Derleth stories filmed for tele­ vision,. Does anyone have an up-to-date Since Basil Copoer's fine article repre­ list? sents the focus of this Newsletter, it is appropriate that we use it as a starting New releases from Arkham House include, point for editorial comment. AND AFTERWARD, THE DARK by Basil Copper, and IN MAYAN SPLENDOR by Frank B. Long. Mr. Copper provides several quotations Both are well worth the reader’s invest­ from August Derleth's letters which indi­ ment of a few hard-earned dollars. cate those works rated highest by Derleth himself. Mr. Copper continues to exercise his mastery of plot and mood as he presents It was while reading one of these books, five deadly tales for the reader’s enjoy­ WALDEN WEST, that the necessity for form­ ment. "Dust to Dust" is a delicious ing an August Derleth Society became example of the author's abilities. The obvious. Here was a writer of major plot, handled by a lesser writer, would stature deserving of the highest position come off as nothing; presented with Mr. among American men of letters. To suggest Copper's usual mastery and skill, it that Derleth's overall work was uneven commands the reader's attention from and only occasionally reached this level mundane beginning to awful and inevitable of excellence is, to my mind, beside the end. Something about the last story in point. He and noone else wrote WALDEN this collection, "The Flabby Men," recall* ■WEST. Had John Steinbeck never written the short stories of William Hope another book, his GRAPES OF WRATH is a Hodgson, nor does Mr. Coppers work suffer work any writer would sell his soul to from the comparison. equal. Anyone who reaches this level even once in a lifetime can let the sour IN MAYAN SPIENDOR is a collection of grapes bounce off his hide for t he rest Frank B. Long's early poems. This slim of his days. volume should provide fans of Mr. Long with moments of pleasant reminiscence. Steinbecfc had the ability to make his The title poem "in Mayan Splendor," is characters live and often to hold them worththe price of the book. up as a mirror in which we could see our own reflections, with all the humor, sadness, goodness and stupidity (to name MEMBERS' CORNER just a few of many human qualities)that this action suggests. It was something We are indebted to Emmarie T. Blum for of this quality that I found in WALDEN sharing a very personal moment with us. WEST. A rare talent, the ability to write about ordinary human beings with "It was May, 1955, and it was my first fee ling and understanding. visit back to my home in Sauk City, Wisconsin after leaving the cloister a I suspect that August Derleth knew his short two months before. Uppermost in subject so well because he cared about my mind was to visit Augie in his home, people, because he took the time to listen Place of Hawks. My cousin, George J. and to watch the people and the world Marx, one of Augie's close friends, took around him. We could all take a lesson me there. I was ushered into Augie's from this. Stop for a moment on our study on the second floor, where he was headlong rush through life - look around seated at his circular desk. His first for a moment, and listen. action typified his sense of humor. Rising from his chair, he beckoned me to come close, then ran his fingers through For the record, the second issue of the my still wavy red hair and said: 'Why, August Derleth society Newsletter is it's real after being hidden under a released February, 1978. Membership veil ell these years.'" dues are $1.00 per year. Please make checks payable to: RICHARD H. FAWCETT "What better way to break the uncomfort­ 61 TEECOMWAS DRIVE able tension clinging to an ex-nun when UNCASVILLE, CT. 06382 meeting a friend of years gone by. I shall always remember Augie as a person with whom I could feel comfortable." If you own letters written by August Derleth that would be of interest to Society members, we would appreciate photocopies of same. The editor will pay for xeroxing, but please write in advance. Our funds are limited.