Monday, November 11, 2013

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT...

When the English novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton first wrote the iconic "It was a dark and stormy night" as the opening phrase to his 1830 work, Paul Clifford, I sometimes wonder if he found himself faced with the same challenges that I consistently find myself facing...

 So...Now what?

 When it comes to writing, I start off inspired; full of energy and enthusiasm. But very quickly that energy and enthusiasm fade and I am stuck staring at a blank page.

 I am still trying to find my "voice" as a writer and author of this blog. Especially, in regards to what direction I shall take this blog. Perhaps I will just follow the muse and see what happens.

And right now, it seems the muse is leading me toward Arkham...

 For years, indeed decades, I have been a follower of the works of H. P. Lovecraft and the mythos that he created. And while I had read all of his fiction, I had never been much interested in his letter correspondence or his sonnets. This past August The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast[1], to which I am a much pleased subscriber, announced that at the NecronomiCon in Providence this year, they would do a live show featuring the "Fungi From Yuggoth", a collection of 36 sonnets written between December 27, 1929 and January 4, 1930 by Lovecraft.[2] Prior to this, the podcast had expanded my understanding and appreciation for Lovecraft and other weird fiction authors and since I had not read the sonnets before, I thought, "Why not?"

So I found a copy of the sonnet collection online[3], but more importantly, I found a superb, unabridged audio recording of it by William E. Hart.[4] Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed the sonnets and especially Mr. Hart's rendition. So when The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast released it's live show on Halloween this year, a new and broader appreciation for the real literary skill of the author opened for me. I can't wait to start reading some of Lovecraft's letters.

Where are you taking me now, Lady Muse?



[1] http://hppodcraft.com/
[2] http://www.hypnogoria.com/html/fungifromyuggoth1.html
[3] http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/poetry/p289.aspx
[4] http://cthulhuwho1.com/2013/09/07/the-worlds-largest-h-p-lovecraft-audio-links-gateway/
 

1 comment:

  1. I completely understand about not being able to write within seconds of an inspired feeling. For me, I get a line or sentence stuck in my head and then when I write it down the next one comes and so on, it's insane. Then other times I have the one line and nothing, it's frustrating.

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