The Write Life

Lovecraft's Providence

Oct 01, 2024

Photo from Wikepedia

Hey Readers!

Can you believe it’s October already? Since it’s spooky season, I thought we’d kick off this month with a brand new The Write Life, H. P. Lovecraft style.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, better known as H. P. Lovecraft, was an American writer of the “weird and strange” science, fantasy, and horror fiction. Best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos, Lovecraft spent most of his life in New England, primarily, Providence.

Private owners reside at all of Lovecraft’s homes (and some were relocated to accommodate some of Brown University’s buildings). Therefore, to visit Lovecraft sites, you need to go on a “secret journey.” I’m calling it “secret” because for those who know, they know. But I’ll let you in on the secret!

To see the life of Lovecraft, you need to take the The Lovecraft’s College Hill Walking Tour. You can get a map at the Lovecraft Arts and Science Bookstore in Providence, at The Arcade, which, fun fact, is in the first enclosed shopping mall in America. Check it out!

Photo courtesy of my iPhone.

Inside the store, you will find all kinds of “weird” and “strange” things. My favorite? A little red book I bought which is fashioned after Lovecraft’s own red notebook, with a typed version of all of his actual writing notes. It’s amazing, as you can see the various ideas, dreams, and brainstorm sessions he had for future stories. No worries, if you can’t get to the store to get it, you can also order it on Amazon or here.

Photo courtesy of my iPhone.

But back to the journey. So, you go to this bookstore inside The Arcade and ask for the map. Or, if you want to skip the store, you can also get a map here.

The map lists all the various locations where H.P. lived, dreamed, and wrote. Word of caution: most of the tour is uphill, so bring your walking shoes!

Here are some details I learned while walking in the very steps H. P. Lovecraft once walked:

1. H. P. Lovecraft was born at 9 a.m. on August 20, 1890, at his family home at what is now 454 Angell Street in Providence, Rhode Island. Lovecraft could trace his ancestry on his mother’s side back to 1630. His father, a traveling salesperson for Gorham & Co., Silversmiths, of Providence, suffered a nervous breakdown in a hotel room in Chicago when Lovecraft was just three years old. Lovecraft’s father was then admitted to an institution, where he stayed for five years before passing away on July 19, 1898.

2. The death of his father left Lovecraft and his mother to live with his grandfather. Thankfully, his grandfather was quite wealthy, giving Lovecraft some opportunity. However, after his grandfather died, the wealth dissipated. Lovecraft lived with his mother as funds ran dry. However, his mother eventually suffered from a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized in 1919. She then died in 1921 after a gall bladder operation. This devastated Lovecraft.

3. During his youth, Lovecraft was close to his two aunts, however, his grandfather was the most influential. His grandfather, Whipple Van Buern Phillips, was a prominent industrialist. It’s said that Lovecraft himself was reciting poetry at age two, reading at age three, and writing by six or seven. His earliest enthusiasm for books was for the Arabian Nights. He also loved Greek mythology. His grandfather, who often entertained Lovecraft with weird gothic tales, fostered his interest in the weird.

Streets near some of Lovecraft’s Life Adventures taken by my iPhone.

4. Lovecraft suffered from frequent illnesses as a boy. People believed that most of his illnesses were psychological. I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t from all the stress he was facing, given his various family issues. He attended school sporadically, but learned mostly through independent reading. He ended up attending Hope Street High School, where both his teachers and peers were encouraging to his writing.

5. Lovecraft’s first appearance in print was in 1906, when he wrote a letter on an astronomical matter to The Providence Sunday Journal. In fact, he wrote a monthly astronomy column for The Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner, a rural paper and later wrote columns for The Providence Tribune (1906–08) and The Providence Evening News (1914–18), as well as The Asheville (N.C.) Gazette-News (1915).

6. Lovecraft liked to bike ride until around 1908 when we because severely ill. After that, he only rode until 1913, when he gave it up. There are several quotes from Lovecraft about riding his bicycle. My favorite is this one from 1904:

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“The late Prof. Upton of Brown, a friend of the family, gave me the freedom of the college observatory, (Ladd Observatory) & I came & went there at will on my bicycle.” The “Ladd Observatory tops a considerable eminence about a mile from the house.”

Ladd Observatory, Photo courtesy of my iPhone.

Lovecraft wheeled the bicycle up and rode it down the hill on the quick trip home. While on my walk, I stood on the steps of the Ladd Observatory, where Lovecraft spent so much time as a child. I stared down the street he once rode his bike wildly down, imagining the joy he must have felt in those fleeting moments, alive on his bicycle. So much of his life was tragic so being in that space where we know he came to dream gave a glimpse into the moments he felt happy and free.

Here’s the street he rode his bike down. Photo courtesy of my iPhone.

7. Lovecraft was supposed to graduate high school in 1908, however, he suffered from another unidentified health crisis, which was more severe than his prior illnesses. To this day, the exact circumstances are unknown. Some records point to Lovecraft’s own correspondence in which he describes it as a “nervous collapse” and “sort of breakdown.” He blames it in these letters on the stress of high school, even though he enjoyed school. He still maintained he was going to attend Brown University, however, he never graduated and never attended school again. It’s heartbreaking to imagine Lovecraft never setting foot in the college he yearned for, even though it was practically in his own backyard. In Lovecraft’s words, in a letter stating the events of 1908, he stated,

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“I was and am prey to intense headaches, insomnia, and general nervous weakness which prevents my continuous application to anything.”

8. Part of the walking tour includes a visit to The Providence Athenaeum. Built in 1838, the famous Edgar Allan Poe visited the library less than a decade later. Lovecraft also spent hours here, writing and revising, more than a half a century later. I highly recommend visiting here. It’s older than the Library of Congress, and besides Poe and Lovecraft, other famous visitors came here, including Sarah Whitman, whom Poe had a passionate and tumultuous relationship with.

Lovecraft wrote and revised for hours in this library.

Photos courtesy of my iPhone.

9. As talented as Lovecraft was, and as tragic as his life came to be, we can’t talk about Lovecraft without mentioning that in recent decades, the view that Lovecraft was a racist has become a well-known topic for discussion. Some scholars argue that Lovecraft’s own letters are filled with racist views and that these prejudices are reflected in some of his stories. While his literary contributions to horror and weird fiction are significant, it’s important to acknowledge that racism is not acceptable, forcing us to confront these harmful aspects of his legacy. Perhaps understanding the context of the age in which he lived and the surroundings of his childhood can allow us to critically engage with his work while condemning the bigotry he expressed. This was an aspect I didn’t know when I started the journey exploring Lovecraft, and honestly, broke my heart to know.

10. Lovecraft married Sonia Greene, and for a short time, lived in NYC. For a little while, things went well. Lovecraft became part of the Kalem Club, which was an informal group of literary and intellectual friends who encouraged him to submit to Weird Tales. Several of his works were published in Weird Tales, including “Under the Pyramids” which was ghostwritten for Harry Houdini.

When Sonia had to move for work, however, things went downhill. Lovecraft stayed in NYC but became lonely. Soon after, Sonia lost her business and assets in a bank failure. Lovecraft tried to support her, but his lack of experience in jobs was an issue. Lovecraft had the opportunity to become the editor of Weird Tales, but he turned it down, stating he did not want to move to Chicago. Sonia then became ill, moved to Cincinnati, and traveled for work. She sent Lovecraft a weekly allowance to help support his tiny apartment. After losing approximately 40 pounds, he then went back to Providence in 1933 to live with his aunts, which would be his last home.

Lovecraft died in 1937 with cancer of the small intestine. You can visit Lovecraft’s grave, but if you do, I recommend doing some research to find it at the Swan Point Cemetery. It’s a bit hidden and hard to find if you don’t know where you are going.

Photos courtesy of my iPhone.

The experience of visiting Lovecraft’s life in Providence left me feeling more melancholic rather than inspired. I felt sadness for the little boy who lost his dad and his grandfather, suffered illnesses, and later would lose his mother when she was institutionalized. I was disheartened to learn about some of his views he held as well.

Still, I recognized, that despite his pain, he kept on writing weird, strange tales that many still read and reflect on today. Lovecraft therefore teaches us that no matter what, you should always tell your story, no matter how weird, because through stories, we learn and grow to be better human beings.

Till Next Time,

Sarah

AKA A Busy Lady

P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this post of The Write Life, then have I got great news for you! I am writing a book on my “Write Life” adventures, exploring historic writer homes. More to come!

P.P.S. I’ve got lots of exciting events coming up! As of now, I have planned out my events through February. Here are some of my fall events coming up in the next few weeks.