An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia

The poem was written for a meeting of the Blue Pencil Club on the topic “The Old Home Town”; HPL took occasion to speak longingly, from Brooklyn, of his devotion to the scenic and historic beauties of his hometown. HPL notes (letter to Lillian D.Clark, November 17–18, 1924; ms., JHL) that the poem was also published in the [Providence] Evening Bulletinin early to mid-November, but this appearance has not been found. The appearance in Collected Poems(1963) omits three stanzas. [Providence] Evening News,Astronomy Articles for.

Series of fifty-three astronomy articles (1914–18).

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The articles appeared as follows: “The January Sky” (January 1, 1914); “The February Sky” (January 31, 1914); “The March Sky” (March 2, 1914); “The April Sky” (March 31, 1914); “May Sky” (May 1, 1914); “The June Sky” (May 29, 1914); “The July Sky” (June 30, 1914); “The August Sky” (August 1, 1914); “The September Sky” (September 1, 1914); “The October Sky” (September 30, 1914); “The November Sky” (October 31, 1914); “The December Sky” (November 30, 1914); “The January Sky” (December 31, 1914); “The February Sky” (January 30, 1915); “The March Sky” (February 27, 1915); “April Skies” (April 1, 1915); “The May Sky” (April 30, 1915); “The June Skies” (June 1, 1915); “The July Skies” (June 30, 1915); “The August Skies” (July 31, 1915); “September Skies” (September 1, 1915); “October Skies” (October 1, 1915); “November Skies” (November 1, 1915); “December Skies” (November 30, 1915); “January Skies” (December 31, 1915); “The February Skies” (February 1, 1916); “March Skies” (March 1, 1916); “April Skies” (April 1, 1916); “May Skies” (May 3, 1916); “June Skies” (June 1, 1916); “July Skies” (July 1, 1916); “August Skies” (August 1, 1916); “September Skies” (September 1, 1916); “October Skies” (October 2, 1916); “November Skies” (October 31, 1916); “December Skies” (December 1, 1916); “January Skies” (January 2, 1917); “February Skies” (February 1, 1917); “March Skies” (February 28, 1917); “April Skies” (April 2, 1917); “May Skies” (May 1, 1917); “June Skies” (June 1, 1917); “July Skies” (July 2, 1917); “August Skies” (July 31, 1917); “September Skies” (August 31, 1917); “October Skies” (October 2, 1917); “November Skies” (November 5, 1917); “December Skies” (December 1, 1917); “January Skies” (January 2, 1918); “February Skies” (February 1, 1918); “March Skies” (March 1, 1918); “April Skies” (April 1, 1918); “May Skies” (May 2, 1918).

HPL’s most extensive and detailed astronomy columns, the articles averaged 1,750 words in length. As with his other articles, they somewhat mechanically cover the major celestial phenomena of the coming month, but as time passes they are enlivened with explanations of the classical names for the stars and constellations, original bits of poetry by HPL himself (usually presented anonymously), and other diversions. Their greatest significance, however, may be biographical, indicating that HPL had begun to emerge from his five-year-long hermitry several months before he joined amateur journalism in April 1914. The series came to an end because “the request of [the paper’s] editor for me to make my articles ‘so simple that a child might understand them’ caused me to withdraw from the field” (HPL to Alfred Galpin, May 27, 1918; ms., JHL).

“Providence in 2000 A.D.”

Poem (70 lines); probably written in early 1912. First published in the [Providence] Evening Bulletin (March 4, 1912).

HPL’s first published poem is a satire in which a man in the future returns to Providence and finds all the place names changed to reflect the foreign immigrants in the city. The poem was inspired by a petition by the Italian residents of the city to rename Atwell’s Avenue (the chief thoroughfare in the Italian district, Federal Hill) to Columbus Avenue.

[Providence] Tribune,Astronomy Articles for.

Series of 20 astronomy articles (August 1, 1906–June 1, 1908).

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