A catalogue of selected items from the special collections in the miskatonic university library stanley the first world fantasy convention. Commonplace books or commonplaces are a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. Strategies to keep a commonplace book critical margins. A commonplace book of the weird download ebook pdf, epub. If youre not familiar with the term, its basically just a notebook you use to write down cool ideas. In a previous blog post, i wrote about why my commonplace book matters to me. Lovecraft historical society features all of hpls notes plus new material never before published. During his lifetime, hpl kept a listing of story ideas, concepts, and other elements which he might at some point include in his stories. But is it volume 2 or volume 5 i should get i wonder. The results are as varied as the artists behind them. The only requirement for the writersto create a piece that fulfilled every part of lovecrafts original vision. Lovecraft s major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror.
A brief guide to keeping a commonplace book notebook of ghosts. By the eighteenth century, they were known in englishspeaking countries as commonplace books, a translation of the latin locis communis. Lovecraft historical society has adapted this puppy to film as well. This is often a personal choice, one which is endlessly discussed and argued about. One of the things she talks about is how she uses an actual notebook and then transfers her notes to digital format. A facsimile reprint of the 1938 futile press edition stated. Notes on writing weird fiction remains lovecraft s central statement in illuminating his own creative aesthetic, while his commonplace book aphoristic entries from the literary sorcerers personal grimoireis perhaps as close as we shall ever come to a reallife necronomicon. Lovecraft s notes and commonplace book, a facsimile by the h. Extensions to the project may include transcripts, screenshots, and computer kiosks that would be set up in exhibitions, conferences, and festivals being held in 20072008.
In each episode sean branney and andrew leman of the h. Lovecraft, this is your stop for all of his outstanding works and weird fiction in general. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A commonplace book is simply a collection of memorabilia, or a kind of privatelycompiled encyclopedia. And heres an example of an ancient one, because the commonplace book has a long historygoing back to how guild apprentices learned their craft. Jun 01, 1987 howard phillips lovecraft, of providence, rhode island, was an american author of horror, fantasy and science fiction. Also things about black cats with unfortunate names. Lovecraft historical society of the futile press edition of 1938, as edited by r. In 1938, just after hpls death, his friend and literary executor, robert h. Lovecraft historical society was founded in 1984 by a group of college friends who developed their own style of lovecraftian liveaction roleplaying games.
Howard phillips lovecraft, of providence, rhode island, was an american author of horror, fantasy and science fiction. For other sections, dates are the time of composition, not publication. Lovecrafts commonplace book of unwritten story ideas, written up as about 25 new stories. I have also kept these at work as well, with the topics mirroring work i was doing, concerns i had, or things i needed to remember or to do. While taking notes and reading may take longer to do, it is completely worth it as by writing things down, you think about the information and in the process, gain a fuller understanding of the information.
For a mostlycomplete list of film adaptations, see lovecraft on film. Lovecrafts handwritten additions are put between square brackets notes. The commonplace book is notebook of 221 entries for characters and stories written by h. A commonplace book is a central resource or depository for ideas, quotes, anecdotes, observations and information you come across during your life and didactic pursuits. Lovecraft s commonplace book, on the 70th anniversary of his death. Or so said some blog, which then provided the list. As a result, readers habitually copied out passages they wished to remember in a personal journal or commonplace book. A commonplace book is like a thinkers journal that serves as a focused act of selfreflection and way to learn. A new edition of the commonplace book is now available. See more ideas about commonplace book, books and book journal. Although this item is not available here at the time i write this end of july 1711, this booklet is well worth seeking.
Now we produce motion pictures, audio dramas, musical projects, prop replicas and documents for gamers and collectors, tshirts, and other lovecraftian entertainments. Lovecraft lovecraft, h p howard phillips cover artist. In addition to his famous classics of horror and science fiction, h. Jan 28, 2018 i keep a commonplace book because i want to keep track of the best articles and books i read. Lovecraft historical society read one of those letters and then discuss it. I think commonplace books offer a different way to note and track changes in our lives. Lovecraft miscellaneous writings seems to be out of print, whereas the collected essays volumes 20042006 are still available in paperback. Things that inspired generations of writers to follow. The first 201 entries were typed by barlow from the original notebook in may 1934 with lovecraft anoting previous and writing new ideas in the. Barlow printed hpls commonplace book in an edition of just 75 copies. Lieux communs was available slightly earlier from its host site. How i use my commonplace journal in this post, mystie shares how she keeps a commonplace book. Lovecraft, the acknowledged master of weird fiction, left behind a list of 221 unused story ideas, ranging from brief images to complete plot outlines.
Such books are essentially scrapbooks filled with items of every kind. Commonplace books what they are and reasons to keep one. I also have noticed my mood changes or shifts by the books that i note in my commonplace book. Working from high resolution photos of an original in the library of congress, the h.
Some notes on a nonentity written 23 november 1933. Barlow and published after lovecraft s death along with some essays. Lovecraft historical society store the hplhs store. Lovecraft historical society has created a typographic replica of the 1938 edition. Lovecraft le commonplace book pourquoi comment youtube. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. If you create a free account and sign in, you will be able to customize what is displayed. As such, a commonplace book tends to be more honest and personal than a scrapbook. This is often a personal choice, one which is endlessly discussed and argued about in just about. Lovecraft had naive views of race true, but these actually changed during his life for the better, and were commonplace during his time. Thomas jefferson kept two commonplace books for literary matters and another for legal matters. The purpose of the book is to record and organize these gems for later use in your life, in your business, in your writing, speaking or whatever it is that you do. Facsimile reprint of the futile press edition published in 1938.
Page from a commonplace book, from belly of the whale, from the website fierce and nerdy. Dates for the fiction, collaborations and juvenilia are in the format. There are a number of notable personalities who have maintained commonplace books like john milton, ronald reagan and hp lovecraft. Historically, a commonplace book was a handwritten notebook, a place to store quotations, ideas, reading notes, scraps of conversation, etc. This is a reproduction of the holy grail of lovecraft collectors, his notes commonplace book. The goal of this project is to develop an online exhibtion of interactive art, stories, and games based on h. Weve got basic annotations published for the comics pages, with notes on the commonplace book soon, and will continue to revise and refine. My reason for writing stories is to give myself the satisfaction of visualising more clearly and detailedly and stably the vague, elusive, fragmentary impressions of wonder, beauty, and adventurous expectancy which are conveyed to me by certain sights scenic, architectural, atmospheric, etc. Robert ervin howard september 1936 commonplace book written early 19201935. Providence 4 facts in the case of alan moores providence.
Why im ditching the bullet journal and turning to a. In the 18th and 19th centuries, though, bookstores and libraries were far smaller. Lovecraft historical society features all of hpls notes plus new material. Schultz for necronomicon press in 1987 and presented in two slim volumes. How and why to keep a commonplace book thought catalog. Nov 15, 2012 historically, a commonplace book was a handwritten notebook, a place to store quotations, ideas, reading notes, scraps of conversation, etc. Instructions in case of decease diary1937 notes for stories notes to medusas coil notes to at the mountains of madness notes to the shadow over innsmouth the round tower the rose window of evill sorceries done in newengland, of daemons in no humane shape notes to the shadow out of time. In theory, it means a body of work that an established body of literature that can draw upon, but it is more commonly thought as what a fan considers what forms part of the mythos, or what really happened. Commonplace books were essentially scrapbooks filled with items of every kind. We thought it was high time for a new edition of the commonplace book, and here it is. Librarians who can find the books they need 7 times out of 10 from a hundredyear old library and clerks who can fire a tommygun. The individual works by lovecraft over eighty in number are too numerous to be listed here, but include such central statements as the commonplace book, history of the necronomicon, notes on writing weird fiction, the materialist today, observations on several parts of america, some notes on a nonentity, cats and dogs. The only requirement for the writersto create a piece that fulfilled every part of lovecraft s original vision.
Lovecrafts commonplace book over 200 ideas for stories by. They have been kept from antiquity, and were kept particularly during the renaissance and in the nineteenth century. Apr 16, 2019 a brief guide to keeping a commonplace book posted on february 25, 2018 april 16, 2019 by notebookofghosts i had the opportunity to write for dirge magazine while it was still online rest in peace. These italian merchants brought their books to the foreign cities they traded with, and they caught on. Inside this book waits horror, science fiction, comedy, memoir, experimental text art, and one extremely short novel. Its absurd to sit on your high horse and act better than someone else from a century ago when it took you zero effort to recognize the wrongness of racial bigotry, because you have been immersed in those. Canon is a fanbased idea that exists in a unique way within the cthulhu mythos fandom.
304 44 16 1085 1242 1157 425 1288 1587 34 1181 215 586 1662 142 1513 202 1250 1380 1324 1410 1294 1540 1138 1518 1109 440 820 218 1457 1361 507 403 379 917 623 163 387 1102 573 1100 796