THIS WEEKEND’S READING

Posted by: ann on: 16 February 2007

• In: thoughts
• 28 Comments

… but first, brand new pics of Boaz and Moriah, hot off the press. Just over two weeks till I see them again… countdown begins

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I went online shopping a couple of weeks ago… This one hasn’t arrived yet, Always Comes Evening. It’s a collection of about 60 poems by REH released in 1957. I can’t wait, I am so excited, 60 poems…

Singers in the Shadows I now have in my grubby little paws. It was compiled and titled by REH himself in 1928. He submitted it to Albert & Charles Boni a NY publishing house, who returned it stating they were not publishing verse at that time. In 1970 Donald M Grant published an edition of 500 copies and since then it has been one of the rarest of all Howard books.

A new limited edition of 1500 copies came out in 1977… mine is No.64. Amazon has two available about $170.00 and over $200.00… I got mine for less through Powell Books, although written inside the book is $95.00, but I didn’t pay that either! Lucky me!
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It is a narrow volume, with a different, dark foreboding illustrated cover; it contains only 20 poems… the writing is dark and magical and I am loving every word.

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Blood and Thunder is an excellent biography, easily available and no doubt I shall be quoting it at every opportunity over at London~Love, but here’s a little taster:

“That I lived to a straight and simple creed

The whole of my wordly span

White or black or yellow I dealt

Foursquare with my fellow man.”

I’ve only dipped into it so far, but through his poetry I feel I know the man and want to learn so much more of his tragic, brilliant life… think it will be a good one for the flight.

“He was… a strange blending of Puritan and Cavalier, with a touch of the ancient philosopher and more than a touch of the pagan… A hunger in his soul drove him on and on, an urge to right all wrongs, protect all weaker things… Wayward and restless as the wind, he was consistent in only one respect — he was true to his ideals of justice and right. Such was Solomon Kane.”

Ah…. another one easily available, The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane. I was looking in the wrong place. I am lapping it up, although there are actually only two poems in it; two versions of Solomon Kane’s Homecoming and The One Black Stain but REH’s writing is poetic and potent and I am eagerly working my way through the stories.

“The eyes of the bandit were hard, almost opaque with a curious scintillant shallowness that reflected a thousand changing lights and gleams, like some strange gem; there was mockery in those eyes, cruelty and recklessness.”

“The eyes of the man in black, on the other hand, deep-set and staring from under prominent brows, were cold but deep; gazing into them, one had the impression of looking into countless fathoms of ice.”

“Now the eyes clashed, and the Wolf, who was used to being feared, felt a strange coolness on his spine. The sensation was new to him — a new thrill to one who lived for thrills and he laughed suddenly.”

The writer himself… Robert E Howard
Superbly portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio in The Whole Wide World

I can’t begin to thank everyone enough who responded to my cry for help and for your recommendations and for putting me in the right direction; I am truly grateful. I still have on my shopping list, Echoes From An Iron Harp, Shadows of Dreams, and the Gertrude Alson book of Modern American Poetry of Robert E Howard (1933)… patience, all in good time.

A question for the weekend… has anyone else seen a biopic of someone they had never heard of, or knew little about, but was so moved to learn more?

Right, back to the kitchen sink for me now…. I wish you all a lovely weekend and Shabbat Shalom.

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