Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890 - 1937)

Born 20 Aug 1890 in 94 Angell Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Sonia (Haft Shafirkin) Davis — married 3 Mar 1924 in St. Paul's Chapel, Manhattan

Died 15 Mar 1937 at age 46 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA

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Biography

Howard Lovecraft is Notable.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, known as H.P. Lovecraft, wrote science fiction, fantasy, and horror, a genre that during his life was called "weird fiction."

Howard, born 20 August 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island, was the only child of Winfield Scott Lovecraft, a traveling salesman of jewelry and precious metals, and Sarah Susan Phillips.^[1][2][3] When he was three years old, his father had a nervous breakdown and spent five years in a hospital before he died; he probably had a psychotic disease caused by syphilis. Lovecraft was raised by his mother, two aunts, and his grandfather, who all lived in the same home.^[4]

Although he was registered in the draft for the First World War, his mother actively opposed his enlistment. ^[5] He was briefly enrolled in the 9th Company of the Rhode Island National Guard, before his mother arranged to have his enlistment annulled.^[6]

Lovecraft wrote hundreds of poems and short stories, but they were scattered throughout various pulp magazines and publications. It was only after his death that some of the people he had corresponded with in letters were determined to share his work with the public, so they formed a press called Arkham House specifically as a way to publish Lovecraft's work. They issued "The Outsider and Others" in 1939. Howard's books are still widely available — books like "The Dreams in the Witch House" and "Other Weird Stories" (1932). Fantasy and horror writers like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman consider Lovecraft one of their major influences, and Jorge Luis Borges wrote a story, "There Are More Things," in memory of Lovecraft.

Lovecraft said: "I never ask a man what his business is, for it never interests me. What I ask him about are his thoughts and dreams."

Howard married Sonia Greene on 3 Mar 1924. They were later divorced.^[7]

He was virtually unknown outside his literary circle and only published in pulp magazines when he passed away of small intestine cancer on 15 March 1937 in Providence, Rhode Island, in poverty.^[1][3] Howard is buried at 41.852779, -71.383331, Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.^[1][8]

He was a bibliophile: “I couldn't live a week without a private library - indeed, I'd part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I'd let go of the 1,500 or so books I possess.” ^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 25 October 2018), memorial page for H.P. Lovecraft (20 Aug 1890–15 Mar 1937), Find A Grave: Memorial #1188, citing Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
2. ↑ "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ1H-XNL : 9 March 2018), Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 20 Aug 1890; citing Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, reference 238; FHL microfilm 1,845,635.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Rhode Island Deaths and Burials, 1802-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8C6-ZFB : 10 March 2018), Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 15 Mar 1937; citing Providence, , Rhode Island, reference 151; FHL microfilm 1,954,439.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M97P-HDH : accessed 21 October 2018), Howard P Lovecraft in household of Whipple V Phillips, District 1 Providence city Ward 2, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 13, sheet 14A, family 263, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,506.
5. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8W7-37W : 13 March 2018), Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1917-1918; citing Providence County no 2, Rhode Island, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,852,402.
6. ↑ Letter from H.P. Lovecraft to Rheinhart Kleiner, 23 May 1917, SL1, 45-46 [1]
7. ↑ "Rhode Island State Census, 1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPRD-T3D : 11 March 2018), Howard Lovecraft, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; State Archives, Providence; FHL microfilm 1,683,371.
8. ↑ "BillionGraves Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HR1-ZHF : 1 August 2017), Howard Phillips Lovecrafts, died 19 Mar 1937; citing BillionGraves (http://www.billiongraves.com : 2012), Burial at Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
9. ↑ H. P. Lovecraft Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved August 20, 2019, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/h_p_lovecraft_278142

• Wikipedia:H._P._Lovecraft
• H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) on Find A Grave: Memorial #1188 retrieved 29 October 2018
• Wikidata: Item Q169566, en:Wikipedia
• Will of H.P. Lovecraft, August 12, 1912
• Instructions In Case Of Decease
• HP Lovecraft Family Bible gifted to Lovecraft's mother from her mother.
• H.P. Lovecraft: Letters to Rheinhart Kleiner. By H.P. Lovecraft, Edited by S.T. Joshi & David E. Schultz. New York, NY: Hippocampus Press; 2005; ISBN 0-9748789-5-2; Softcover, 298 pages.
• Her Letters to Lovecraft: Unnamed Salem Witch Descendant DeepCuts (letters between Lovecraft and a descendant of Mary (Towne) Estey (bef.1634-1692), who was hanged as a witch,)