No.6791
While a lot of people talk about his racism, I think it's important to contextualize it. Once you understand Lovecraft's background, you get a bit of insight into why he had some really morally abhorrent views.
>Born and raised in a dilapidated New England Mansion
>Father went incurably insane when he was a young boy, Lovecraft had to watch him physically disintegrate in an asylum
>Lived with his grandfather, received no formal education but had free access to all of his grandfather's books; getting classic literature, a few sciences, etc
>Develops no social relationships outside of his immediate family in this time
>Mother suddenly goes insane and gets sent to the same psychiatric ward
>Eventually released, takes Lovecraft back home and lives the life of a hermit
>Constantly tells Lovecraft that he's disgusting, he's ugly, that he couldn't EVER go outside because of how horrible he looks.
>During this time it's said that Lovecraft only ever left the house for necessities, and even then only wearing a large coat and hat and not making eye contact with anyone.
>Gets his big break writing horror
>His letter to the editor describes his own stories as trash, but hopefully one of them would be worth printing.
>Never really achieves fame, but gets a small circle of writers he'd correspond with frequently.
>For the first time in his entire adult life, Lovecraft actually has friends.
>Gets married, his wife believes that she can help him by rescuing him from the shadow of his family-life in New England, they move to New York City.
>Lovecraft, social mess that he is, immediately hates the city.
>Goes from seeing no one outside of his immediate family to massive crowds of people, impoverished migrants, etc
>Perpetually unemployed, has no actual skillset to find a job.
>Wife eventually divorces him, he immediately returns to New England
>Keeps up the correspondence with his friends, meets a few of them in person.
>Dies completely broke.
Honestly, Lovecraft's life is a a testament to what loneliness could do to a person.