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Midnight Rambles: H. P. Lovecraft in Gotham – Book Talk
June 8 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Free
David J. Goodwin, whose first book documented the history of the Jersey City “artists’ colony” at 111 First Street, returns to the Jersey City Free Public Library to discuss his new book, Midnight Rambles: H. P. Lovecraft in Gotham.
- P. Lovecraft’s influence on the horror genre can hardly be overstated. He created an alternative reality mythos of paranoia and unseen ancient forces that continues to inform horror writers to this day. At the same time, his undeniable virulent racism, antisemitism and general xenophobia should not be ignored. This tension informs the most recent take on his work, Lovecraft Country, and is also starkly shown in his diaries and correspondence of his time in New York City.
A period of time in the crucible of New York City’s diverse culture is part of many artists’ biographies. Goodwin uses a deep dive into archival sources to document Lovecraft’s engagement with, and alienation from, the multicultural city’s bohemian scenes of the 1920s. While only a brief period in a life otherwise grounded in New England, the story of Lovecraft’s life in “Gotham” serves to place his life and career in context.
Goodwin will discuss Lovecraft’s life and legacy at the Priscilla Gardner Main Library on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 10AM.