American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 11: The Doom that Came to Sarnath

Lovecraft's story "The Doom that Came to Sarnath" tells the story of a civilization that forgot its roots and paid the price. While Lovecraft is usually an advocate of forgetting, in this story he warns against it. The story is also a polemic against decadence and a celebration of grand architecture. 

Episode 378: Francis Parkman: Pioneers of New France (3)

Final part of my review of THE PIONEERS OF NEW FRANCE IN NORTH AMERICA by Francis Parkman Jr. In this section we look at the career of Champlain and the other explorers who established Quebec. Next up, the Jesuits. 

Episode 377: Francis Parkman Jr.: Pioneers of New France (2)

In this part of Parkman's THE PIONEERS OF NEW FRANCE we witness the massacre of the Floridan Huguenots and begin to survey the French explorations of North America in the St. Lawrence River.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 10: The White Ship

In my review of "The White Ship" by H. P. Lovecraft I make a bold claim about what type of writer Lovecraft is. Beyond that, this is just a great "Dreamlands" story about the pitfalls of various utopias.

Episode 376: Francis Parkman: The Pioneers of New France (Part 1)

We start our look at FRANCE AND ENGLAND IN NORTH AMERICA with the first part of THE PIONEERS OF NEW FRANCE. This episodes focuses on his deception of the Huguenots in Florida.

 

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 9: The Transition of Juan Romero

Lovecraft wrote a great story called "The Transition of Juan Romero". It may be his best early depiction of ancient religions in a vast network. A must read for Lovecraft fans if you missed it. 

Episode 375: Francis Parkman: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (Conclusion)

The conclusion to my review of Francis Parkman Jr.'s THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC. In the final section of this book we explore the consequences of Pontiac's revolt for the people of the American West.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 8: Old Bugs

Lovecraft had some particular views on alcohol and drugs, which are reflective in this early (science fiction?) story of his, a morality tale about inheritance and social decline.

Episode 374: Francis Parkman: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (4)

Part 4 of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC by Francis Parkman. In this episode we look at the failure of the Indian cause, frontier violence, and the vigilantism of the Paxton Boys.

H.P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 7: Beyond the Wall of Sleep

Lovecraft goes a little overboard on his descriptions of back-country folk in "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" but the story places him right in the middle of the eugenics conversation of his time.

Episode 373: Francis Parkman: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (3)

In part three of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC, I talk about Pontiac's plans, the role of cunning and deception in the early Indian victories, and the siege of Detroit.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 6: Polaris

In "Polaris" we get the first of Lovecraft's "Dreamland" stories and an allegory for the racial conflicts he saw as the primary vehicle of history. By taking a look at some of his World War I era writing, we can put this story in a broader context.

Episode 372: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (2)

Part two of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC by Francis Parkman Jr. Here I look at the causes of Pontiac's War as described by Parkman.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 5: A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson

In episode 5 of the HP Lovecraft Book Club, we jump into Lovecraft's love for 18th century British culture by looking at his 1917 story "A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson". Perhaps it is one most Lovecraft readers skip, but it is worth a few minutes of your time if you want to appreciate our author's worldview.

Episode 371: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Conspiracy of Pontiac (1)

Part 1 of my review of THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC by Francis Parkman Jr. The opening chapters of the book describe the lives of Native Americans east of the Mississippi, the French empire in the Americas, and the interactions of the British and French with the Indians. All important background.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 4: Dagon

In this episode, I take a deep look at "Dagon" by H. P. Lovecraft. This story, set in the Pacific during World War I, explores the possibilities of ancient cultures and long-enduring mystical traditions. The narrator's discovery and exploration of a recently raised landmass from below the Pacific is not forgettable.

Episode 370: Francis Parkman Jr.: The Oregon Trail (3)

In this episode I conclude my thoughts on Francis Parkman Jr.'s THE OREGON TRAIL and I sum-up the themes of empire, ecology, and the capitalist expansion into the "Great West". Up next, Parkman's first work of history THE CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Episode 3: The Tomb

Episode three of the H. P. Lovecraft Book Club takes a look at "The Tomb" and Lovecraft's fascination with deviant subcultures.