American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 10: Pickman's Model

A favorite of Lovecraft fans, "Pickman's Model", ties directly to DREAM-QUEST and was written around time, but is a great tale in which we see Lovecraft trying new narrative techniques. And in good Lovecraft fashion we get a look at the underground architecture of decaying city.

 

 

Episode 437: Sinclair Lewis: Elmer Gantry (2)

In part two of my review of ELMER GANTRY by Sinclair Lewis we follow Gantry as he got pushed out of his ministry due to drunkenness, but finds his way back into evangelical Christianity through the popularity of revival-style worship.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 9: Strange High House in the Mist

My review of Lovecraft's "Strange High House in the Mist" allows us to return to Kingsport in preparation for our upcoming "Dream Quest".

Episode 436:Sinclair Lewis: Elmer Gantry (1)

Elmer Gantry is a student at a religious university who far from lives the religious life, but find himself on the career path of a Baptist preacher. Sinclair Lewis' novel ELMER GANTRY is a great look at the culture wars of the 1920s.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 8: The Silver Key

The "Silver Key" is Lovecraft's greatest Randolph Carter story with an enduring theme of childhood saving us from the banality of modern life. Carter's quest for meaning, set years after the events of DREAMQUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH has lessons for the importance of childhood.

Episode 435:Sinclair Lewis: Arrowsmith (Part 5)

The final of my review of ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis. It ends on a rather high note where science triumphs over the distractions of American capitalism.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 7: The Call of Cthulhu (2)

In the second half of my review of THE CALL OF CTHULHU I explore some of the most important passages in all of Lovecraft's writings: the interview with the cultist Castro. The cost of wordily freedom maybe high, but for many marginalized people it is worth paying.

Episode 434: Sinclair Lewis: Arrowsmith (4)

Part four of ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis explores Martin Arrowsmith's career as it moves into hard science, war, and eventually a devastating plague in the West Indies. As always the contradictions between science and politics follows him.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 6: The Call of Cthulhu, Part 1

The first of two episodes in which I look at the famous story by H. P. Lovecraft, THE CALL OF CTHULHU. Great story due to its nested narrative and global scope.

Episode 433: Sinclair Lewis: Arrowsmith (3)

Martin Arrowsmith, bored with being a small-town doctor moves into the field of public health, finding the politics of science even worse than the personal politics of private practice. I look at this as well as other things in this part of my review of ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode5: In the Vault

"In the Vault" seems a bit out of place in this period of Lovecraft's career, but it is a bit of fun and plesantly gory. The TV show TALES FROM THE CRYPT did a episode seemingly inspired by this tale called "Fitting Punishment".

Episode 432: Sinclair Lewis: Arrowsmith (2)

Part two of my review of ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis. In this episode we follow Martin Arrowsmith as he begins his career as a small-town doctor.

H. P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 4: Cool Air

"Cool Air" by H. P. Lovecraft is a lovely science-fiction horror story set in New York, the last of Lovecraft's stories set in New York after "Red Hook" and "He".

Episode 431:Sinclair Lewis: Arrowsmith (1)

Part one of my five-part review of ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis. This novel explores the culture of professional medicine in early 20th century America through the life of a young doctor torn by different perspectives on the proper role of the doctor.

H.P. Lovecraft Book Club: Series 5: Episode 3: HE

In this episode, I examine Lovecraft's short story "He", the second in a "trilogy" of New York stories. This one is the most meta and personal and certainly, the most cosmic.

Episode 430: Aldo Leopold: Journals.

In this short episode, I finish my look at Aldo Leopold's writings with his journals. I know I said I would look at his letters, but I decided to move on to my next series, starting with ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis.