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Agenbite of Inwit, whole no. 4, Spring 1944

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* AGENBITE OF INWIT - Spring, 1944  *

Published quarterly (as a rule) by Robert W. Lowndes, 306 West 11th Street, New York 11, New York, for the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. This is issue number 4, one issue (Winter 1943-1944) having been skipped, due to lack of time for the making. Unless otherwise stated, all material herein is editiorially written, and reflects the viewpoint and opinions of the editor.

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REPLY                   To Ashley: Being President of this august organization would hardly interefere with either my desite or my intent to have an issue of Agenbite in each mailing. That I have been late, or have missed mailings completely, as with what should have been the Winter issue, has been due to circumstances of health and finance, over which I would have no more control had I been Fapresident at the time. My opinion on the subject is that, should I be elected, the mere fact would act to spur me on to activity, rather than hold me back from it. But that is only opinion, unsubstantiated by fact, inasmuch as I have never held the office before.

To Speer: I agree on the questionable ethics of a port-mailing item commenting on the mailing of which it is supposed to be a part. Which is a another reason why and issue of Agenbite was skipped; it is most confusing besides. I can never remember which mailing is which, that way. Matter of fact, I didn't actually realize I was commiting this sin, in the Fall Agenbite, until after it had all been done, and I was trying to find the current mailing, for comment thereon in the next issue. I've decided, too, that in the future, I won't mail my mag separately, unless, as in the case of the Summer issue, it was actually completed on time, but couldn't be mailed out to the editor to make official deadline.
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NOTES ON THE SECOND LOVECRAFT VOLUME
Had we been issuing Agenbite at the time, we would have blossomed forth with an enthusiastic review of the first Lovecraft volume, "The Outsider and Others", reccomending it unhesitatingly to man and shuggoth. There was a truly tremendous enterprise, well-planned and well executed, a volume of lasting delight to any person with a sense of fantasy.
No such outburst of enthusiasm can greet "Beyond the Wall of Sleep", however. For the estabished fantasite, for the well-versed in Lovecraft, this makes a fine collector's item, and contains material of undibitable merit. But for the unversed, the unconverted, who may pick this up as an introduction to HPL, the volume has not particularly much to offer, considering its size and pice.
"The Commonplace Book" is an interesting sidelight and insight into the mental processes of a crative artist in the fantastic genre. For the unversed, it is only a melange of disconnected threads, which possibly may titillate the imagination, but serves to arouse regret that the volume does not contain the stories therein suggested. (A few of the inclusions do derive directly, but they are few.)
"The History of the Nectonomicaon" can give little real pleasure for those who have not read the "Cthulhu" legend tales, appearing in the first volume.
The four prose poems are hardly a fit introduction to Lovecraft.

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* AGENBITE OF INWIT - Spring, 1944 * Published quarterly (as a rule) by Robert W. Lowndes, 306 West 11th Street, New York 11, New York, for the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. This is issue number 4, one issue (Winter 1943-1944) having been skipped, due to lack of time for the making. Unless otherwise stated, all material herein is editiorially written, and reflects the viewpoint and opinions of the editor. ********************************************************************* REPLY To Ashley: Being President of this august organization would hardly interefere with either my desite or my intent to have an issue of Agenbite in each mailing. That I have been late, or have missed mailings completely, as with what should have been the Winter issue, has been due to circumstances of health and finance, over which I would have no more control had I been Fapresident at the time. My opinion on the subject is that, should I be elected, the mere fact would act to spur me on to activity, rather than hold me back from it. But that is only opinion, unsubstantiated by fact, inasmuch as I have never held the office before. To Speer: I agree on the questionable ethics of a port-mailing item commenting on the mailing of which it is supposed to be a part. Which is a another reason why and issue of Agenbite was skipped; it is most confusing besides. I can never remember which mailing is which, that way. Matter of fact, I didn't actually realize I was commiting this sin, in the Fall Agenbite, until after it had all been done, and I was trying to find the current mailing, for comment thereon in the next issue. I've decided, too, that in the future, I won't mail my mag separately, unless, as in the case of the Summer issue, it was actually completed on time, but couldn't be mailed out to the editor to make official deadline. ******************************************************************* NOTES ON THE SECOND LOVECRAFT VOLUME Had we been issuing Agenbite at the time, we would have blossomed forth with an enthusiastic review of the first Lovecraft volume, "The Outsider and Others", reccomending it unhesitatingly to man and shuggoth. There was a truly tremendous enterprise, well-planned and well executed, a volume of lasting delight to any person with a sense of fantasy. No such outburst of enthusiasm can greet "Beyond the Wall of Sleep", however. For the estabished fantasite, for the well-versed in Lovecraft, this makes a fine collector's item, and contains material of undibitable merit. But for the unversed, the unconverted, who may pick this up as an introduction to HPL, the volume has not particularly much to offer, considering its size and pice. "The Commonplace Book" is an interesting sidelight and insight into the mental processes of a crative artist in the fantastic genre. For the unversed, it is only a melange of disconnected threads, which possibly may titillate the imagination, but serves to arouse regret that the volume does not contain the stories therein suggested. (A few of the inclusions do derive directly, but they are few.) "The History of the Nectonomicaon" can give little real pleasure for those who have not read the "Cthulhu" legend tales, appearing in the first volume. The four prose poems are hardly a fit introduction to Lovecraft.