Lovecraft Sketch MWF: HPL & Sonia Greene
I’ve always been interested in H.P. Lovecraft’s life as well as his stories. His development from an Edwardian hikikomori to a reasonably sociable author is fascinating.
Equally fascinating, but (like many aspects of his life) extremely depressing and embarrassing to Lovecraft, is the story of his brief marriage to Sonia H. Greene, possibly the only woman who could have pursued and won Lovecraft’s hand, and possibly one of the women least likely to be able to live with him. (Actually, I don’t know if anyone could have remained married to him considering Lovecraft’s flaws, but I guess it’s at least conceivable.) I was asked to draw a picture of a female character on a beach in Hawaii, so of course I drew Sonia. The Horror at Martin’s Beach is in the background. Lovecraft’s legs & torso, and Sonia’s feet, look a little off, darnit…
I’m still working on the next page of The Doom That Came to Sarnath — it’ll go up on Thursday. Sorry for the delay, but I’m finally back from Jordan, and catching up on work!
The artist picture is so good, that in its own way, it seems to have a life story of its own. Like so:
Sonia Greene: “Oh dear, Darling is that a sea monster over there, devouring the other tourist on this beach?”
Lovecraft: “No my dear. That is not a sea monster. That is the native’s pet dog devouring the other tourist on this beach. Don’t give it a another thought. It already devoured two miscreants for the day, so we are safe.”
Sonia Greene: “Thank you dear, I wonder if you can make a story out of this situation which you can send to your publisher next month?”
Lovecraft: “Don’t worry your head dear, I already have. I am calling it provisionally ‘The Horror at a Hawaiian Beach!’ How does that sound, my love?”
Sonia Greene: “It lacks a certain, what do you call it? A ‘punch’? Why not call it ‘The Horror at Martin’s Beach’ its sounds much more promising.”
Lovecraft: “Splendid idea! ‘The Horror at Martin’s Beach’ sounds like a classic HP Lovecraft tale…”
I doubt they would be so blasé about like Morticia and Gomez Addams. But it would be interesting with Sonja Green leading the way with a timorous Lovecraft hanging back behind her.