tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post897418302769083475..comments2024-02-20T10:12:20.623+00:00Comments on The Blog That Time Forgot: Turn off your Mind, folks: Gary Lachman's Way Ahead of YouTaranaichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-7184292512886151242011-09-08T01:18:20.721+01:002011-09-08T01:18:20.721+01:00Lachman wrote
"For better or worse Howard wa...Lachman wrote<br /><br />"For better or worse Howard was an autodidact"<br /><br />So is Lachman.<br /><br />He was an American who got fortunate enough to be taken under the wing of Colin Wilson.<br /><br />Note: In another part of Turn Off Your Mind, he refers to Idries Shah as an Arab.<br /><br />Idries Shah was British-Afghan, not Arab. <br /><br />What I disliked most was that L took a stance of snarky detachment, treating people and their suffering as though they were amusing specimens.<br /><br />One can be scholarly and objective and yet write with a basic respect for those who put their hearts, minds and bodies on the line. <br /><br />Many did not come back--physically or psychologically. <br /><br />Many friends and family members and partners were left to grieve. <br /><br />I live in a city where some persons remain casualties of the Sixties and Seventies. The fortunate ones have caregivers and indoor domiciles that are safe and dignified. The many who do not walk the streets alternating between numbness and agony. <br /><br />Wish them well and spare a tear for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-88888462493179077202010-07-19T18:42:22.971+01:002010-07-19T18:42:22.971+01:00I'm not arguing that Howard didn't live in...I'm not arguing that Howard didn't live in a cultural environment as rich as Lovecraft, Syon: I'm arguing with Lachman's assertion that it was nonexistent.<br /><br />The argument that Howard had "little experience with the world" is demonstrably false. "no encouragement to write" - again, false. "practically no access to philosophical or literary discussion" - just read his letters to Harold Preece, Tevis Clyde Smith and others.<br /><br />Lachman wasn't just talking about a lack of cultural depth, but a lack of experience with the world in general - this, again, is false.Taranaichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-79417971274728379532010-07-14T01:36:50.983+01:002010-07-14T01:36:50.983+01:00I read the Google Books preview of Gary Lachman...I read the Google Books preview of Gary Lachman's TURN OFF YOUR MIND, and it is an atrocious work of pseudo scholarship, a crude mixture of ill-digested secondary sources and puerile psycho-analysis.However, having said that, I do think that his portrait of the general lack of cultural depth in Howard's West Texas environment does hold up.<br /><br />Writers and their cultural milieux: For example, let us compare the respective cultural environments of T.S. Eliot and William Faulkner:<br /><br />Eliot: Spent the bulk of his life in the environs of St. Louis, Boston-Cambridge (MA), and greater London. <br /><br />Faulkner: Spent the bulk of his life in Oxford, Mississippi.Brief excursions to other areas (New Orleans, Canada, Europe, California, Virginia).<br /><br />I think that most people would agree that Eliot enjoyed substantially greater cultural opportunities than did Faulkner, as measured in such things as access to major libraries, museums, publishing houses, etc. <br /><br />Comparing Howard with Lovecraft:<br /><br />Lovecraft: Lived in Providence (RI) and New York.<br /><br />Howard: Lived in a series of small towns in West Texas. <br /><br />Again, I think that any objective observer would agree that Lovecraft lived in richer cultural environment than Howard did.syonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04764206921202174601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-90593543440930896332010-07-13T00:22:55.006+01:002010-07-13T00:22:55.006+01:00A great piece of work, Al; just what was needed. ...A great piece of work, Al; just what was needed. Sadly, the Howard piece is representative of this whole sorry tome, and I am in the process of dissecting it for the blog. The Manson / Nazi references are central to his argument (if you can call it that) about "the dark side of the Age of Aquarius" - although what that's got to do with Robert E. Howard is anyone's guess.<br /><br />Despite his plagiaristic tendencies, Lachman is quite good at citing his source. He doesn't however reference "Dark Valley Destiny", just E. Hoffman Price's "A Memory of Robert E. Howard" in Arkham House's "Skullface and Others" (is this the same as the piece printed in "The Howard Collector"). It all goes to show how L. Sprague de Camp's version of history has become the accepted account.<br /><br />I haven't listened to the "Disinformation" podcast yet, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Lachman's account of Howard appears elsewhere. He writes regularly for publications such as "Fortean Times" and, very recently, a piece surfaced in FT that was more or less word for word the section from "Turn Off Your Mind" about Carl Jung, which has now been expanded into a full-scale book. As Lachman is quite happy to cannibalise his scribblings and considers himself to be something of an expert on weird fiction, I would say its fairly likely that the same treatment will one day be accorded to Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and J.R.R. Tolkien (who is clumsily described as "a dour man making a banquet of the hand that feeds him"). Forewarned is fore-armed!<br /><br />PS: A notable omission from the book are references to fantasy / sword and sorcery writers directly involved with the "Underground". Michael Moorcock is only fleetingly referred to in relation to Elric, but there is no mention of his groundbreaking editorship of "New Worlds", his creation of the ultimate '60s anti-hero Jerry Cornelius, or even his involvement with space-rock pioneers Hawkwind who famously jammed with Jimi Hendrix outside of the Isle of Wight Festival (although not with Moorcock!).<br /><br />There is not even a mention of Samuel R. Delany, although his short memoir "Heavenly breakfast: An essay on the winter of love" is a vivid account of life in a commune. I suppose he either doesn't know about this stuff or he can't squeeze it into his Blavatsky / Manson mould.Antony Trepniakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494572175006404939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-86823453004499228162010-07-11T19:01:58.904+01:002010-07-11T19:01:58.904+01:00first of all Michael Moorcok is one of the best fa...first of all Michael Moorcok is one of the best fantasy writers, sometimes, the first, Elric of Melnibone, and the third Weird of the white wolf, of his novels of Elric and The runestaff, I think his style and prose is much better than Howard... ehem... don't hate me too much...<br />more things... 10,000 or 12,000 BC, I don't know this mistake about the Hyborian age, when is the correct date in Howard's works?<br />by the way why REH in a book about urban legends and pop culture of the 60s?<br />Francisco...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-68512136978191423922010-07-08T21:32:48.735+01:002010-07-08T21:32:48.735+01:00Alpers might be to blame for Tolkien's "F...Alpers might be to blame for Tolkien's "Fascist" accusations (which are utterly baseless and as easily disproven as with Howard), though I bet given LotR's popularity any number of silly malcontents eager to stir up controversy would make the link.Taranaichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-50738825960148429242010-07-08T20:59:53.454+01:002010-07-08T20:59:53.454+01:00Hah hah yeah it's a shame when Bands become en...Hah hah yeah it's a shame when Bands become enamored with authors who are too full of themselves.. even if the Hawkwind albums that Moorcock worked on are great.. he's still an ass who can't admit when he's put his foot in his mouth. <br /><br />But it's a standard thing.. these authors always seem to have two things they gets disastrously wrong.. one that Tolkien was a Fascist and two that Howard was a shut in momma's boy... Where they get the Tolkien bit from I'll never understand.. other than his radical traditionalist bent.. I don't see it... at all. <br /><br />At least we know who to blame for the Howard stuff.. *Shakes fist at Dark valley destiny*Lagomorph Rexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06385231158384929598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-77645828253251800782010-07-08T15:07:58.894+01:002010-07-08T15:07:58.894+01:00I guess in the heat of my fanboy rage I made a few...I guess in the heat of my fanboy rage I made a few rather unfortunate errors: thanks to Tex, Pete et al for pointing them out, and my profuse apologies for not being more careful, especially considering the point of my post was to correct Lachman. Gulp! Obviously I meant Hester's sickness as opposed to suicide, but I admit I thought Howard's visits to the local brothel were established. For some reason, I thought the confusion was regarding whether he actually partook in their services, or just visited them to chat. REH loved listening to common folk.<br /><br />Lagomorph, it looks like a match made in heaven. Maybe Blondie'll do a concept album for Perdito Street Station. Now I want to see Blondie & Hawkwind team up!<br /><br />I agree, Kike: a sensitive, intelligent soul like Howard's would have a hard enough time finding a woman in a big city. What chance did he have in the middle of Texas? It's a miracle he found Novalyne at all, and it breaks my heart how it didn't work out.<br /><br />Charles, I totally forgot about New Mexico, so thanks very much. So much for "he never travelled outside of Texas" - which, given the sheer size of the state, is hardly calling him a shut-in either.Taranaichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-66683128492026462562010-07-08T11:20:01.829+01:002010-07-08T11:20:01.829+01:00Yep, another case of shoddy research and just parr...Yep, another case of shoddy research and just parroting what others have said. Dark Valley Destiny still throws a long shadow it seems. Oh, in addition to New Orleans, Howard also traveled to New Mexico, visiting Santa Fe and Carlsbad. I always remember that because Santa Fe is the only place I've been so far that REH also visited.Charles R. Rutledgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14265387377510655973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-8941091623446699342010-07-08T06:12:39.850+01:002010-07-08T06:12:39.850+01:00In that place, at that time, i don´t feel unethica...In that place, at that time, i don´t feel unethical the idea that Howard visited the local brothel. Actually, i find it quite normal. He was a single and young man. <br /><br />I don´t know if there are any evidences or not of him sleeping with prostitutes. And he seems to be a faithful man. But it is a fact that he had only ONE real relationship in his whole life.Kikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15070254713050025760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-40999437605239930152010-07-08T03:15:45.830+01:002010-07-08T03:15:45.830+01:00Nicely done Al - a few corrections. I believe you...Nicely done Al - a few corrections. I believe you meant sickness instead of suicide - "but again, he treats Hester's suicide as a cause for Howard's suicide". Also, I do not believe it is accurate to state definitively that Howard visited the local brothel.Pete Roncolinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-32915046449580538492010-07-08T01:50:43.145+01:002010-07-08T01:50:43.145+01:00RIGHT ON, SWORD-BROTHER!!!
This mooks ramblings a...RIGHT ON, SWORD-BROTHER!!!<br /><br />This mooks ramblings are more damning evidence that the taint of DVD lingers on (hello, Mr. Romeo.)<br /><br />Tex<br />(amused how the putz, near the bottom of page 62, accidentally equates the flower children and hippies of Haight-Ashbury with Hitler and the Nazis as well)Texhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16514613848519711342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7177193073415704349.post-79352451804430284832010-07-08T01:36:56.396+01:002010-07-08T01:36:56.396+01:00well you know it's funny.. I'd just read o...well you know it's funny.. I'd just read on another blog that Blondie has been spending an awful lot of time with China Meivelle.. surprise surprise.. I guess like attracts like.. <br /><br />http://www.blondie.net/photo/debbie-and-china-mieville/Lagomorph Rexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06385231158384929598noreply@blogger.com