David Goodwin discusses his micro-biography of the famed horror writer’s period in New York City that shaped his literary career and the inextricable racism in his work.

Registration for this event has sold out. A limited number of standby tickets will be available on the day of the event.

H.P. Lovecraft stands among the most influential genre writers of the 20th century. He was also an unreformed racist and bigot. Perhaps no story better exemplifies his hatred than “The Horror at Red Hook,” the manuscript of which is held by the New York Public Library. David Goodwin’s new book, Midnight Rambles, which was researched at the Library, explores Lovecraft’s brief residence in New York City between 1924 and 1926, a crucial yet often overlooked chapter in his life. It draws from letters, memoirs, and more to develop a portrait of a talented and troubled author and to offer insights into his horrific beliefs on race, ethnicity, and immigration.

Goodwin lectures on Lovecraft’s New York chapter, and how the City went from a place of liberation to a source for his ever-increasing xenophobia and racism.

To join | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 1:30 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

David J. Goodwin is the Assistant Director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University and a past Frederick Lewis Allen Room scholar at The New York Public Library. His first book, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street, received the J. Owen Grundy History Award in 2018. He has written for Gotham: A Blog for Scholars of New York City History, The Metropole, The Providence Journal, Sapientia, and Urban Archive. 

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ACCESSIBILITY

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Courtesy David Goodwin