Brief Note on Lovecraft's Spelling

Forum-mate, Roger, noted this. See his terrific Lovecraft web site here.

Just one (very pedantic) point that I've noticed in American reviews of Lovecraft. The section, "S.H. [Sonia] is urging me to take it up if it definitely materialises" is followed by [sic] which means the editor is noting the author's error. However, this is not an error on Lovecraft's part because, being the Anglophile that he was, he frequently, in his stories and other writings, spelled words in the English rather than the American way.

Here is the example he quotes from my artice on Lovecraft's "He".

He relates, "Henneberger ... has in mind a new magazine ... 'right in my line', and he wants to know if I would consider moving to Chicago to edit it! My gawd, Pete, bring the stretcher! It may be a fliver, but S.H. [Sonia] is urging me to take it up if it definitely materialises [sic] ... She would be willing to move at any time, for the milinery world of Chicago...". In the same breath, Lovecraft decides, "such a break from the Colonial scenes would be a little short of tragic; and big though the proposition would be ... I would not consent ...". That was basically that. ... * H.P. Lovecraft, Letters From New York, ed. S.T. Joshi and David E. Scultz, 2005, Night Shade Books, isbn 1892389371, p.47