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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MGibster" data-source="post: 8240493" data-attributes="member: 4534">I can buy that Lovecraft might have been a bit more virulent than others but exceptionally racist by the standards of the 20s and 30s?  No.  During Lovecraft's relatively short life, the United States experienced strong nativist leanings, lynching was practically a national past time, 1915's Birth of a Nation led to the 2nd incarnation of the KKK which went on to become a mainstream organization (not just in the South), anti-Semitism reached it's peak, and many historians consider the 20s and 30s to be the nadir of race relations in America (post Reconstruction). The sad truth is that Lovecraft's racism was very much within mainstream standards of the era, which, again, was a particularly ugly time. This doesn't vindicate Lovecraft for the hateful things he wrote of course and I've got no problem with people bringing attention to it. But saying he was exceptionally racist for the era kind of lets the rest of America off the hook.But just for the moment, let's assume that Lovecraft was exceptionally bigoted even by the standards of his time.  So what?  Lovecraft wasn't a particularly wealthy man, he wasn't politically connected, and he wasn't even a very successful author during his lifetime.  He was never in a position to do a lot of harm and what honors he does currently receive aren't because of his racist beliefs.  Me too.  I think we're all still struggling to come to terms with the problematic nature of a lot of the literature we grew up loving.  And the struggle will be an ongoing process rather than something with a definitive end.</blockquote>

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