I believe Howard to be a racist. I think his best stories rise above that but a great deal of his output is flawed by his racial bias. And he should have known better. There was black, mexican, and even white resistance to racial wrongs in REH's lifetime and in Texas. He wasn't just a victim of his times.
And, yeah, I don't hate de Camp. But geez... I've written glowing essays comparing REH to Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Honore Balzac, and Raymond Carver. I believe that to be HIGH praise. I might be a different kind of fan, with some unorthodox views, but I'm a fan, sure enough. --- Blufftown Barbarian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > >From: Gary Romeo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Subject: Re: [rehfans] Howard and racism > >Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:53:45 -0800 (PST) > > > > > >--- Mike Mott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Howard both consciously and inadvertently > reflected > > > the social attitudes of > > > his time and place. > > > >I agree with this. > > > > > When we look for real racism, we should look for > > > anger, resentment, and > > > intent to denigrate, harm, or oppress. His > fiction > > > did not reflect this. > > > >I disagree here. I see intent to denigrate in his > >comments on race-mixing in "Shadows In Zamboula." > >C'mon, it is based on an incident where he called a > >guy an "it." Also the use of "greaser" in the > Breck > >stories is denigration too. It might fit the > >bone-headed character but it is still denigration. > >The stuff about ape-talk in "The Hour of the > Dragon" > >fits too. Probably a bunch more, I'm forgetting. > > > > >GENUINE racists come in all colors. > > > >True. > > > > > REH was not one of > > > them. > > > >Sadly, not true. > > You know, Gary, you continue to prove the recent > theory by many REHupans > that you are NOT a fan of Robert E. Howard. You've > proven yourself to be a > fan of de Camp, and maybe that is the problem. Why > are you a member of > REHupa? You seem to love to contribute to a > negative image of Robert E. > Howard. Am I wrong? If so, I apologize, but it > certainly doesn't look like > it. > McHaney > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com
