LOVECRAFT- “The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind.”

By Néstor Fabricio Paz

NECRONOMICON LOVECRAFT

“The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind.”

Horror novels and everything surrounding the world of the macabre would not be the same without the creator of Cthulhu, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Born at 9 a.m. on August 20, 1890, at his family home on Angell Street in Providence, Rhode Island. His mother was Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft and his father was Winfield Scott Lovecraft.

 As a boy Lovecraft was in a way lonely and suffered from frequent illnesses, many of them apparently psychological. His attendance to the Slater Avenue School was short, but Lovecraft dedicated his time to independent reading.

     After his father deceased the little five year old Lovecraft was left upon his mother, his two aunts, and his grandfather who saw the very early birth of his talent reciting poetry at the age of two, reading at three, and writing at six or seven.

He showed an early enthusiasm for the Arabian Nights, that he read by the age of five; next thing on his list, he adopted the pseudonym of “Abdul Alhazred,” to become the author of the mythical Necronomicon. Nonetheless he was later influenced by the Greek Mythology and produced “The Poem of Ulysses” in 1897, which is in essence a childish version of The Odyssey.

 Lovecraft discovered weird fiction sort of at the same time, and his first story, “The Noble Eavesdropper,” may date to 1896. His interest in the weird was encouraged by his grandfather, who used to amuse the little boy with weird tales in the Gothic mode, and was the first approach of his weird fiction literary approach.

In 1904 Lovecraft’s grandfathers passing, and the following disarrangement of his property and affairs, put Lovecraft’s family into financial difficulties. Lovecraft and his mother were forced to move out of their lavish Victorian home to Angell Street. During the years of 1908 to 1913 Lovecraft turned into a hermit, doing little save pursuing his astronomical interests and his poetry writing.  

       It was after that he reentered the writing of fiction, which he had abandoned in 1908. Lovecraft wrote “The Tomb” and “Dagon” one shortly after the other in the summer of 1917.

      Lovecraft returned to Providence on April 17, 1926, settling at 10 Barnes Street north of Brown University, to spend the last ten years of his life and gift humanity with greatest moment, both as a writer and as a human being. He wrote some of the world’s best known fiction works, “The Call of Cthulhu” (1926) At the Mountains of Madness (1931) “The Shadow out of Time” (1934–35);  He was part of the careers of many young writers now known for their success on the field (August Derleth, Donald Wandrei, Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber).

One of his most famous books The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward, shows in a very brief narration what a mastermind of weird fiction he was, developing personality in the characters, increasing momentum and not allowing the reader to take his eyes of the paper, he provides in those pages with a case of supernatural events following the witchcraft incidents of Salem 3 centuries earlier.

      His later stories did not see the light of great success and by the intestine cancer that caused his death had advanced and was finally commanded to enter Jane Brown Memorial Hospital on March 10, 1937, where he past away five days later. He was buried on March 18 at the Phillips family plot at Swan Point Cemetery. Lovecraft never had a true book published in his lifetime, it was not until times after his passing that his works became widely available and translated into a dozen of different languages.

            “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”. 

            The quote cited before is one of the best ways to describe Lovecraft’s approach of literature.

            One of his most famous books The Case Of Dexter Ward, shows in a very brief narration what a mastermind of weird fiction he was, developing personality in the characters, increasing momentum and not allowing the reader to take his eyes of the paper, he provides in those pages with a case of supernatural events following the witchcraft incidents of Salem 3 centuries earlier.

References:

·         Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Autobiography

·         The Lovecraft File

·         The Call of Cthulhu

·         The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

Coco-Chanel

By María Teresa Larín

Chanel, a name, a brand, a legacy.

“Everyone marries the Duke of Westminster. There are a lot of duchesses, but only one Coco Chanel.”

Coco Chanel is a well-known woman who experienced a tormented early life through several social changes and a life full of controversy, but now she is an icon in the fashion industry and her legacy will be everlasting.

Coco Chanel was born in August 19, 1883, in a charity hospital run by the Sisters of Providence in Saumur, France. Her birth certificate revealed that she was the illegitimate daughter of Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle. A nun named her Gabrielle, which means power and strength in Hebrew.

Gabrielle was the second of five siblings; her father was an itinerant street vendor who was described as irresponsible and Casanova. Albert and Jeanne got married several years after Gabrielle was born. He mistreated his wife and even though, he knew she was sick with asthma, Jeanne was compelled to work. In February 16, she was found death. Jeanne was 33 years old.

Albert sent Gabrielle and his two daughters (Julia, Antoinette) to the Convent of Aubazine where Gabrielle learned how to sew, to embroider, to iron immaculately. At 18, she was transferred to Notre Dame, where she lived in a boarding house until 21 years of age, but Alphonse and Lucien, Chanel’s brothers, ran worse luck to be handed to a cruel peasant family. Albert Chanel was a closed chapter in Gabrielle’s life.

Gabrielle started to work as seamstress and learned how to make hats. There are various stories about how she acquired the name Coco. She was invited to a Café-concert, and she was impressed and decided to start a career as singer, she got hired in Moulins pavilion, "La Rotonde", although she was not a good singer her repertoire was limited to two songs and she had great acceptance interpreting the singsong “Qui qu'a vu Coco” which means who has seen Coco? From that came the nickname Coco, that she took forever because it sounds good before her last name.

Coco Chanel met Etienne Balsan, a young, weathy playboy, who awoke her first romantic illusions, she was invited to Royallieu, a XIII century castle, where she discovered luxury, servants, fine dining, salons, jokes and parties. Etienne taught her how to ride a horse, how to behave as a lady and so on.

Chanel designed and ordered pants to the village sailor. She was not afraid to be original and innovated. Dresses and overelaborated hats of the Belle époque were not her style. By that time, Etienne abandoned her concubine and decided to show Coco to the public. She visited frequently Royallieu and met Arthur Capel an English socialite, friend of Etienne, famous Polo player, he handled successfully The Coal mines of Newcastle and he got together with the highest financial groups of London and Paris.

One night, Chanel expressed her ideas about opening a little atelier in Paris, Etienne though that it was a bad idea but Capel encouraged her by saying “you have talent “why don’t you explode it?” Etienne pretended to help her and he even lent his bachelor apartment in Paris as soon as possible Chanel moved in and started her hat business. It went so well that in 1910, financed by Capel, she established her first Mansion Chanel and she started a relationship with Capel.

In 1913, Coco opened a fashion house in an exclusive resort of Deauville, the center of aristocracy at that time, and this time she dared to include female clothes and these were completely innovated and functional. She eradicated the suffocating corset of the belle époque, her style was a triumph and her profits tripled.

World War I started, Coco and Capel’s business went fine. In June, 1915, Coco opened in “Biarritz” a Fashion House where the whole Spanish world went. In 1916, she was the first one to introduce fabrics like the jersey into women’s fashion.

In Paris, she became friend of Marie Sophie Olga Godebska Natanson Edwards, best known as Misia, daughter of the sculptor Ciprien Godebski. Misia was surrounded by dancers, painters, sculptors, poets and writers. Misia introduced her into a world full of geniuses that Coco met. In an intimate conversation Coco confessed her only desire to Misia “My greatest desire is to get married” , but after eight years of relationship and a miscarriage, Capel was distant and unexpectedly he announced his break up with Coco.

Chanel’s world was collapsed. The break-up occurred in the peak moment of her creativity, she was designing white satin pants for her clients that became popular, the war ended and the first outbreak of women’s liberation emerged. The Simple and elegant style of Chanel was accepted from New York to Buenos Aires and in an enraged moment as an act of revenge she trimmed her beautiful, long, black hair into a manly style. Immediately women imitated her hair cut.

Her business was successful and she decided to move into a bigger shop unit, she bought a dark blue Rolls-Royce and ordered to be upholstered in black and launched a fashion trend with many followers.

In 1919, Capel died in a car accident, Coco was included in his will.

Coco started an innovating stage using rabbit’s fur in her designs and it was an overwhelming success. Several romances occurred during Chanel´s life but all of them were unsuccessful probably because the variety of problems that she faced during her childhood.

The Chanel´s Emporium was established and every single woman in the world was surrendered to Chanel´s jewelry, designs, and fragrances. The Chanel trademark provides confidence and freedom to women around the world and through history.

The jewelry collection of Chanel named Bijoux de Diamants was executed exclusively in diamonds and platinum and consolidated her as a brilliant jewelry designer. Every creation was unique but Chanel was the only one who inspired in the opulence of her collection the costly jewels of the aristocracy, she was able to combine imitations with real jewels and she used to say: "It's disgusting to walk around with millions around the neck because one happens to be rich. I only like fake jewelry … because it's provocative."

Coco introduced the Chanel suit and pulled skirts from ankle to above the knee. The moralists were petrified and in 1921, one of the most important events of her life occurred: The launched of her perfume Chanel N°5. A fragrance elaborated by Coco Chanel and the perfumist Ernest Beaux, the acceptance was immediate and the perfume became a classic.

Coco was 80 years old and her perfume was still number one in sales, although she was a millionaire, she worked until the day of her death. As an announcement of a sad day, morning came gray, in January, 1^st, 1971 Coco Chanel´s maid heard a cry and went to help her and found her covered in tears. –“They are killing me”- Coco complained. –“Who mademoiselle?”- Asked the maid and there was not answer to the question, because the last words of Coco Chanel were:-“see? This is how you die” and she left this world and a glorious legacy in fashion.

Through the metaphorical journey we called “life” Gabrielle “coco” Bonheur Chanel created an unbreakable fashion emporium and an everlasting legend about her controversial life; and still some mysteries and stories remain unknown.

Vincent van Gogh

By Lilian Hernández 

CHILDISH PAINTING

Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime and it was called The Red Vineyard. Vincent Van Gogh was a painter born on March 30^th 1853, in Groot – Zundert, The Netherlands, he was the first son of a middle class family and he had a younger brother named Theo.

Van Gogh belonged to a Christian family and the Van Gogh`s mother educated her son in some Christian aspects; he studied at different schools but he started working when he was only 15 due to financial problems in the family.

Vincent spoke 4 languages including his native one, this is a proof of how smart he actually was, but he used to suffer from other events like when a girlfriend rejected a marriage proposal and he became lonely.

The painter decided then, to study in different branches yet, he preferred the “Art of Painting” he was a sensitive human being who appreciated nature and all around him.

Van Gogh suffered of so much depression, that he cut off his own ear; some studies indicate that he had different problems, especially; mental such as anxiety, mania, and epilepsy among others that he tried to control nonetheless it was impossible. It is supposed that it was because he was born with a brain lesion. He wrote more than 800 letters; moreover this problem was called Hypergraphia.

Vincent was a natural painter when he was alone and depressed, yet he did not have any serious relationships apart from his brother Theo the helped and supported him. He went to the hospital on different occasions but he had been painting continuously as he decided to use different colors and forms to his pieces and approached variety of cultures; the Japanese culture was important because he found in it art and form of the light among others.

When he was still alive people did not appreciate anything that was related to him the current society thought that he was dangerous and on one occasion they applied the law and it was necessary for him to move into a different location. Vincent lived in different places such as Paris, France.

At the time his works were sold in exchange for a reduced amount. He finally died in Ausers – South – Oise, France on July 29^th, 1890 close to the only person who really appreciated and loved him, his brother Theo.

Nowadays, most people around the world know Van Gogh`s work and appreciate all the paintings and are valued in large quantities of money. He has receives the title of the “Father of Impressionism” because of his techniques.

“Ask for me, I am rather often uneasy in my mind, because I think that my life has not been calmed enough; all those bitter disappointments, adversities, changes keep me from developing fully and naturally in my artistic career” (vincent-van-gogh) 

wikipedia.van_Gogh