NEWS ... and ... NOTES
The first publication of MACABRE HOUSE, "H. P. Lovecraft: An Evaluation", a small pamphlet, appeared in 1955. After four years, the little brochure, now o.p., returned a net profit of about $10. This is scarcely an auspicious beginning for a publishing house but, in spite of it, a second, far more costly undertaking is being attempted. Our second title is a hard-bound book, "The Dark Returners", a collection of macabre stories by Joseph Payne Brennan. This book is published in a limited edition of 150 copies, numbered and signed. It is selling for $3. The response to this second publication will determine whether MACABRE HOUSE continues its existence or abandons all further projects for the foreseeable future. All nine stories in "The Dark Returners" are new and previously unpublished..... MACABRE (the magazine) is still in the red; strong subscriber support is a vital and continuing need..... Two new Lovecraft titles from ARKHAM HOUSE: "Some Notes on H. P. Lovecraft" ($1.25 now available) and "The Shuttered Room" ($5, due in Oct.)..... Most readers will also want "Arkham House: The First 20 Years" ($1, now available)..... 1959 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. In spite of the celebrations and exhibitions in his honor, the fact remains there is scarcely a magazine in America which would publish his stories if he were alive and writing today. The gadget-and-gimmick S-F magazines regard supernatural fantasy with contempt. Ghost and horror stories are also taboo in the slicks and the academic quarterlies. And WEIRD TALES is only a memory..... We still have hopes that WEIRD TALES may yet be revived, or that a new magazine of a similar type may arise..... We might addt that we consider MACABRE in no way a competitor to any existing or projected magazine or publishing house. We urge our readers to support any new weird story magazine which may appear. We feel that MACABRE'S position is that of a supplementary publication, not a competitive one.
-- The Editor
