NEW POETRY
Circle of Animals by Joshua Alan Sturgill
No Escape from The Bowmen: Frankenstein made a monster to his sorrow. I have forgotten what happened to this unfortunate inventor in the end: but I begin to sympathise with him, though my creation was a more benevolent kind than his.
MACHEN STUDY No. 49
The Monstrance & Karl Heinz: Featuring an integrated text, noted Arthurian scholar David Llewellyn Dodds explores the inspirations behind Machen’s enigmatic war story. Dodds is a contributor to the upcoming Darkly Bright edition of THE TERROR.
NEW POETRY
The Law of Inversion by Joshua Alan Sturgill
Some Novels at the Moment: What is a thesis? It is a proposition, a statement which you lay down and support by argument. For example, anybody who says that black is white, or that the moon is made of green cheese, or that by night all cats are grey, and that he can prove it, is a man with a thesis; and he is bound to be good fun.
NEW POETRY
The Unpuzzling by Joshua Alan Sturgill
Mr. Conrad’s Latest: I have been reading the three tales in the volume very carefully, and I find I do understand my friend’s criticism; and I cordially agree with it. Judging from “Twixt Land and Sea,” I would say that though Mr. Conrad is undoubtedly an admirable craftsman, he is not a great artist: he is a very good writer, but he is not a very good author. This sounds paradoxical; I will try to explain.
MACHEN STUDY No. 48
Thomas Kent Miller examines Arthur Machen’s war story, “The Story of Sergt. Richard Haughton” in a new essay: Making Supernatural Ecstasy. Miller is a contributor to the upcoming Darkly Bright edition of THE TERROR.
The Gondola of London: It cannot be helped, and London being London, one must get about in it as quickly as possible; but do not let us imagine that nothing lost. There was a gaiety about the old hansoms that the taxicab quite misses. The drivers were sometimes surly and insolvent and swindling rascals, but often they were merry fellows, with glittering hats and a glittering style of speech, and a bright flower in their buttonholes that went well with the smart turn-out before them.
MACHEN MISCELLANEA
NEW POETRY
The City Without A Center by Joshua Alan Sturgill
Why We Should Go To The Play: Day by day there sounds in our ears the wail of women and children, and, answering, the heroic voices of our seamen who went down into the deep cheering, as the waves closed over the torpedoed ships. One can understand the feelings of those who say that in such tremendous and tragical times the theatre is out of place. This point of view is understandable; but it is altogether mistaken.
This autumn, Darkly Bright Press will publish a new critical edition of Arthur Machen’s war-time novel The Terror. Though often considered a minor work in the Machen canon, the new edition will highlight the mythopoeic and perichoretic vision as expressed by the “Apostle of Wonder” in his unique style.
The volume will present three versions of the theological thriller:
The 1917 First British Edition with Annotations
The 1916 Evening News Serialization (First time in book form)
The 1917 Century Abridgment including the original illustrations
Also, we are pleased to include five groundbreaking essays by contemporary writers:
Some Notes on the Bibliography and Setting by Douglas A. Anderson
All Creation Groans by Fr. John Bethancourt
The Letter of Wrath: Liturgy and Prophecy by David Llewellyn Dodds
A Sombre Grove of Enigmas by Thomas Kent Miller
Traditional Wisdom in The Terror by Dale Nelson
Shorter articles focus on the second British edition and later media adaptations of the story, including an unrealized screenplay.
This October, the edition will be released in a limited, numbered hardcover edition before receiving wide trade release in 2025. Stay tuned for more information and preordering schedule.
For now, we present a new article by one of the contributors:
Mythopoeic Fantasy and Rehabilitation by Dale Nelson
The Calvary at Azay: But when we came marching into the ruins of Azay I had no hope of seeing the Calvary in its old place. From the ruin and desolation on every side I was quite assured the cross must have been long broken into fragments by the fire of the two armies. I was astonished when we took up our position by the river to see it still standing there, high over the land of that most horrible desolation. It was as if one had gone down into the abyss of hell and seen that there was also God.
Richard W. Rohlin’s Akboritha is now out-of-print. Some copies may be available at Eighth Day Books.
Moods at Margate: Unless it is absolutely a condition of your holiday happiness that you are one of an immense horde of your fellow creatures, unless you must struggle for a small portion of sand to sit on before you can feel really bright, unless a costly garret with a fine view of the chimney-pots is of the essence of your joys, now in the season of lengthening days, of sunlight that is genial without being too hot, now is the hour of the wise holiday-maker.
NEW POETRY
While Observing A Summer Storm by Joshua Alan Sturgill
A favorite example: Twentieth-Century Village. A new installment will be posted next week.
NEW POETRY
Backyard Cosmology by Joshua Alan Sturgill
Visit Jesse Keith Butler’s new author website.
NEW POETRY
Genesis One by Joshua Alan Sturgill
The Weekly Machen is on hiatus until July 2024. A classic example:
darklybrightpress.com 