Clark Ashton Smith was not a lurcher. And this post was supposed to be about our horde of little donkeys, but we came across something which needed a mention at the right time. Which is around now. As great enthusiasts of Smith’s weird fiction, we spotted plans by film-maker Darin Coelho Spring to make the very first biographical film covering Smith’s life and work. What a good idea, we thought. So in the hope of drumming up support, we invited Darin to call in and say a few words.
We should have an introduction to Smith himself first, but we’ll keep it short, because the best thing to do is to read his works, many of which are available new or second-hand.
Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) was born in California, self-educated, and by the age of seventeen was already selling stories to magazines. He was very well-read and a prolific writer of both poetry and prose. His influences varied from Lord Dunsany to Helena Blavatsky (co-founder of the Theosophical Society) and the Arabian Nights, and as a result he produced many truly original stories of lost worlds, tales of lands which never were, which also echo legends of Atlantis and pre-history.
Some of his more sorcerous tales might be said to foreshadow the Dying Earth series of Jack Vance. The language and names he used were rich and poetic, evoking matters on the edge of comprehension, and yet his stories remain surprisingly accessible as well.
Our own favourite is his land of Averoigne, less fantastical than the others but just as eerie, which has the feel of medieval France with its dark forests and isolated taverns. We’ve talked before about our love for stories like The Colossus of Ylourgne (see twelve tales which linger). Here’s an Averoigne tale on audio from Ghastly Tales, for you to get the feel.
One notable aspect of his career is that from 1933 to 1936, Smith, Robert E Howard and H P Lovecraft were the leaders of the Weird Tales school of fiction and corresponded frequently, which lead to Smith participating in what Lovecraft playfully called “yog-sothothery”. Others later coined the term Cthulhu Mythos to cover this branch of weird fiction.
Smith died in 1961 after a series of strokes, leaving behind him not only his writing but also a considerable amount of art. His ashes were scattered in his home town of Auburn, California. Not Auburn, East Riding of Yorkshire, the drowned village besides which we run the longdogs, but we like the connection.
Enough of that. Let’s turn to Darin to talk about the film he’s making…
greydog: Hi Darin, and welcome to greydogtales. We know that you’re in the middle of filming and running your campaign, so we’ll stick to a few quick questions to bring people up to speed. Firstly, why Clark Ashton Smith? What drew you so strongly to his story?
darin: One reason is my close proximity to Auburn, where Smith was born and spent most of his life. I was raised and still live in Placerville, California, which is about 45 minutes from Auburn. They are sort of sister cities and both historic Gold Rush towns. I only found Smith’s writing a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised that a pivotal figure in the field of fantastic literature was from my general area. As soon as I started reading his work, I was immediately drawn in by his unique vision and style. That he is poet, fantasist and outsider artist is just a winning combination in my book!
greydog: We’re not experts in the various possible approaches which can be used in biographical films. Do you intend to treat Ashton’s life in a linear fashion, era by era?
darin: The film will mostly follow his life in linear fashion but with digressions.
greydog: To what extent is Donald Sidney-Fryer, who met Smith, edited volumes of his poetry and wrote a biography of Smith, The Emperor of Dreams, involved in the project?
darin: Donald is interviewed extensively in the film, reads some poetry and appears in historical CAS locations. He was also instrumental in supplying me with contacts, information and books. He really has been immensely helpful and giving of his time.
greydog: Tell us something about the other people you’re interviewing for the film.
darin: I went to Harlan Ellison’s house to interview him. What an experience! He really thinks highly of Smith’s prose style but is “too hard hearted” for poetry. I went to Seattle to interview S.T. Joshi and Wilum Pugmire. Joshi is obviously a great interview subject as he has edited numerous Smith editions and gotten him into Penguin Classics. He also provided important material relating to Smith’s relationship with H.P. Lovecraft.
I really wanted to meet and interview Wilum Pugmire because when I first sought information on Smith there was nothing on Youtube except Wilum’s wonderful videos. I love those videos and got to appear in one after a night of no sleep. I interviewed the young Weird poets K.A. Opperman (Kyle) and Ashley Dioses to show Smith’s continuing legacy and influence. I will also be interviewing Ron Hilger, Scott Connors, Jack Foley and Bill Dorman.
greydog: His use of language was extraordinary, he wrote an enormous amount of poetry and over a hundred pieces of short fiction. He also painted, and produced some fascinating sculptures. Will you be reflecting on his actual output, or concentrating primarily on life events?
darin: Yes, I will spend a lot of time on his created worlds and individual works. “The Hashish-Eater” and “The City of the Singing Flame” will receive special attention. I have also filmed some artwork and sculptures and have scanned 70 photos so far.
greydog: The Weird Tales triumvirate of Clark Ashton Smith, H P Lovecraft and Robert E Howard never met, and only E Hoffman Price, to our knowledge, ever met all three of them. HPL might be seen as the letter-writing glue which held the circle together. To what extent do you explore these relationships in the film?
darin: I find his 15 year friendship and correspondence with H.P. Lovecraft fascinating and important; I plan on highlighting it in the film. Their poems in dedication to each other are moving.
greydog: And as a final bit of curiosity, Smith spent most of his life in his home town of Auburn. For our many listeners who will know nothing of the place, is there anything in the nature of Auburn or that area which is reflected in Smith’s work?
darin: Auburn and the foothills of Northern California are reflected in some important Smith tales. “Genius Loci” and “The Devotee of Evil” take place in or near Auburn. “The Devotee of Evil” even makes reference to a famous Auburn murder. “The City of the Singing Flame” takes place on Crater Ridge in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which is now a ski resort!
Many of his poems have a poignant relation to place but, unlike Lovecraft, Smith didn’t celebrate or mythologize his hometown. He really was an outsider and many times wished to not only leave Auburn but leave the U.S. In a letter to R.H. Barlow he stated “I could never live in any modern city, and am more an ‘outsider’ than HPL. His ‘outsideness’ was principally in regard to time-period; mine is one of space, too.”
greydog: Thanks for talking to us, and we wish you all the best in getting the film together. We’re looking forward to it.
darin: Thanks for spreading the word!
If you want to know more and to support Darin’s project, then do go and have a look at it on Indiegogo and check out the rewards you can win as a backer.
emperor of dreams film campaign
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We also note that the spoken word label Cadabra is putting out a limited edition release of Clark Ashton Smith’s poetry, so this seems a good time to mention it.
On June 3, the label will release “Inferno”, which will feature Smith’s horror poetry, with in-depth liner notes written by scholar S. T. Joshi and artwork by Cadabra founder Jonathan Dennison. This EP apparently marks the first time any of Smith’s poetry has been released on audio.
inferno: the horror poetry of clark ashton smith
And here’s a closing treat – another from Ghastly Tales, the classic (non-Averoigne) story The Abominations of Yondo, narrated again by Martin Yates.
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We’re done, and need lurcher time. Back in a couple of days or so with more weirdities from all over the place. Don’t forget to subscribe if you want to be warned when the lurchers turn up, or keep your head down when it gets scary here…