|
Post by David A. Riley on Jul 28, 2010 7:26:12 GMT
loving the Suster anecdotes, Mark, but can't help thinking you missed out as i'm sure you would have come to cherish a handwritten curse from a master of black sorcery. don't know about "OTO magical masturbation", but in his The Supernatural In Fiction, Peter Penzoldt decides that The Novel Of The White Powder is Machen's thinly veiled anti-tribute to the guilt and self-loathing that follows the act. Not read it in ages but there's a little more detail on the Marjorie Bowen/ Great Tales Of Horror thread. I love those Suster anecdotes too. Mark's made them so vivid I can imagine I'm there with him! I feel like I've missed out on something in never having met the man. I'm sure there's a novel - or at least a longish short story in him there somewhere. I read somewhere the same thing about The Novel of the White Powder, Dem. I can't remember what book it was in. I failed to understand why at the time Machen would have done that, though the magick connection perhaps explains it. Sort of...
|
|
|
Post by Craig Herbertson on Jul 28, 2010 8:36:46 GMT
loving the Suster anecdotes, Mark, but can't help thinking you missed out as i'm sure you would have come to cherish a handwritten curse from a master of black sorcery. [/url] thread.[/quote] The only danger with that Dem, is elucidated in The Casting of the Runes. I've only encountered some minor adepts (how minor I don't know as is the nature of the game) and I would have retired to a monastery if they'd put a curse on me.
|
|
|
Post by marksamuels on Jul 28, 2010 8:40:48 GMT
loving the Suster anecdotes, Mark, but can't help thinking you missed out as i'm sure you would have come to cherish a handwritten curse from a master of black sorcery. don't know about "OTO magical masturbation", but in his The Supernatural In Fiction, Peter Penzoldt decides that The Novel Of The White Powder is Machen's thinly veiled anti-tribute to the guilt and self-loathing that follows the act. Not read it in ages but there's a little more detail on the Marjorie Bowen/ Great Tales Of Horror thread. OTO magical masturbation is one of those sex magic things. All seed not deposited in the reproductive portion of a lady is supposed to be fed upon by sinister astral entities (Qlippoth I imagine); unless the wanking is done under "will" with a specific purpose in mind. I think that's the idea. Anyway, Gerald and I differed over the interpretation of "The Rites of Lilith" which turns up in Machen & A.E. Waite's The House of the Hidden Light. He mentions that Penzoldt theory in his essay that kicked off the debate "Arthur Machen---Satanist???" I suspect Gerald thought the pseudonymous author of the riposte (i.e. me) might have been Golden Dawn scholar Bob Gilbert (whom he once heckled during a lecture and then upped the ante by jumping up on stage to engage with him in a bout of fisticuffs). Alas, the only handwritten note I have from Gerald isn't a curse but a rather twee postcard depicting the zodiacal Aries on the front, and, on the reverse, he congratulates me on my story "The Search for Kruptos" and says he's looking forward to our next meeting at the Cheshire Cheese pub. My good mate Ray Russell did once get one of those handwritten curses from Gerald;quite the full monty. But his wife Rosalie binned it, I believe. Mark S.
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Jul 28, 2010 8:53:41 GMT
in his The Supernatural In Fiction, Peter Penzoldt decides that The Novel Of The White Powder is Machen's thinly veiled anti-tribute to the guilt and self-loathing that follows the act. I read somewhere the same thing about The Novel of the White Powder, Dem... I failed to understand why at the time Machen would have done that Why he would have had a wank, or why he would have felt guilty about it? Or why he would have written about it?
|
|
|
Post by David A. Riley on Jul 28, 2010 9:37:57 GMT
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Jul 28, 2010 10:22:31 GMT
Love the anecdotes, Mark. Great stuff. I still have to sample Suster; I read most of the british occult writers, but his work is still on the to buy-list.
And it is astonishing how Casting the Runes invaded the public conciousness. Just saw Drag me to Hell for the first time these days. Not Raimi´s finest hour. But it was amusing how he re-used - or downright stole - elements from the movie version of the story. Maybe I am getting old and cranky, but compared to a lot of todays movies, Curse of the Demon is better than most of them.
|
|
|
Post by Johnlprobert on Jul 28, 2010 10:39:21 GMT
And it is astonishing how Casting the Runes invaded the public conciousness. Just saw Drag me to Hell for the first time these days. Not Raimi´s finest hour. But it was amusing how he re-used - or downright stole - elements from the movie version of the story. Maybe I am getting old and cranky, but compared to a lot of todays movies, Curse of the Demon is better than most of them. Good point. I thought Drag Me to Hell was derivative of many things (EC Comics especially) but the Jamesian connection hadn't occurred to me. Great anecdotes by the way Mark - I suspect Mr Suster and I wouldn't have got on at all!
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Jul 28, 2010 10:58:36 GMT
it is astonishing how Casting the Runes invaded the public conciousness. Just saw Drag me to Hell for the first time these days. Not Raimi´s finest hour. But it was amusing how he re-used - or downright stole - elements from the movie version of the story. Well, Tourneur was a genius - and, let's face it, it's the film (rather than the MRJ story) that has "invaded public consciousness" (though that does seem to be overstating it a bit). And to be fair to Raimi, he is very open about his influences. I enjoyed "Drag Me To Hell" immensely - I will take Raimi over po-faced torture porn any day.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jul 28, 2010 12:17:29 GMT
Mark, did he ever discuss his pulp novels? Would have loved to have had a session with him circa The Handyman! Gareth Medway devotes two pages to the News Of The World incident in his Wheatley (and Haining!) bashing The Lure Of The Sinister: The Unnatural History Of Satanism (New York University Press, 2001). "When I spoke with Suster, over a generous helping of Whiskey, in February 1995 ..." To his credit, even the Evangelist Kevin Logan squirmed at the NOTW's dubious tactics in his otherwise rather terrifying Satanism & The OccultI can see what Peter Penzoldt was getting at, but not sure I agree with him. According to Penzoldt, all the Beast With Five Fingers creeping hand efforts are coming from the same guilt trip. Penzoldt seems to have been incredibly squeamish - the list of horror stories he wished to see banned on account of their "obscenity" is quite astounding to behold. None of which prevents The Supernatural In Fiction from being a thoroughly engrossing read. He was more at home with the trad ghost story, devoting chapters to MRJ, Walter De La Mare and Blackwood. No curses, but among my souvenirs from v*mp*re days, two clip-folders full of choice items - one, delightfully, addressed to 'JUDAS D-----T' (the postman was very impressed) - some pseudonymous, some anonymous, but all bearing the unmistakable stamp of a rather notorious screaming lord fauntleroy type who fondly believed himself to be Gods spiritual adviser.
|
|
|
Post by David A. Riley on Jul 28, 2010 12:32:02 GMT
"the Evangelist Kevin Logan" is local to me. He stood here for the Christian Party at the last general Election. Strong anti-Satanist/Occult man. Trust my luck to have him as a neighbour. Would much rather have had a Suster.
|
|
|
Post by marksamuels on Jul 28, 2010 12:48:15 GMT
Mark, did he ever discuss his pulp novels? i'd have loved to have had a session with him circa The Handyman! Gareth Medway devotes two pages to the News Of The World incident in his Wheatley (and Haining!) bashing The Lure Of The Sinister: The Unnatural History Of Satanism (New York University Press, 2001). "When I spoke with Suster, over a generous helping of Whiskey, in February 1995 ..." To his credit, even the Evangelist Kevin Logan squirmed at the NOTW's dubious tactics in his otherwise rather terrifying Satanism & The Occulti can see what Peter Penzoldt was getting at, but i'm not sure i agree with him. According to Penzoldt, all the Beast With Five Fingers creeping hand efforts are coming from the same guilt trip. Penzoldt seems to have been incredibly squeamish - the list of horror stories he wished to see banned on account of their "obscenity" is quite astounding to behold. None of which prevents The Supernatural In Fiction from being a thoroughly engrossing read. He was more at home with the trad ghost story, devoting chapters to MRJ, Walter De La Mare and Blackwood. no curses, but among my souvenirs from v*mp*re days, two clip-folders full of choice items - one, delightfully, addressed to 'JUDAS D-----T' (the postman was very impressed) - some pseudonymous, some anonymous, but all bearing the unmistakable stamp of a rather notorious screaming lord fauntleroy type who fondly believed himself to be Gods spiritual adviser. Dem Alas, no he didn't. In fact, at the time, I'd only read his Machen The Three Impostors inspired novels, viz Labyrinth of Satan and The God Game (I think there's another one I may have forgotten, too). I didn't know that he had written all the other stuff, or even that it existed. Gerald did introduce me to The Clifton Pub in St John's Wood, which is the "secret" pub Machen mentions in The London Adventure. A brilliant boozer, and one of my favourites. He was also a porno specialist and co-wrote, with Michaela, several books for the Black Pearl imprint (I think that was the name of it). One time I was in a remainder bookshop with Roger Dobson and he showed me some of Gerald's efforts on the shelf. Can't remember what his pseudonym was, though if I saw a list I might recall. Anyway, I do remember that one featured Machen attending a debased Victorian orgy. Btw, it did occur to me a few years back that my own tale "The White Hands" was really just a wanking story about two sad old necrophiles. And finally, as for that infamous episcopi vagante you mention Dem, I wish Old Gerald and he had crossed paths... what fireworks there'd have been! Mark S.
|
|
|
Post by marksamuels on Jul 28, 2010 13:05:18 GMT
Oh, and if I recall rightly, Gerald came along to Des Lewis's surprise 50th birthday bash at the Princess Louise pub. I remember Gerald coming over to talk to me and Simon Clark (the two shared a publisher I think). After 2 minutes Simon scarpered, leaving me all alone with Gerald ... Mark S.
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Jul 28, 2010 13:08:18 GMT
He was also a porno specialist and co-wrote, with Michaela, several books for the Black Pearl imprint (I think that was the name of it)... Can't remember what his pseudonym was, though if I saw a list I might recall. "Alan Dale", apparently.
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Jul 28, 2010 13:21:55 GMT
"the Evangelist Kevin Logan" is local to me. He stood here for the Christian Party at the last general Election. Strong anti-Satanist/Occult man. Trust my luck to have him as a neighbour. Would much rather have had a Suster. Have you read any of his books, David? Satanic Survivor and anti-Occult *ahem* "non-fiction" held some kind of morbid fascination for me around the turn of the century and his was one of several such books i DEVOURED at the time trying to get my head around it all. Logan was one of the chief players in the "Satanic Ritual Abuse" hysteria and it comes as no surprise that he's still banging the drum. After Satanism & The Occult i picked up his Wicca & Paganism or some-such from the library hoping for more of the same rather entertaining lurid sensationalism but it was just deathly dull. Roger Ellis's Young People & The Occult is a stormer, mind! Good grief! Just typed 'rev kevin logan books' in google and fourth from the top is the Vault review! Oh, and if I recall rightly, Gerald came along to Des Lewis's surprise 50th birthday bash at the Princess Louise pub. I remember Gerald coming over to talk to me and Simon Clark (the two shared a publisher I think). After 2 minutes Simon scarpered, leaving me all alone with Gerald ... Mark S. Small world. Of the very few occult shin-digs I attended in the early-mid noughties, three were upstairs at The Princess Louise. Think the London Vampyre Group held their meetings there for a while too. And somehow Simon Clark wound up being lumbered with a real ropey Vault contingent at some BFS Ye Olde Cock Tavern event. Bloody lovely bloke, is Simon!
|
|
|
Post by marksamuels on Jul 28, 2010 13:32:45 GMT
Well done, Dr Strange! I'm impressed. Where did you find that out? Here's a photo of the magus himself on the telly (some cable or satellite show I think). Mark S.
|
|