Featured Member
Our Member of the Month for May, 2021 is Nathan Sells of Ottawa, Canada.
Nathan says: "I first found my way to Lovecraftiana in 2007. I perused the stacks of my local library beset with the questions that haunt all middle-schoolers, like “Who’s this guy my D&D books keep referencing?” and “What the heck is this word? Why does it have so many consonants?” I found the answers tucked away in a book of short stories where I first read 'The Dreams in the Witch House', a story that remains one of my favourites to this day. That was enough to hook me. I quickly read all the other stories the library system had to offer me, and like any good cultist I began spreading what I found. Lovecraft quickly became a way to connect with new friends, an inspiration for the roleplaying that had drawn me to him in the first place, and a lens through which to explore history.
At some point early in my explorations of Lovecraft I found my way onto the HPLHS website, and…well, there’s a reason I’m still here. Suddenly there weren’t just books to read, but props and movies and radio plays and a whole community of like-minded weirdos. It propelled me deeper into the hobby. The HPLHS is also directly responsible for one of my favourite Lovecraft memories.
When I worked at an overnight camp, I was known to have the best cabin to watch at night. Where other cabins were likely to be full of rambunctious children battling against sleep, the children of mine were quietly gathered around speakers to listen to a chapter of a DART show. Not only did this give me ample time to engage in nameless rituals, it was amazing to watch the general confusion in the dining hall, as a group of ten-year-olds arrived discussing what exactly an Elder Thing looked like, instead of the day’s activities.
I now feel confident answering the questions of my younger self (well, I’m still not sure how to pronounce a few names…) and I prompt fun ones from friends like “Nathan, what’s that on your shelf?” and “Was that NPC Nyarlathotep, again?” It a stage I could never have reached without this wonderful and august community."