Harris had gone to school at night and soon learned how to speak English. At first, he had earned his living by selling merchandise to the humble folks in the small hamlets and villages on the outskirts of Liverpool. Harris had sent for his wife and two children a few months before Joseph came.
Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 20.
Racille Haft had two brothers: Harris and Joseph Haft.
Harris Haft (1851 – 30 Apr 1921) was the eldest of the siblings.1 In 1871, Harris married Hilda Vaksman (1848 – Jun 1927).2 The couple had eight children, but according to the 1911 census, five children had passed away while only three survived. This appears to be a mistake, as per Harris’s “Family Tree” in Family Search, five children are listed, all with very long lives: Harry Haft (1882–1961), Morris Haft (1883–1943), Sarah Haft (1884–1961), Annie Lily Haft (1884–1960), and Hetty Haft (1888–1969).
Harry Haft3 was a cabinet maker. In July 1904, he married Rebecca Adleman, but the couple separated in 1919. They had three children: Millie Haft, Alexander Haft, and Samuel Morris Haft. Harry married Rebecca “Becky” Glover in 1920, with whom he had two additional children: Horace Haft and Henry Haft. In 1939, Millie and Horace were living at home. Millie was a grocery shop assistant while Horace was a student.
Morris Haft4 was a boot repairer.5 He married Leah Cohen, although the year of their marriage is unknown. The couple had six children: Miriam “Millie” Haft, Abraham Alfred Haft, Lilian Haft, Harry Haft, Gertrude “Gertie” Haft, and Rose Haft. In October 1935, Miriam married Maurice Henry Hyman Glassman,6 while in July 1937, Gertrude married Isadore Glassman.7 I was unable to determine the familial relationship between the two Glassman men.
Sarah Haft is a woman of complete mystery. There is very little documentation on her life. She is listed in the 1891 census with the rest of her family. There is another record, specifically a passenger list for Ellis Island, that may be Sarah. The passenger’s name was Sarah Haft, 21 years of age, a Russian citizen by birth who lived in Cheetham, England, and worked as a dressmaker. Brooklyn was her destination. The ship, Umbria, sailed from Liverpool and arrived at Ellis Island on 20 July 1907.8 Sonia had shared a tidbit about “her English cousins” coming to the United States and “insisted her name was Sonia, not Sarah”.9 Could Sonia’s cousin, Sarah Haft, be the woman in the passenger list and one of the English cousins who came to visit Sonia? It’s hard to say, but it could be a possibility.
Annie Lily Haft Crystal10 married Joseph Louis Crystal on 16 June 1903, and the couple had eight children: Maurice Crystal, Samuel “Sam” Crystal, Rebeca “Becky” Crystal, Pese Crystal, Ashke Crystal, Jacob David “Jack” Crystal, Abraham Isaac “Abe” Crystal, and Zena Fanny Crystal.11 Annie briefly worked at a newspaper shop in 1911, and in 1939, her occupation was documented as “Unpaid Domestic Duties”.
Hetty (Ettie) Haft Fleishman12 is the most documented of all of Harris’s children. Hetty married Harry Fleishman, a Polish man, around 1907. In 1911, she and her 18 month old son, Maurice Harry Fleishman, were living with her parents, Harris and Hilda. The Fleishman family emigrated to Montréal, Québec, at some point between 1911 and 1922; Hetty gave birth to her daughter, Norma Cecile Fleishman, on 3 May 1922, making Norma a Canadian citizen.13 On 1 April 1935, the family was still living in Montréal, yet shortly thereafter the family moved to Beverley Hills, California, appearing in the 1940 Beverly Hills census. Sonia visited Los Angeles in 1934 and chose to stay, but it’s unknown if Sonia was close to Hetty, or if either woman was aware of their close proximity. In 1940, Maurice completed his military registration card, and on April 2, 1941, he married Susanne Frances Miller. It is unclear how long the family stayed in Beverely Hills. When Hetty passed away, she was buried at Back River Memorial Gardens in Montréal, Québec.14
It is difficult to pinpoint when Harris emigrated to Liverpool. He appeared, along with his family, in the 1891 census for the county of Chester. His occupation was listed as Stock Broker Agent. In the 1901 census, however, his occupation had changed to “Drapery Traveller”, which aligns with Sonia’s account of Harris earning “his living by selling merchandise to the humble folks in the small hamlets and villages on the outskirts of Liverpool”.15
In 1896 – 1897, Harris was president of the Chester Hebrew Congregation, originally formed in 1894, although members held services in their home before the established date.16
“Harris Haft, in the lean days, had turned his large living-room at home into a small synagogue where the few Jews in Chester, where Harris had his summer home, worshiped on the Sabbath and on the Holy Days.”
Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 21.
By 1911, Harris was a keeper of baths, an occupation his wife was “assisting in the business” as well. In two instances, Harris appeared in the Chester Observer:
Courtesy of The British Library Board, Cheshire Observer, August 26, 1893, p. 8. (Link)
A Girl Charged with Theft. — Alice Tallice (15), Hoole, was charged with stealing a small cup, said to be silver, value 6s., the property of Harris Haft, a Russian, living at 28, Philip-street, Hoole. Prosecutor stated that defendant had been washing the rooms in his house, and she took the cup in question out of a box in his bedroom. He next saw the cup in the window of the house of defendant’s mother. —Two witnesses having been called, P.S. Finchett stated that when he served the summons on defendant her mother said, “Yes, she did bring a cup here,” and defendant remarked that when she was sweeping the room she swept it on her shovel, and took it away not thinking that it was silver.
—Mr. Brassey, who defended, denied that defendant took the cup with any felonious intention. He had been instructed to defend the case by Mr. Woodcock, of Boughton, who had a good opinion both of defendant and her mother. He submitted that when the girl was sweeping the room she found the cup in question, which was dirty and brown, and she took it home thinking it would do for the baby. Defendant’s home was near prosecutor’s house, and he contended that it was absurd to suppose that if defendant had stolen the cup she would have put it in the window of her mother’s house where prosecutor could see it. — Mary Tallice, mother of defendant, stated that when her daughter brought the cup home she had not the least idea that it was of any value. Her daughter had always had a good character.— The Bench took a lenient view of the case, and bound defendant over to come up for judgment when called upon. —Mr. Brassey asked the Bench to make an order for the County Council to pay the costs. He stated that the husband of Mrs. Tallice was a bricklayer. He was suffering from cancer in the tongue, and was away undergoing an operation. It was a very sad case. —The Bench, under the circumstances, remitted the costs.
Courtesy of The British Library Board, Cheshire Observer, June 8, 1895, p. 8. (Link)
Complaints by Russian Jews. — Harris H’Aft, [sic] a Russian Jew, living in Hoole, summoned Patrick Blake for assault. Wolfe Lewin, another Jew, also summoned Blake for assaulting him. Mr. Caldecutt defended. It appeared that on Tuesday afternoon defendant was coming home with some other men from work at Saltney. As they were crossing Hoole Railway Bridge they met the complainants, and Blake’s coat, which was on his arm, fell off. Thinking it had been knocked off by Lewin, defendant threw it at him. Blake was ordered to pay the costs of Lewin’s case, and the other was dismissed.
Harris, no doubt, set the stepping stone for a better life. For himself, his family, and his siblings. A life relieved of pogroms and required conscriptions. It was his lead which ultimately encouraged Joseph and Racille to take the chance on Liverpool.
“I will pawn my watch, my cherished Bar Mitzvah gift, and perhaps someday, if and when Racille can follow me to England, I will send her money to retrieve it and bring it to me. Brother Harris is not doing badly in Liverpool. Perhaps he can find me a job. I’ll save as much as I can and with a little help from Harris, we can send for Racille.”
Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 16.
Joseph had now been away for more than a year. Being good at arithmetical problems he soon found a good situation as an auditor in a wholesale merchandise supply establishment of men’s and women’s apparel. His brother Harris, who had been in England more than three years, was a clerk in that store.”
Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 20.
Joseph Haft (1863 – ) followed Harris to Liverpool. He was listed in the 1891 census, living with Harris and his family, and with the same job as his brother, Stock Broker Agent. In the same year, Joseph married Leah, maiden name unknown. According to Sonia’s autobiographical writings, Leah was Joseph’s “second cousin,” who was “a very beautiful girl but inordinately proud of that beauty.”17 Prior to leaving Liverpool, Leah had “refused to marry him”, yet upon hearing rumors of his success, Leah “purchased a ticket posthaste for England and set sail a few days after Racille and her entourage had left.”18 Leah arrived first, however:
When the boat, in which Racille and her two charges were traveling, had reached its first destination, she was not permitted to land. Leah had hired a lawyer in Konotop and bribed him to dispatch a telegram to the boat in which a trumped-up charge made the captain refuse landing to her and her little party. When Leah reached the seaport, she left on another vessel for Liverpool. It was only then that her mealy-mouthed flunkey dispatched another telegram to the captain saying that a mistake had been made, that the culprit was on another ship, under another name similar to Racille Haft. By this time, Leah had reached Liverpool and met Joseph.
Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 22.
The two inevitably married, and although “Joseph presented his sister and niece with beautiful dresses for his wedding,” Racille didn’t attend it.19 There is very little documentation, aside from the 1891 census, to further elaborate on Joseph’s life. In Find A Grave, there’s only one memorial for Joseph Haft, yet the information warrants some consideration as to whether it’s really him. The parents listed are Levy I Haft and Eva Kukeloff Haft, and the spouse’s name is Leah Kukeles Haft, which confirms Sonia’s account of Leah being a second relation. The given year for the marriage is 1891, which, again, matches with the 1891 census with Joseph being married. However, the siblings, Max Harris Haft (1861–1938) and Moses Haft (1871–1936), strays slightly from what we’ve come to know already. I’m inclined to believe the memorial for Joseph Haft is not Sonia’s uncle, Joseph Haft. There is one other record for “Leah Haft”, whose husband was Joseph Haft. The couple had one daughter, Hettie Haft, born on 10 January 1897. Unfortunately, there is nothing further in the available records to confirm this, and the matter remains uncertain.
Most records document her name as “Hilda” while others as “Hannah”. Moreover, her maiden name varies between Waxman or Vaksman. ↩︎
Family details: Harry Haft (5 May 1882 – 17 Mar 1961); Rebecca Adleman (13 Apr 1884 – 24 Aug 1936); Millie Haft (21 June 1905 – 14 Feb 1996); Alexander Haft (Jan 1907 – 3 Dec 1917), Samuel Morris Haft (1909 – 29 July 1912); Rebecca “Becky” Glover (15 Oct 1893 – 8 Feb 1978); Horace Haft (8 July 1922 – 12 Jan 2004); Henry Haft (11 Oct 1927 – 6 Feb 1994). ↩︎
Family details: Morris Haft (7 Jun 1883 – 10 Jun 1943); Leah Cohen (6 Mar 1884 – 25 Aug 1948); Miriam “Millie” Haft (24 Mar 1907 – 10 Apr 1984); Abraham Alfred Haft (10 Jul 1907 – 16 Oct 1980); Lilian Haft (27 Mar 1910 – Oct 1933); Harry Haft (15 Aug 1912 – 21 Dec 1943), Gertrude “Gertie” Haft (17 Dec 1915 – 14 Jun 1977); Rose Haft (12 Jul 1918 – Oct 1999). ↩︎
1939 Register, Courtesy of The National Archives, London, England. ↩︎
Family details: Annie Lily Haft Crystal (7 Oct 1884 – 4 April 1960); Joseph Louis Crystal (15 Mar 1880 – 6 Mar 1964); Maurice Crystal (20 Jun 1905 – 30 Apr 1982); Samuel ‘Sam’ Crystal (1 Jul 1907 – May 1997); Rebeca ‘Becky’ Crystal (15 Sept 1909 – 6 Nov 1992); Pese Crystal (22 Jan 1912 – 14 Dec 2004), Ashke Crystal (28 Aug 1914 – 6 Dec 1948); Jacob David ‘Jack’ Crystal (24 Aug 1917 – 18 May 1990), Abraham Isaac ‘Abe’ Crystal (10 Jun 1919 – 25 Mar 1998); Zena Fanny Crystal (15 Jan 1925 – 9 Nov 2011). ↩︎
Family details: Hetty Haft Fleishman (1888 – 12 Mar 1969); Harry Fleishman (1880 – Oct 1948); Maurice Harry Fleishman (19 Aug – 11 Sept 2009); Norma Cecile Fleishman (3 May 1922 – 13 Oct 2020). ↩︎
Very little has been said, or written, about Florence Carol Greene. Even her own mother, Sonia H. Davis, had imparted minuscule crumbs of information about her. In Sonia’s autobiographical writings, Florence is only specifically mentioned during the turbulent years of Sonia’s marriage to Samuel Greene, and she’s majorly referred to as the “little girl”, “baby”, or “child”. Of the twenty-two times that Florence is mentioned by Sonia, only nine times does Sonia use her actual name. In Sonia’s letters to her family, which also contain autobiographical matter, Florence is mentioned again only in passing as “child” or “baby girl”.
However, this is only one side of the coin, figuratively speaking. In two essays regarding children’s behavior and manners, Sonia gave further insight:
Transcript:
HOW I OVERCAME CHILD’S FEAR OF THE BOOGIE MAN
A detailed description how a diffficulty [sic] was met and dissipated, might be helpful to some mothers in vanquishing a young child’s bedtime fear.
At three and a half years of age my little girl suffered from fright caused by the maid, who, in seeking to get away from her quickly after putting her to bed, told her that if she didn’t go to sleep at once, the Boogie Man would get her.
On the maid’s night out, I put the child to bed and as soon as I was about to leave the room and put out the light she started to whimper, and then to cry. Upon asking the reason, she told me she was afraid of the Boogi [sic] Man; that Mary said the Boogie Man would get her if she didn’t go to sleep right away.
I realized at once what the child was suffering and forthwith tried to conquor [sic] the fear.
“What does the Boogie Man do, darling?” I asked her.
“When Mary puts out the light he knocks on the bed. I’m afraid of the dark.”
While the light was still on, I rapped on the bed with my knuckles.
“Is this the noise he makes?” “Yes.” Then I shaped her hand into a fist and had her knock on the bed.
“See, darling?” This is no Boogie Man. Its your own hand making the noise when you knock.” Then I took her in my arms and put out the light, holding her tightly to convey assurance, I knocked on the bed again. At this she clung to me very hard. Turning on the light, I requested her to put it out.
“See, dear? It was you who put out the light. Now give me your hand.” Here I brought her hand into contact with the bed.
“See? It was your hand knocking on the bed that made the noise.
There is no Boogie Man.”
“Now get into bed like a brave little girl and knock on the bed.”
This was done, while I spoke to her softly and reassuringly, and I put on the light once more. “Now I’m going to put out the light again and you knock on the bed. While she did this I kept on talking to her caressingly, constantly impressing upon ger mind that there is no Boogie Man and that there was nothing whatsoever to fear in the whole house; that everything and everybody was safe, and that Mary was only fooling.
I followed this practice several evenings for nearly a week, reassuring her each time of the true facts. I found that she both understood and appreciated the fraud that was practiced on her by Mary. Gradually she outgrew all childich [sic] fears and became a self-confident and self-reliant young woman. I need hardly state that the maid was dismissed.
Transcript:
EXAMPLE CREATES BEST OF MANNERS IN CHILDREN
The excessive effort brought to bear upon a child in order to develop politeness is often wasted, and the ostensible intention is often resented by the youngster, especially when it is coerced, shamed or bribed into being forcibly polite. This attribute the child must acquire from habitual observation of his family elders in his own home.
Unless he sees and hears the best only, in and from his parents and home environment he usually acts like the street urchin. Parents, or other members of the family, cannot be constantly quarreling, arguing, acting or speaking sarcastically without producing decidedly malevolent effects upon the children.
My little girl of three years of age came to me one afternoon and asked me to give her a piece of bread and butter. When I think of it now, I realize that this is what I should have done; but instead, I sent her to the maid in the kitchen, telling her to ask Mary for it. She soon returned, munching the morsel. “Did you say ‘Thank you’ to Mary? I asked her. Silently and not looking at me, she continued munching.
After waiting a few seconds I repeated my question. Still not looking up at me, she slowly shook her head in the negative. “What?” I asked with pretended indignation, “Didn’t you say “Thank you” to Mary?” Pouting a while, she then answered “Don’t have to say “Thank you” to Mary.”
“Why not, dear?”
“‘Cause Mary don’t know how to say “You’re welcome”, any how.”
This was said almost protestingly; Mary had lately landed and could speak no English.
If one must have a maid or a nurse, it is best to acquire one who speaks English unless another language is to be part of the child’s education. Then it is desirable that the governess or tutor be a purist in the language the child is to learn.
The last point is particularly to be observed. A European gentlewoman who speaks several Mediterranean languages, is constantly horrified in this country by the bad accent and ungrammatical French of nurses who are engaged by American mothers.
Many mothers seem to think that as long as her child speaks a desirable secondary language, that the mantle of distinction descends upon it.
A Young American, who, for three years, had studied French in one of our mid-western universities, told me, upon his return, that he was unable to understand the language when he visited France, that he remained their two years to acquire the correct pronunciation and accent.
Another great source of information about Florence was Sonia’s letter to the Special Collections Librarian, Christine D. Hathaway. Sonia openly shared anecdotes about Florence, from her cutest moment to her ultimate rebellion. The following is only an extract from the several-page letter.
When “Carol Weld” whose real name is “Florence Carol Greene,” was a child of about ten, I was engaged to an extremely handsome young Italian of excellent family, education and breeding, but I, being of Jewish heritage, and he, of Catholic, our mothers, his and mine objected to our marriage. We were both obliged to renounce the thought and action.
I’ve always sought a man of education, culture, and inquiring mind, good family and other virtues. I was 24—he was 22. I studied the Italian language and learned to read, write and speak a little. He often ate at my mother’s table and I, at his mother’s who liked and admired me very much, but she did not quite guess whether her son and I intended to marry. When both mothers found out there were the usual objections on both sides. Neither of us would do the usual—elope. We at last gave up the thought.
One day Florence met him on the street; he grabbed her up, folded her to himself and ‘boo-hood’ like a hurt animal. When she came home and told me what happened, I felt sorry for both of them. She asked me, aren’t you going to marry F.B?
I said “No, his mother and grama have great objections.” I’m getting over my part, but evidently, he is still badly hurt.
The child was very young but had sense enough to say—for she was very fond of him—Well! if he’ll wait for me I’ll marry him!” As she grew up I obtained a good music-teacher for her, but she wouldn’t practice. Her lower teeth were crooked, but she missed many sessions with her orthdontist [sic].
In both cases I scolded and we became more and more apart. I wanted her to go to college, but she didn’t want a local college. She had a girl-friend who urged her to join her at a girls’ college in Rochchester [sic]N.Y. where they were taught games and rode horses. I told her we had Columbia U, here in N.Y. and I can’t afford to pay for her pleasures. We quarrelled again over that girl. At last she left me and I hadn’t heard from her in years. She learned stenography + typewriting and made her own living.
I looked for Florence everywhere. I heard she went to Chicago. I took a job so I might find her, but I didn’t.
I had a friend who worked in the Hall of Records in N.Y.C. I asked her whether she could obtain some important information for me so I told her I was looking for my daughter; giving her the name and age. She found the name in the Hall of Records. She went to Paris where she became a newspaper writer for the Hearst newspaper, lived there for seven years. On the Boat, going there, she met a young American newspaper-man and they married; but it seems that her temper was unable to hold on to the man, so they were divorced in Paris, but she stayed on. He came back to America, married and now has a newspaper of his own, and interests in a moving picture project.
My daughter still carries his name. She no longer writes, but has formed a Woman’s Club of some sort, and lives in Florida. I’ve obtained her address and have written to her several times. The first two letters were returned to me unopened and unanswered. But I wrote several others, which she accepted but has not answered. She is now 67 years old, never married again. That’s all there is.
Sonia H. Davis to Christine D. Hathaway, October, 8, 1968, Autobiographical Writings (Box 9, Folder 1).
It is only through this letter and the personal essays that we get a real glimpse into Sonia’s relationship with Florence. It would seem their mother-daughter relationship had once been solid, but as years progressed and with that inner rage (or sheer stubbornness) of youth within Florence, their relationship began to come apart. While no one openly claimed it, except by Sonia, Florence seemed to have a temper.
Yet, how much of her temper was a result of years of unresolved trauma? As a child, Florence had not only lived under the roof of Samuel Greene, but had also been sent to live with her grandmother, Racille, aka Rachel Moseson, while Sonia tried to separate from Samuel. We can only imagine what she had witnessed living under the roof of two abusive men: first with her father, Samuel, and later with her grandfather, Solomon Moseson. The former abused her mother, and the latter, her grandmother.
Eventually, Sonia collected Florence and they lived together once again. In spite of the turbulence between Sonia and Florence through the latter’s adolescent years, Sonia wrote and dedicated a poem to her daughter in the first volume of her journal, The Rainbow:
Sonia H. Greene, “Ode to Florence”, The Rainbow, Vol. 1. No. 1, 1921, p. 3.
Transcript:
ODE TO FLORENCE
When the sun sinks in the west, dear,
Birds and babes have gone to rest, dear,
Then I know I love you best, dear
Baby mine.
When the stars break in the blue, dear,
Then with love my heart beats true, dear,
Then I sadly think of you, dear
Baby mine.
When the moon is brightly beaming,
On the night her radiance streaming,
Then, dear heart, of you I’m dreaming,
Baby mine.
When Aurora greets the morn, dear,
When sweet zephyrs cool are born, dear,
I feel lonely and forlorn, dear
Heart, for you.
There’s no denying the unspoken heartache of Sonia’s words. The poem was printed in October 1921, but one can only wonder just how long Sonia had been constructing these poetic lines to help ease the strain between her relationship with Florence. 1921 was a pivotal year for Sonia, from joining amateur journalism in January, to meeting H.P. Lovecraft in July, then publishing her own amateur journal in October. Lovecraft certainly harbored some impressions about Florence:
At dinner—about one-thirty—were Loveman, Theobald, Long, Mme. Greene, and the latter’s flapper offspring, yclept Florence—a pert, spoiled, and ultra-independent infant rather more hard-boiled of visage than her benignant mater.
H.P. Lovecraft to Maurice W. Moe, Lord of a Visible World, May 18, 1922, p. 115.
But one thing Mme. Greeneva says quite desolates me—she avers that her fair & frivolous offspring is not to be captivated by the charms of any highbrow, not even the otherwise irresistible Bolingbroke!
H.P. Lovecraft to Rheinhart Kleiner, Letters to Rheinhart Kleiner and Others, p. 187.
Whether intentional or not, once Sonia’s relationship with Lovecraft deepened, Florence had dropped out of the picture. It’s unclear when Florence moved out of her mother’s house, but once Lovecraft moved in with Sonia in March 1924, she was gone. Thereafter, Florence went by her middle name, Carol. On September 3, 1927, Carol Greene had returned to New York from Havre, France. (FamilySearch) It’s hard to say how long her stay was at Havre, but this trip would only be the beginning of her extensive travels to Europe. Only ten days after her return, on September 13, 1927, Carol married John Weld. (FamilySearch)
So, what really happened? What caused the ultimate division between Sonia and Florence? The truth is no one really knows. There’s only Sonia’s truth and speculation.
In 1983, the one and only publication that has ever fully focused on Florence was Lovecraft’s Daughter by R. Alain Everts. “Lovecraft’s Daughter” comprises of three, extremely thin, stapled pamphlets. Legally, Florence was Lovecraft’s stepdaughter when he married Sonia. However, it was an empty title, a role that Lovecraft never truly stepped into, nor one that Florence fully accepted. The journal, in my opinion, does well to inform the reader of who Florence really was, and her achievements in life. While it’s the most anyone has done for her, it still isn’t enough, but that’s no fault of the publication given that Florence worked hard to distance herself from her past and live privately.
I have only the first and second volume in my possession since these were the only two that emerged for sale on eBay.
Transcript:
LOVECRAFT’S DAUGHTER
When Carol Weld died, the newspaper reported the following facts about her long life:
MRS. CAROL WELD, COVERED ABDICATION
Carol Weld, former foreign news correspondent, who claimed to be the first American to report the Prince of Wales-Wallis Simpson romance years before the Prince’s abdication as King Edward VIII, died Saturday in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital.
Mrs. Weld, 70, reported from Paris to The Chicago Tribune on the abdication. She was the only American reporter who met the Prince’s train at a small village railroad station as some 200 other newsmen, misled by offical-released [sic] rumors, waited miles away at Chaumont.
During her career, Mrs. Weld wrote for The New York American and The New York Herald-Tribune, the Paris staff of The Chicago Tribune, Universal and International News Services, United Press International and The London Sunday Express.
She came to Miami as southeastern director of advertising and publicity for RKO Radio Pictures, setting campaigns for RKO, Samuel Goldwyn and Walt Disney Productions.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Miami Memorial Park. Reid-Lowe Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Not only is the notice pitifully brief and lacking in factual information, but the information that was there is for the most part toally [sic] inaccurate. The inaccuracies were not, however, the fault of the newspaper or the author of the obituary, but were carefully perpetrated by the subject of the notice—Carol Weld. For Carol Weld had a secret that she protected and hid for over 50 years.
No mention is made above the parentage ofCarol [sic] Weld, who was in fact the daughter—albeit the step-daughter—of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. She was born Florence Carol Greene in New York City on 19 March 1902, of Samuel Greene and Sonia Haft Shafirkin. Her mother, Sonia Shafirkin, was barely 20 years old, and had been married for four years to her despotic and drunken husband, who was a salesman. Some years after the birth of their only child, Greene killed himself, leaving Sonia destitute—she and her daughter went to live with Sonia’s mother, who had married a second time and had children not much older than Florence.
By 1919, when Sonia first became acquainted with the Amateur Press movement and with James Ferdinand Morton, junior, her 17 year old daughter was living with her in New York City, and was beginning to show signs of rebellion against her mother’s stern rule as puberty overtook the young woman. When Sonia met Lovecraft in 1921 and began her earnest courtship of him in 1922, Florenne [sic] was there—the 19 year old “flapper” as HPL referred to her also began to have problems of a more serious nature with her mother. Sonia recalled to me various dinners at her apartment with both Lovecraft and Samuel Loveman present, where she and Florence would host them for an evening of food and conversation. On some occasions, Sonia and Florence would disagree so strongly that they would fight in front of their guests. By the time of Sonia’s marriage to Lovecraft in March of 1924, Florence had left her mother’s apartment and her mother’s life for good—it is likely even that she left the day she turned 21 on 19 March 1923.
What was the cause of this terrible breach that was never ever healed or repaired, even after 50 years? The facts lay in the marriage of her mother to Lovecraft, and the adamant denial of permission for Florence to marry the man she loved. Some years earlier, I believe Sonia mentioned to me that Florence was about 18, she had fallen in love with a nice man with background credentials of impeccable quality—they should have been, for the man was Sonia’s half-brother, by her mother’s second marriage. Florence was practically raised with her half-brother Sydney, [sic] and it was fairly easy for her to fall in love with him. However, Sonia was furious, not only with the prospect of her own daughter marrying at a young age as did Sonia with the resultant disasters, but the fact of her daughter marrying a near full brother made Sonia so livid that she absolutely forbade the match. This argument was a topic for several years, but by the time Sydney turned 21 in middle 1919, Florence was still obeying her mother’s wishes.
Further more, [sic] as Sonia reported to me, such a marriage is not allowed under the Orthodox Jewish faith which both Sonia and her daughter were at this time. Florence though told her mother that she would elope, and Sonia told her that she would have the marriage annulled if Florence did elope before she was 21. These demands of her mother were very bitter for Florence, who was genuinely in love with her half-uncle Sydney—but the final straw was Sonia’s own marriage to Howard P. Lovecraft in early 1924. This convinced Florence that she must separate from her mother, and she did—never again did she ever communicate with Sonia. When I wrote on Sonia’s behalf in 1967 to Carol Weld (as she then styled herself), the letter was returned to me, opened, with a handwritten message that the envelope had been opened by mistake. I will never forget Sonia’s expression when I showed her this envelope, and she replied sadly that the handwriting was Florence’s.
From this period onward, Florence dropped her first name, and went under the name of Carol Greene, until she met a 22 year old newspaper man named John Weld and they wer e [sic] married in New York City in October of 1927. They separated by mutual agreement (they never had children) in Paris in 1932 and in 1933, John Weld obtained a divorce on the grounds of incompatability [sic] in Los Angeles. Carol Weld however stayed in Europe, never remarried, and never discuss her relationship with her mother, not even with John Weld. He told me that “Carol was in no wise a flighty of rebellious girl” when they met in 1927, but that her relationship with her mother seemed to be a closet that Carol preferred to leave closed.
From then on, Carol Weld made her name as a writer and reporter—she was indeed the first American reporter to cover the romance between Mrs. Simpson and the Prince of Wales, and during the War, she covered many stories, organised a Red Cross Ambulance Fund in Los Angeles (where ironically her mother was then living) and had her photo appear in the May, 1945 issue of The New York Times—a clipping that Sonia proudly showed me in 1967. An attempt to contact her daughter at this time went unanswered.
But Sonia followed the career of her daughter from afar and seemed to have some idea of what she had done during the years. For about the last 30 years of her life, Carol Weld worked for RKO in Miami—and significantly enough, her half-brother Sydney was living there when Carol moved there, although he had married and raised a family. Surely this was the reason that Carol Weld moved to Florida—for over 30 years they lived only blocks apart. But, Carol never would contact her own mother or have anything to do with her, even after nearly a half-century. And when she died, nothing at all about her parents, and nearly nothing factual appeared in the obituary.
She was 77 years old when she died on 1 April 1979—even though The New York Times gave her age as 65. For a brief while, she had been nearly a daughter to Lovecraft, and from 1924 until her marriage to John Weld, she was his step-daughter.
Transcript:
LOVECRAFT’S DAUGHTER – II
In the first part of my essay on the daughter of Sonia Greene Lovecraft, and the step-daughter of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, I discussed some of the efforts at subterfuge by Carol Weld, actually Florence Carol (Greene) Weld (1902 – 1979) to hide her parentage and to avoid any reference to her origins. Erroneously, I stated that her date of death was 1 April 1979 which would have, under the circumstances, been a very fitting date for her to have died on—April Fool’s Day— as Carol was so set on fooling everyone about her background.
Her death certificate indicates that she in fact died on 31 March 1979, less than a fortnight after her birthday, her 77 th [sic] birthday, not her 71 st [sic] birthday. March if you recall was the very month that Sonia and HPL were married in, and that was the month that HPL died in. At the time of her death, Carol trimmed 6 years from her date of birth, and after spending one week in the hsopital, [sic] she declined to provide any information for their records, although she must have known that this bout with her serious emphysema might prove fatal. After her demise, it was her lawyer who provided the information on her death certificate, and Carol’s parentage was apparently not known to her personal lawyer.
Her lawyer also indicated to me that she did not know of any surviving kin to Carol, totally unaware that Carol’s half-brother Sydney was living in Miami.
Carol’s lawyer could only give me one name of a friend of Carol—her literary agent. The lawyer did however send me two snapshots of Carol Weld, which I have reprinted. Shortly before her death, Carol did donate her papers to the University of Wyoming, where they considered her to be “Miss” Carol Weld, and conspicuously there is no biographical information about her life in the Carol Weld Collection in the Archive of Contemporary History. In the Collection however are a number of books autographed to Carol Weld, from Evan Allen Bartlett (LOVE MURDERS OF HARRY F. POWERS), Edna Lee Booker (NEWS IS MY JOB), George Seldes (CAN THESE THINGS BE!), and many paperbacks from Paris during the 1930’s and many items from the Overseas Press Club that Carol had been a member of for so many years.
There are also several booklets in the Collection written by Carol Weld, amazingly enough along the exact same topics that Carol’s mother had written about. SECRETS OF BEING WELL-DRESSED was published by Carol in 1937, and quite a few of her unpublished manuscripts also repose in the Carol Weld Collection: DEADLINE, 114 pages, THE ‘DUMB’ CELEBRITIES, 233 pages, about animals in the news, a topic that Carol was fascinated with her entire life, THE FRENCH CAFE, 279 pages, MARIGOLD, OR THE PINK ELEPHANT, 181 pages, THE WANDERERS, 31 pages, WINGS OF MERCY, co-authored with Kenneth Higgins, 36 pages, and WOMAN’S PLACE IS IN THE HOME, 27 pages. The sole published hardcover book that appeared in Carol’s life was ANIMALS ARE LIKE THAT! (New York, McBride and Co., 1939) that she wrote with the famous hunter Frank Buck.
Evidence in the Weld Collection indicates that Carol was very well known in the American Expatriate Colony that lived in Paris during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Lastly, there are 6 uncatalogued and unindexed scrapbooks of her writings and articles—these round out the last few items of Carol’s long life and career. And, nary a clew [sic] to her true origins, nor any hint of her parents or her most famous step-father.
This is the first source, and perhaps the only source, in which we get this theory of Florence being in love with her uncle, Sidney Moseson—Sonia’s half-brother. I can’t neither accept nor deny this notion to be true, only because Sonia never claimed it to be the reason why they had their fallout. However, Sonia had been interviewed by Everts, and she had spent enough time with him that just maybe this theory was a hard truth she revealed in confidence. There’s also the likelihood of a slight confusion since Sidney had fallen in love and married a young woman named Florence Stone on March 25, 1923. (FamilySearch) Could Everts have easily confused one Florence for another? Probably or probably not. One thing is true: Carol had moved down to Miami, which was not far from Sidney and his family. However, this doesn’t mean she was in love with him but could easily mean she valued him as her closest family. They were practically raised together.
Another interesting anecdote is the argument between Sonia and Florence while Lovecraft and Samuel Loveman were visiting. The only time this incident could’ve occurred with both Samuel Loveman and H.P. Lovecraft around was in April 1922. Sonia had initially invited Loveman to visit New York, and when he did, but did not find it enticing enough to stay, she invited Lovecraft to keep him company. Sonia had turned over her place to them, while she stayed over at her neighbor’s home. This could mean that Florence had also joined Sonia in staying with their neighbor or somewhere else at a friend’s house, or Florence had already moved out, but was still visiting Sonia. Sadly, we’ll never knew what drove these two women to disagree with one another to the point of argument in front of others.
After marrying, John and Carol Weld moved to Paris. In a set of three letters to R. Alain Everts, John Weld gives insight to his relationship with Carol:
Transcript:
Dear Mr. Kirsch:
You might be able to locate Carol Weld through the Overseas Press Club, 54 West 40th st., New York I8, N.Y. I believe she was a founding member and I would presume she still belongs to the organization.
I never did know Carol’s mother, though I believe she lived in Brooklyn while Carol and I were living in Manhattan. There seemed to have been some estrangement between them. I’m afraid I do not have any photograph of Carol, mainly because, when we separated in Paris, in 1932 I left all of my possessions with her. I have not seen her since.
We were married in New York in October, 1927, as I recall, though the exact date I do not remember. My birthdate is February 24, 1905, and you may find some biographical material in Who’s Who in the West. Carol and I had no children. Our separation was by mutual agreement and I was granted a divorce on the grounds of incompatibility in Los Angeles in 1933. So far as I know Carol has not remarried, but then I would not have known of it if she had probably.
It interests me that you are writing the biography of Carol’s mother. Was (is) she someone of note?
Transcript:
Dear Mr. Kirsch:
It seems that we are working up quite a correspondence about Carol Greene Weld. We met in 1927 when we were working as reporters on Hearst’s New York American. I never did understand Carol’s relationship with her mother, and indeed we never discussed it; it seemed to be a closet she preferred to leave closed. Carol in no wise was a flighty or rebellious girl and certainly in my opinion she was not promiscuous, certainly not in a sexual sense.
You say that Mrs. Davis “was one of the first to support the Amateur Press movement”. What was that? I’ve never heard of it.
Good luck with your manuscript.
Transcript:
Dear Mr. Kirsch:
Do drop in when you’re down this way. Better call me though before you come.
Knowing Carol’s attitude toward her mother, I am not surprised that she refuses to cooperate with you. No, I do not have any photographs of Carol—as I told you, when I left Paris in 1932 I left all of my personal effects with her. However, my sister may have a snapshot or so. I’ll ask her.
Carol does appear to have remained in Europe until 1936, after which she went back and forth from the U.S. to Europe throughout 1936 and into 1937. (FamilySearch, 1936, 1937) Perhaps their failed marriage was a result of incompatibility, but Sonia believed it was her bad attitude that ruined the marriage. As mentioned before, it’s quite possible Carol had a temper, and when you have snippets such as the following newspaper clipping, it’s easy to see her strong will and force at play.
The Miami News, January 13, 1959, p. 21. Source: newspapers.com
Transcript:
(Photo Caption: “The trial is through, but not Miss Carol Weld. Gives arresting officer Bob Kirby a few pointers.”)
The Lady Fights Well
This is Justice?
Justice, justice, cried Carol Weld, lifting her hands and her adverbs to the heavens. Guilty, said the judge, wiping a weary brow.
But she fought the good fight in Miami Beach’s traffic court today, did Miss Weld, a writer—oh, a prolific writer indeed, and one of vast, if futile, resource.
She weighed in with a firm “Not Guilty!” and waving a sheaf of verbiage, clenching a martyred jaw. And she departed waving an indignant finger, banners tattered but flying.
The Cause?
Cause of all this commotion, which left even Judge A.H. Saperstein somewhat awed? Of what heinous misdeed was she accused? Well, this policeman, Bob Kirby, had the temerity to say she went through a stop light…
And Miss Weld felt the light was yellow—on this firm foundation she based her cause, and she spoke of violation of civil rights and she touched on deprivation of livelihood and she waxed eloquently on matters of learned law.
“But…” said the judge. “Listen…” said the judge. “I submit…” said the judge.
Judge Gives Up
The judge then leaned back with the wisdom of resignation and some 25 minutes later managed a lecture on traffic safety, fined her the usual $10 but, in obvious admiration, knocked off the $4 court costs.
Miss Weld departed with her writing, a sheaf of it, a detailed explanation of Florida traffic law which had taken her hours to prepare, enough copy—in another medium—to provide two weeks groceries on the open market.
For Officer Kirby, a sneer.
For an idealistic questioner, a stern wise-up:
“No, it wasn’t just the principle. It was the money.”
Throughout the years, Sonia never gave up searching for Carol. In the summer or fall of 1926, Sonia got a job in Chicago. While she claimed the job paid better, Sonia also believed getting the job would help her find Carol, since she thought her daughter was living there at the time. Sadly, Sonia was not aware of the whole truth regarding that bit of information: Carol was working for the Chicago Tribune, but in Paris—not in Chicago. Apparently, though, Sonia’s nephew, Martin K. Kopp mentioned something about a possible meeting in San Francisco between the two women:
I also heard that Sonia located Florence, who, as I remember it, was living in the San Francisco area. This was after World War II. They finally met. It was a disaster, and Sonia returned to the Los Angeles area, and never discussed the matter again.
Sonia never mentioned or wrote about meeting Florence in San Francisco after World War II. She did, however, elaborate on a job she got in San Francisco where she stayed there from 1935 to 1936. Perhaps Sonia mixed the years, or she actually made a second trek to San Francisco to meet Florence.
The truth of the matter is we will never know.
The Courier-Journal, March 17, 1940, p. 22. Source: newspapers.com
Transcript:
Carol Weld, Writer, Is Avisiting
By Dot Tellitall
There is a lass in our town and she’s had wondrous fun… She’s avisiting with Jane Dixon Wells, and she has had the kind of experiences that make our mouth water. Her name is Carol Weld, and she is on leave from being a foreign newspaper correspondent.
Most of Carol’s experiences were picked up somewhere in France, where she worked for the Chicago Tribune and the United Press during all those exciting months before the war. When she was quizzed about her keen nose for news, she modestly gave all the credit to her dog, “Ric,” a smooth-haired fox terrier, now deceased, who covered all her assignments with her.
“He was really a news hound,” said Carol, “and usually beat me to most of my stories.” One of the chief methods of getting news in Paris is to make the rounds of all the swank bars where the continental American hangs out and which are hodge-podges for news. “Ric” knew the bars as well as his mistress and knew the sequence in which she took them in, so he often used to precede her to each bar. When people saw the dog they would know that Carol was coming along and she turned up usually about a half-hour behind him. “Ric,” said Carol, “interviewed all the famous people in Paris.” It is a very delicate subject, that of poor little “Rickie’s” death by an automobile.
She’s Also An Author
Carol Weld is the co-author with Frank Buck of a popular book called “Animals Are Like That.” She also is one of the twenty famous newspaper people, like H.V. Kaltenborn, who each contributed a chapter to the best seller, “The Inside Story.” Carol’s chapter is called “King Bites Dog.” She expects to be in Louisville about a week. She’s young and pretty and particularly is enjoying Kentucky food.
Don’t look now, Palmer Van Arsdale, ’cause here’s a picture of the little woman, Carolyn, having lunch with a friend in Los Angeles. She certainly looks well.
Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, September 3, 1940, p. 9. Source: newspapers.com
Transcript:
Carol Weld sends me pictures of the kinds of ambulances Americans are buying to ship to England, and a long letter which says in part: “I have been so overworked trying to raise funds for ambulances to send to Great Britain—for General De Gaulle’s Free French Forces, the British Red Cross, the Mechanized Transport Corps, the Scottish Red Cross and the free Polish, Czech and Norwegian forces in England, that I have only now been able to get around to comment on your “British Notes” column—not that you asked for any comments. It is just, of course, that you are right to the point, where occasionally even someone like myself, who is working to send ambulances, wonders why the British here are not more eager to help. Do you suppose it’s because each one wants to run his own little show more than he really wants to help Great Britain?… the money raised in America to help our less fortunate friends over there could be circulated in American industry—an idea which is not easy to sell to those various people you write about.” Carol Weld is West Coast representative of the British Ambulance Corps.
We will never know what truly broke the bond between Sonia and Florence. There was undealt trauma between them, beyond them, and maybe that’s just what caused the division. Maybe Sonia wanted humble beginnings and opportunities, while Carol wanted the whole world on a platter, and that in itself is reason for clashing. At the end of the day, though, Florence wanted to distance herself from her parents, from her past, choosing a new identity, a new self, where she could be whoever she wished. As a result of that decision, we are left with such a scarcity of biographical means that makes it impossible to get to knew her fully like we know her mother, and even her stepfather.
If you wish to learn more about Carol Weld, her papers are located in the University of Wyoming. The collection contains the correspondence and writings of Carol, but half of it is in French. You may read the overview of the collection by clicking on the link below:
For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.
Vincent van Gogh, Life According to Vincent, p. 124.
The first item I acquired, before entertaining the idea of studying Sonia’s life, was her copy of The Voice of the Prophet. This slim hardcover is a collection of Nathaniel’s religious and Jewish poetry. Sonia had scribbled several corrections on the text, and it was only after my first analysis of her handwriting that I wanted to know more about her. Who was she really? There was little (or wrong) information about her in all the scholarship of H.P. Lovecraft to give an in-depth portrait of her, and so I decided I would change that.
The second item I acquired, by this point seriously studying Sonia’s life, was Alfred Galpin’s copy of The Rainbow. This was a feat that required a community, and with the help of backers, I was not only able to get them but was able to bring them back into publication for others to acquire. It was time to take what was rare and obscure and make it accessible because it’s the possessions of the departed that brings us closer to their person, to their life.
The third item I recently acquired was something I felt would be the holy grail of all Sonia things! A year ago, I had jokingly vowed that I would save money for Sonia’s passport rather than for my future retirement. I never saved that money, and the dream still came true but not in the way I had originally planned. The truth is, what I’m about to share is not physically in my possession, not framed on my bookshelf along with the other Sonia belongings. And that’s okay because the person who owns these materials is a woman who runs her own bookshop and that makes me indescribably happy! I am glad that it did not go to some nondescript entity whose only wish is to obtain and hoard, but went to another woman, who is just as curious about Sonia as I am.
Lot #45119 was originally an online auction over at Heritage Auctions, which contained Sonia’s passport, citizenship card, her copy of Selected Letters I and Selected Letters II, and two letters. Both copies of the Selected Letters contain a few corrections and one annotation by Sonia. As for the letters, one is addressed to Philip Grill and the other to Winfield Townley Scott. The original posting may be seen here: [H.P. Lovecraft] Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis.
I would like to give a hearty thanks both to Michelle Souliere of the Green Hand Bookshop for the following scans, and to Dave Goudsward for putting us in contact.
Annotation (p.68): “H.P.L was an atheist and did not believe in God; either a living or a dead one. He hated Jesus and called him a “milk + water” person.”
Transcript:
Dear Mr. Grill:
In reply to your interested letter regarding books signatured by H.P. Lovecraft, I have five books, namely:
THE FABULOUS ‘FORTIES
LALLA ROOKH
THE TEMPTATIONS OF ST. ANTHONY
ROGET’S THESAURUS and WHITE FIRE by the late John Ravenor Bullen, diceased, [sic] not signed but has a preface by HPL which is really a review of his book.
There are also several snapshots of HPL and one each, of his aunts.
It is difficult to state on what basis to part with these. I’ve had several requests for the items but no definite offers.
Someday these small items are likely to be worth a great deal more even than anything of Edgar Allen Poe’s. And while I should like to accomodate [sic] HP’s admirers, I am very much in need of cold, hard cash, and will be willing to part with them to the highest bidder. The offers would have to come from those most interested, and most able to make the purchase.
At one time I should probably have been happy to give them away to his admirers and collectors of his works but frankly, my finances being in the “red” I am obliged to avail myself of what these items will bring.
If still interested, please let me hear from you again. Thanking you for the inquiry, I am
Sincerely Yours
Sonia H. Davis
Sonia had originally placed an ad for these books in The Phoenix:
The Phoenix, Vol. VIII, No. 6.
Transcript:
Dear Mr. Scott: —
If it is not too much trouble, could you find the cut of my photograph? If not, I shall have to have one made. I need it for publicity, as I am chairman for a benefit entertainment and tea. I’d appreciate the favor very much.
Thanking you in advance, I am
Very Sincerely
Sonia H. Davis
Sometimes dreams don’t come true in the way one expects them to, and in this case, I’m equally as grateful as if I had bought Lot #45119. However small these offerings may seem in the grand scheme of Lovecraftian study, they’re still another puzzle piece that gets pressed into the greater picture. Every little piece matters.
It is no secret that we, as fans and scholars of H.P. Lovecraft, want to know what he genuinely thought about “love”. Especially how he applied himself to the actual act of loving in an emotional and even physical sense. People love differently, for there’s love languages to prove it. There are different kinds of love, too, and The Psychic Phenomenon of Love begins with the descriptions of the various types. Like “Nietscheism [sic] and Realism”, Sonia provided an additional glimpse of her correspondence with Lovecraft. It’s obvious that only a wife (or a long-time lover) can provide intimate details of how a man loves when there isn’t a soul around to impress. In this case, Sonia was the only woman who could relay Lovecraft’s genuine thoughts on love, and his manner of loving her.
However, how much is her word really worth?
Recently, Bobby Derie sent me an eBay posting of the original handwritten draft of The Psychic Phenomenon of Love. The item was listed initially at $6,800. Imagine my great despair at the ten dollar shipping on top of the scandalous amount of dollars for the material! To think that thousands of dollars just couldn’t cover the shipping costs! Jokes aside, this was certainly the most amazing thing to have been discovered and shared with me, thanks to a friend, since its discovery has taught me (and is still teaching me) the value of Sonia.
The Psychic Phenomenon of Love is an essay that usually comes up when we seek to learn more about Lovecraft and Sonia. Especially how his perception of love would affect her, and later their marriage. Which is why discovering the original draft in Sonia’s own breezy penmanship is a very exciting moment in scholarship and easy to believe the material is extremely valuable! The first thing I wondered though, was how much did this original draft differ from what is freely provided in the Brown Digital Repository?
According to the eBay listing, “Brown University archives hold [sic] an incomplete facsimile of a typed version”. I’m not sure if this statement comes from a place of sheer ignorance or a blatant desire to overhype the scarcity of the item in order to sell high. What I do know is that Brown University owns two copies of the essay in their digital repository. The first copy is actually seven pages long, in which the sixth and seventh page mainly discusses an importance in understanding the sacredness of love. Just because one is married and has children does not mean there is actual love in the relationship. At the bottom of page seven, Sonia writes briefly about divorce, in which she believes divorce laws should be more flexible especially for the sake of children, whose parents are unable to reconcile. This conviction for flexible divorce laws clearly stems from her abusive marriage to Samuel Greene, in which she couldn’t easily divorce him and had to raise Florence in that toxic environment.
What makes this essay important from the rest, at least in my opinion, is what Sonia wrote on the back of the seventh page:
It was Lovecraft’s part of this letter that I believe made me fall in love with him; but he did not carry out his own dictum; time and place, and reversion of some of his thoughts and expression did not bode for happiness.
Sonia H. Davis, The Psychic Phenominon [sic] of Love, Brown Digital Repository.
Aside from the two additional pages, this essay is identical to the second copy in the digital repository. The second copy has two sheets of its own at the beginning of the essay which is a letter regarding Sonia from Lovecraft to an unknown recipient (later revealed to be his aunt Lillian D. Clark) taken from Selected Letters, Volume 2.
In comparison to the original draft that’s for sale, these essays are just as valuable. One might even argue they’re perhaps even more valuable for the tidbits of truth that Sonia provided additionally, which the original lacks. Clearly, there is no such thing as an “incomplete facsimile” from the Brown University archives. Even so, I took it upon myself to compare the handwritten draft to the copy from Brown, which had the Selected Letters excerpt, and I did this for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to genuinely verify the seller’s statement of it being the complete draft. Secondly, by knowing the first reason, I would then understand the monetary value of the item. Moreover, I ultimately wanted to share my findings regarding this artifact because awareness is key.
It is understandable and easy to believe why someone might assume it’s worth thousands. But is it really?
The question, again, comes to how much is her word really worth? Is her word and name alone worth thousands? Or is her word and name only worth thousands because Lovecraft’s name is included? Where do we put the value in Sonia? In her actual handwriting or in her association?
Coming from a place where I have bought several original Sonia items, which have ranged from $53 to $2,500, I know full well where her value is placed. Her worth is (and always will be) more when associated with Lovecraft. You can probably imagine why one item of hers was $53 while the other was $2,500. Does that make it fair? Certainly not. Yet, that’s the way of the game. Regarding the original draft of the essay, however, is it worth what the seller is asking for when we now know it’s not a rarity of its kind?
In comparing the two essays, I discovered they’re identical, in that nothing is drastically different. Nothing more included or nothing else removed. While numerous, the differences are slight, such as a word and/or a sentence here and there changed, and commas included or removed. That is the only difference. Lovecraft’s passage in the original is exactly the same as that of the typed version. Occasionally I relied on the typed version to help me make out a word or two in the original. There were moments when the original and the typed conflicted with one another because of the corrections Sonia had made between the two.
After having transcribed both essays (not an easy feat transcribing from eBay photos), I printed the two and compared them side by side, line by line, highlighting the differences. The top slide show is the original handwritten draft while the bottom is the typed version. Please pardon my personal notes throughout the essays.
A quick note on my style of transcribing:
I copy the page exactly how I see it. If there’s a line in the middle of the passage to separate paragraphs, then I add a line. If words are typed together by accident and Sonia drew a line between the two words to signify spacing, then I add a “|” (or “/”) between the two words. For example: add|to. If I can’t make sense of a word because it’s either muddled in the text or crossed out beyond recognition, then I type “(illegible word)” in place of the word. Words that are italicized and in parenthesis are handwritten revisions by Sonia.
There are two things worth noting about the original essay. The first is her note: “The typed copy has been revised”. I’m led to believe the draft I used to compare alongside the original is the one she is referring to. It was certainly revised in some ways, appearing to be a second version of the draft, given by how some expressions were corrected while new errors emerged.
The second thing worth noting is Sonia’s additional note, revealing her uncertainty if Lovecraft’s part is the original quotation. His passage never changes throughout any of the copies available, and so what does that say? If this is not his original quotations, then how did she capture his written tone so well? Was it paraphrased elsewhere, and she merely copied it?
Sonia had burned Lovecraft’s letters at some point between 1947 and 1966. None of the copies of The Psychic Phenomenon of Love have dates, but it can only be speculated that at some point in the 1950s she wrote it. While she doesn’t mention the essay by name, Sonia revealed the work in a letter to August Derleth:
Before burning 400+ letters of H.P.L.’s I copied part of one, adding my own version. After many years, I came across it, and am sending you a copy for permission to try to sell it.
Sonia H. Davis to August Derleth, November 29, 1966, August William Derleth Papers, Wisconsin Historical Society.
The “copy” she sent him is likely the scanned copy included in the eBay listing, alongside the original, since the general item came from the “Barlow / Derleth Papers”. It’s interesting to read about her having copied the original quotations from his letter, and yet admitting in the original draft that she did not know if it was “his original”. It’s certainly a mystery, or a mere reminder on her part to ultimately verify the text. Whether she did or did not verify the text before burning the letters, we’ll never truly know. After sending the draft to Derleth, The Psychic Phenomenon of Love was printed as “Lovecraft on Love” in The Arkham Collector, No. 8 (Winter 1971). Everything Sonia wrote was removed in “Lovecraft on Love”, only publishing Lovecraft’s passage:
And so, how much is her word really worth? Obviously not much if someone can easily remove her part from the essay and only share Lovecraft’s part. Yet, how much is the essay worth if we can’t verify Lovecraft’s passage to be the absolute original? Is it still worth thousands? Hundreds? Or is it only worth thousands for mere bragging rights? If that’s the case, then what is this phenomenon doing in getting in the way of scholarship?
Addendum:
The post above was written a week before the item sold. The original draft of The Psychic Phenomenon of Love sold for $2,500 on March 29. Is that price reasonable? Or did someone fall into the trap of paying too much? At the end of the day, that is up to the reader to decide. As consumers, we put the value in an item, whether the price is worth it or not, because we’re emotionally driven creatures. Whether the final price was fair or not, we can at least appreciate the fact of having seen The Psychic Phenomenon of Love in its original form. Time will tell if we’ll get to see it again for sale in our lifetime.
A huge thank you to Bobby Derie for his help in providing materials for this post!
It is no secret that Sonia first met H.P. Lovecraft at the National Amateur Press Association Boston Convention in 1921. Neither is it a secret that she wasn’t entirely a fan of his quirks.
“I first met him at the Boston Convention when the Amateur Journalits [sic] gathered there for this conclave, in 1921. I admired his personality but frankly, at first, not his person.”
The Private Life of Howard Phillips Lovecraft manuscript, p. 17, 1948.
However, what continues to remain a mystery is the precise details of their first introduction. There are several reports of who played cupid between the two, of who made it their mission to make their paths cross. You may read some of those particulars in this interview: Apropos of Sonia Greene. Well, Sonia had her own testimony on who introduced her to Lovecraft. Although she neglected to provide details, she maintained this statement consistently throughout her accounts surrounding her relationship with Lovecraft.
“And evenings the two men (Lovecraft and Samuel Loveman) would meet me and we would go to dinner and see a play, or sometimes have a conclave of “amateur” friends—James F. Morton Jr. (who had introduced me to Lovecraft)…”
Books at Brown, Vol. XI, Nos. 1 and 2, p. 4, February, 1949.
“This was a favorite spot of my good friend, the late James F. Morton whom I knew many years before I met H.P. In fact it was dear James who introduced me to that convention in 1921 where I met H.P.”
The Private Life of Howard Phillips Lovecraft manuscript, p. 31, 1948.
The events which transpired in Boston at the National Amateur Press Association Convention were thankfully recorded nearly in full, as far as I know, by two amateur journalists: George Julian Houtain and Edith Miniter, both of which shared insightful tidbits of both Lovecraft and of Sonia. According to Houtain, Sonia was amongst several others who accompanied him to Boston from New York on July 1, 1921:
“This time Rheinhart and I had company—our party aboard the Calvin Austin, which left New York at 5 p.m. included Ernest and Iva Dench, Albertus and Hazel Adams, Pearl Merritt, Sonia Greene and Dottie. We made Stateroom No. 190 our headquarters presided over by its occupants, Dottie and Sonia. It was a happy care-free party.”
The National Tribute, p. 13, August 1921.
Things were about to get even more fun, for Houtain thereafter discloses some very revealing details about Sonia. Certainly, this following excerpt would inevitably crown her the official vamp of the weekend.
“We are still guessing whether A . M. A. (Albertus M. Adams), because he permitted himself to be fed ginger-ale baby-fashion by Sonia, was a greater vamp than she. In any event, Albertus said that he had no option but to live up to his reputation, while Sonia insisted that the only way to measure up to Presidential standards was to get a ‘rep’— so she immediately started in to vamp all the boys by summoning the steward. This was neatly done, too. It only required the pressing of a little button set in the wall not more than a dozen feet from the floor. This she did with the point of her slipper, at the same time having it encase her dainty foot, the feat bringing forth resounding applause and putting to shame the best terpsichorean art of a Ziegfeld beauty.”
The National Tribute, p. 13, August 1921.
After enduring a storm while at sea, the group finally arrived at Boston the next day, July 2nd.
“We breakfasted aboard. Then in a drizzling rain, accompanied by Sonia, Dorothy, four suit-cases, two bags, one grip, a brief case, two rain-coats; three umbrellas, a hat box, a card index and a look of keen expectancy, I taxied to the Hotel Brunswick.”
The National Tribute, p. 14, August 1921.
Houtain thereafter reveals that James F. Morton Jr. was already at Boston upon their arrival. In fact, he had left New York one month earlier. Unfortunately, Houtain did not elaborate on the time when Lovecraft arrived at the convention. However, if James F. Morton Jr. did in fact introduced Sonia to Lovecraft, then it was very likely on July 2nd. Houtain goes on to relay a curious instance which occurred on July 3rd, involving Lovecraft and Sonia. This account describes one very specific photograph that has been the embodiment of Lovecraft and Sonia as a couple.
“The time will never be when I will the less enjoy the splendidness of Howard Lovecraft. He is a big man in every way. Much to my delight he has proven himself to be the most human of documents. He possesses a sense of humor that is astounding, because one would doubt he possessed the gift. He is also a man with a deep sense of honor and can always be trusted. He is a modest man and great was my joy when I arranged with our official vamp, Sonia Greene, to steal up on him suddenly, get a half-Nelson clutch on his august form so that I could Brownie No. 2A him—which I did. Then the fun that followed with Lovecraft burlesquing himself as a victim of a blackmailing gang and accusing Sonia and me of being in cohorts—which we were.
Finally a deal was patched up that the negative of the said picture is to be placed under a certain rock on the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, New York City, July 4, 1922. If Lovecraft is there at ten o’clock P.M. it is to be his—otherwise (and this is the dire threat) it is to be published immediately following the New York convention. Woe be unto him if he doesn’t appear.”
The National Tribute, p. 18, August 1921.
It is very clear by this shared moment that Sonia was comfortably acquainted with Lovecraft. Perhaps by this given time, they had already partaken in several conversations. Of course, we can only speculate the length of time which had passed between the statement above and their introduction, and how well that first meeting went. We can safely assume, however, given by the account above, that it obviously went well in spite of Sonia’s reservations about Lovecraft’s “person”.
The interactions between the two did not stop there. On July 4th, the two were quite busy with the proceedings of the convention. Although at one point of the day, the two banded together, amongst others, to help raise funds for Mrs. Hayes lunch-room and afterwards they went for a hike.
“Along about one o’clock, Sonia and Lovecraft, Bill and friend-wife Lucie, Rheinhart and Gladys, Iva and hubby Ernest, Van and Sandusky, Dottie and I, helped to create more dividends for Mrs. Hayes lunch-room on Huntington Avenue and later the rest of them took a ‘hike’ along the Charles River.”
The National Tribute, p. 23, August 1921.
Were there other instances in which they did things together? Who knows, but we have plenty to be grateful to George Julian Houtain for including these precious moments that Lovecraft and Sonia shared together, because ultimately it was these little instances which would shape a relationship into a marriage. It is tidbits like these which bring additional shades to the portrait of Sonia H. Davis, who at the time of the convention was known as Mrs. Sonia H. Greene.
Rheinhart Kleiner, Sonia, H.P. LovecraftThis photo was cropped to only show Sonia, but in the original photo Ernest Dench and Elsie Houtain were standing next to Sonia. On the back of the original photograph it was written: “Sonia on right, a tall large woman—she had a millinery store—I bought a hat from her once $30.00.”
Whilst Houtain portrayed Sonia as the vamp, Edith Miniter’s account of Sonia at the convention was quite the opposite. As different as the reports are, they both paint a very realistic image of Sonia’s personality. She was both wildly fun and undoubtedly shy. She even reveals this much in her own autobiography. I shall, therefore, conclude this article with Edith’s touching remembrances of Sonia at the National Amateur Press Association Convention in 1921.
“Sometimes we missed the clever and interesting Mrs. Sonia Green [sic], but as she always explained that she was in her own room “absolutely absorbed in a book” we had to forgive her. At least I had to, the book being “Our Natupski Neighbors.” The same absorption explained (or I hope so) her getting lost whenever she went into the streets of Boston alone. Even when she departed from 20 Webster Street Saturday after the bean supper, with that book under her arm, she got lost. Said she was looking for a taxi—which was about as big a compliment to our part of Allston as asking change for $10 was to the coon.”
The Aftermath, p. 19, 1921.
“… Sonia Green [sic] had collected a few nickels as a blind and then presented the president-elect with a literal bucket of flowers…”
The Aftermath, p. 12, 1921.
“And one bewildered female may in Boston streets be seen A-seeking the convention halls—and that is Sonia Green [sic].”
“…she then had a cheap, paperback mimeographed copy of “The Faith, Hope, Tradition and Heritage of America” and a hard, brown covered, well printed copy of “The Voice of the Prophet”.
Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 197.
The Voice of the Prophet is a collection of poems by Dr. Nathaniel A. Davis based on Jewish faith and tradition. Nathaniel was Sonia’s third husband of Sonia, and this was, genuinely, her happiest marriage in comparison to her previous relationships. After Nathaniel’s passing on 6 April 1945, Sonia worked exceedingly hard to pay the debts she incurred during his illness and to save money to publish his poems. Unfortunately, when Sonia sought financial support from well-to-do individuals for her endeavor, she was met with rejection; in one instance, she was cruelly scammed by a publisher. Nevertheless, she persevered and was able to publish some of his poetry. Many of the poems she selected for publication were highly regarded by individuals from literary clubs, radio shows, and lectures.
It is unclear, however, how many copies copies Sonia made of The Voice of the Prophet. On 25 August 2021, I found Sonia’s personal copy of The Voice of the Prophet for sale online. I bought it, thinking it was too good to be true; it proved to be the best decision I made in that season of my life. When I finally received the copy several days later, I was so amazed by it that I emailed the bookseller in gratitude and to ask for the backstory of how he had managed to acquire such a book. He replied with the following account:
My friend and book-mentor, Roy A. Squires—whom you may’ve heard of—was a friend of August Derleth.After years of corresponding, Derleth informed Squires that Sonia was retired at the senior care facility I mentioned.Squires wrote to Sonia, because of his own great interest in H.P. Lovecraft, and asked if he could visit her.Sonia was very suspect, as she’d been visited not long before by an HPL enthusiast, who’d stolen valuable memorabilia from her, and wrote to Derleth to inquire about Squires. Derleth told her that Squires was the most trustworthy of men, and not to worry.Squires visited Sonia on some occasions, especially on her birthdays.She enjoyed his company.
After her death, and Sonia being estranged for years from her daughter, left no heirs. Diana Lynn Lodge asked Squires if he would come and take away her last few belongings. Squires retrieved what little she had left. Among those belongings were a few copies of your Nathaniel Davis book.
Terence McVicker
After nearly 50 years, this “well printed copy” has reached me and inspired me to look more deeply into the life of Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis. Since discovering H.P. Lovecraft, I have always had a secret inclination to write her biography, though never to publish it, as I ignorantly believed no one would find it of interest. This particular volume of The Voice of the Prophet challenged that secret inclination, and I took the leap of faith to unearth Sonia’s life, regardless of the future readership. It is because of this volume that the many who have been waiting for decades for her autobiography can now appreciate the remarkable life and character of Mrs. Sonia H. Davis.
