Lines from the Library

I could pull any number of Halloween-themed items from the vast collections in Fales. Something from our 18th-century Gothic holdings; something from Peter Straub or Stephen King or H.P. Lovecraft. Instead, I present you with one of the most underrated American masters of the weird and fantastic: The King in Yellow by R. W. Chambers (1895).

About half of the short stories contained in this volume are set in and around Washington Square. This passage from "The Repairer of Reputations" is one of the most chilling reading experiences I have ever had:

It was, I remember, the 13th day of April, 1920, that the first Government Lethal Chamber was established on the south side of Washington Square, between Wooster Street and South Fifth Avenue. The block which had formerly consisted of a lot of shabby old buildings, used as cafes and restaurants for foreigners, had been acquired by the Government in the winter of 1898. The French and Italian cafes and restaurants were torn down; the whole block was enclosed by a gilded iron railing, and converted into a lovely garden with lawns, flowers and fountains. In the centre of the garden stood a small, white building, severely classical in architecture, and surrounded by thickets of flowers. Six Ionic columns supported the roof, and the single door was of bronze. A splendid marble group of "The Fates" stood before the door, the work of a young American sculptor, Boris Yvain, who had died in Paris when only twenty-three years old.

For those who don't know their historic New York City geography, Washingon Square South between Wooster Street and Fifth Avenue South is the exact location of Bobst Library.

Happy Halloween!