598 Angell St.
Dec. 2, 1922
Dear Mr. Smith:--
I decided to wait till the whole story (The Lurking Fear) was done before sending you anything, since it would hardly be fair to ask you to draw before you have the whole atmosphere & scene to base your conceptions on. I wish I had a better story to offer—this one is frighfully wooden & mechanical because of Houtain's demand that each section be of 2000 words & posses an horrific & suspenseful climax. The conditions were really impossible—he wanted something of short story length, yet with essentially the plan & technic of the novel. ..... You are a genius in conceiving & rendering noxious, baleful, poisonous vegetation, & I veritably believe my descriptions were excited by some of your drawings which Loveman shewed me....
Most cordially & sincerely yours,
HPLovecraft
Selected Letters (Arkham House) 115