Because I have a skill. A very special skill that, alas, slowly seems to be dying. The ability to separate an artist from their work.
Seems a bit of a snipe, that.
As it is, most of the people saying that sort of thing tend to defend relatively indefensible people - it's one thing to say 'eh, it's alright since everyone was a bit racist then', but it's another when you're saying that about a guy who, even at the time, was regarded as being a little
too racist. Particularly when you consider he was sufficiently aware of how shitty his racism was that he hid it from a Jewish friend of his (Samuel Loveman), who only found out after Lovecraft's death from his (Jewish) wife (Sonia Greene). Evidently this was jarring enough that Loveman later decried any notion of their friendship.
To which I'd point out that at least someone who's racist and says 'oh you're different' is
upfront about being a racist, and probably believe he's
right - to continue to hold beliefs even though you've got a sneaking suspicion you might be wrong, and then hide them to boot, is cowardly and disingenuous.
At least he was a good writer, I guess.
(Incidental tangent - I find it hilarious that Loveman was gay, and Lovecraft is often described as basically asexual, suggesting both their names are kind of literal in that one loved men and the other loved his craft, however you may feel about the outcome of said craft).
