Joseph Payne Brennan (December 20, 1918 – January 28, 1990) was an American writer of

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

and

horror fiction Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon, in 1984, defin ...

, and also a poet. Of Irish ancestry, he was born in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

and he lived most of his life in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

, Connecticut, and worked as an Acquisitions Assistant at the

Sterling Memorial Library Sterling Memorial Library (SML) is the main library, library building of the Yale University Library system in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Opened in 1931, the library was designed by James Gamble Rogers as the centerpiece of Yale's Go ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

for over 40 years.Stefan Dziemianowicz, "Joseph Payne Brennan" in Pringle, David, ed. ''St James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers''. Detroit MI: St James Press, 1998, pp. 87-88. Brennan published several hundred short stories (estimates range between four and five hundred), two novellas and reputedly thousands of poems. His stories appeared in over 200 anthologies and have been translated into German, French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish.James Andersen, "Joseph Payne Brennan: An Interview" ''Fantasy Review'' 7, No 9 (WN 72)(Oct 1984), 9-10 He was an early bibliographer of the work of

H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...

. Brennan's first professional sale came in December 1940 with the publication of the poem "When Snow Is Hung", which appeared in the

Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles both in electronic format and a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper b ...

Home Forum, and he continued writing poetry up until the time of his death. As a fiction writer, Brennan started out writing westerns stories for the pulps, then switched to horror stories for ''

Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, printe ...

'' in 1952. He began publishing his own magazine ''Macabre'', which ran from 1957 to 1976. Several of his short story collections concern an occult detective named Lucius Leffing in the vein of Carnacki and

Algernon Blackwood Algernon Henry Blackwood, CBE (14 March 1869 – 10 December 1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary cr ...

's John Silence. His 1958 collection '' Nine Horrors and a Dream'', containing the stories "Slime" (which has been reprinted at least fifty times) and "Canavan's Back Yard", is celebrated in an essay by

Stephen Gallagher Stephen Gallagher (born 13 October 1954) is an English screenwriter and novelist. Gallagher was born in Salford, Greater Manchester and attended Eccles Grammar School, then graduated from the University of Hull with Joint Honours in Drama and En ...

in the book ''Horror: 100 Best Books'', edited by Stephen Jones and

Kim Newman Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. He is interested in film history and horror fiction – both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula'' at the age of eleven & ...

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

has called him "a master of the unashamed horror tale".

Don D'Ammassa Donald Eugene D'Ammassa (born April 24, 1946) is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror critic and author.Don D'Ammassa, "Obituary: Joseph Payne Brennan", ''SF Chronicle'' (May 1990), p. 12 Brennan's personality was described in an interview as "reserved: he is friendly but not flamboyant. He is most comfortable with his wife (Doris) and his dog (Chaucer). He is a gentle, softspoken, modest man. But beware, for beneath that ordinary exterior lurks the mind of a modern master of fright."Anderson, James. "Joseph Payne Brennan: An Interview". ''Fantasy Review'' 7, No 9 (Whole No 72)(October 1984), 9-10.

Life and work

Early career: 1940s: Western Stories

Brennan has stated in numerous autobiographical snippets that a chance encounter with the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe is what sparked his interest and ambition to engage in writing himself. Shortly after he was born in Bridgeport, CT, in 1917 (the same year of birth as his fellow ''Weird Tales'' writer

Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime fiction, crime, psychological horror fiction, horror and Fantasy Fiction, fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and ...

), Brennan's family moved back to New Haven, where he lived thereafter. He was forced to drop out of college in his sophomore year owing to an illness in the family; thus, he was largely self-educated. He then took a position in the advertising department at ''The New Haven Journal-Courier'' (1937-1939). Little is known about how Brennan went about submitting his early manuscripts, although Brennan used many different agents in the course of his career. Before and during World War II, Ulrich Troubetzkoy acted as his de facto agent as well as the guardian of his manuscripts while he was stationed overseas. Later he used, with varying degrees of rapport and success, Laurence R. D'Orsay, Jack Schaffner, the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Kirby McCauley, Kenneth S. White and R. Dixon Smith. Troubetzkoy was born Dorothy Livingston Ulrich in Hartford, Connecticut in 1914, and known professionally as Ulrich Troubetzkoy after her 1941 marriage to Prince Serge Troubetzkoy; she met Brennan when they both worked at the ''New Haven Journal-Courier'' in the late 1930s. Recognized editors of his work include Dorothy McIlwraith,

Frank Belknap Long Frank Belknap Long Jr. (April 27, 1901 – January 3, 1994) was an American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. Though his writing career spanned seven decades, he is best k ...

, Charles L. Grant, Peter Haining, Helen Hoke, Robert Arthur, Les Daniels,

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. He was the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. He made contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the Lovecraftian horror, cosmi ...

, Ruth Iodice, Lilith Lorraine, Gustav Davidson, F. E. S. Finn, Stuart David Schiff], Gerald W. Page, George Abbe, and Loring Williams. Brennan began working at the Yale University Library in 1941; this was interrupted by military duty in the U.S. Army where he served three years (including one year with General Patton's Third Army in the

26th Infantry Division (United States) The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division (military), division of the United States Army. A major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history. Today, the division's ...

("Yankee Division")), during which time he received a unit citation of five battle stars, including one for the Battle of the Bulge.Jacket bio, Joseph Payne Brennan, ''Nine Horrors and a Dream'', Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1958 Brennan resumed work at Yale in 1946 and began to write and publish western-themed short fiction for the pulp markets. His debut pulp western appearance occurred in December 1948 with the yarn "Fast-Gun Freedom", in ''Western Short Stories''. Brennan made his first professional fiction sale with the western yarn "Endurance", which appeared in ''Masked Rider Western'' (Feb 1950). A total of 26 western yarns by him can be found in 25 pulp titles. Weird Tales March 1953

1950s: Poetry and supernatural work

When the market for western fiction dried up in the mid-1950s, Brennan simply turned his hand to the supernatural.Grant, Donald M. "Joseph Payne Brennan: Quiet Achiever". The World Fantasy Convention (Program Booklet) 1982, pp. 36–37 In 1950 Brennan established the little poetry journal ''Essence'', which was published irregularly, with 47 issues spanning a period of 28 years (1950–1977). Among the many poets who contributed over the years were George Abbe, Duane Ackerson, Doris Philbrick Brennan, Judson Crews,

, Alan Donovan, Alfred Dorn, Janet Fox (Scavenger's Newsletter), Skip Galloway, Joseph Joel Keith, Lilith Lorraine, Joseph Francis Murphy, Rebecca Newth, William J. Noble, Lori Petri, Dorothy Quick, Sydney King Russell, Wade Wellman (son of

Manly Wade Wellman Manly Wade Wellman (May 21, 1903 – April 5, 1986) was an American writer. While his science fiction and fantasy stories appeared in such pulps as '' Astounding Stories'', '' Startling Stories'', ''Unknown'' and '' Strange Stories'', Wellman i ...

), Mary Winter, and Celeste Turner Wright. Also included were reprints of the work of David Park Barnitz,

Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he s ...

, and others. Brennan was on the staff of

Jack Schaefer Jack Warner Schaefer (November 19, 1907 – January 24, 1991) was an American writer known for his Westerns. His best-known works are the 1949 novel '' Shane'', considered the greatest western novel by the Western Writers of America, and t ...

's ''Theatre News'' for the year 1940. His first book, ''Heart of Earth'', also issued in 1950, was a collection of poems. That same year

wrote to Brennan suggesting that they meet, because Long was going to stay at Short Beach following his mother's death. The environs of Yale University were closely bound up with Long's ancestral heritage - his maternal forebears the Manfields were among the city's earliest settlers, and this gave him much in common with Brennan. Long's intention was to discuss with Brennan the antiquities of New Haven, their mutual interest in H.P. Lovecraft and writing in general. This meeting did not occur, but they did meet at a later time in a restaurant opposite Yale University Campus. Long and Brennan would not meet again until the time of the First

World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual science fiction convention, convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art sh ...

(1975 in Providence). Brennan belatedly appeared on the pages of ''

'' with the short-short "The Green Parrot" in the July 1952 issue of that magazine, to which Brennan became a regular contributor. In fairly quick succession this tale was followed up by his novelette "Slime", the dark whimsy "On The Elevator", and "The Calamander Chest". These tales appeared only months before the magazine's demise deprived him of a professional market for any further such fiction. Much later Brennan was also collected in the Zebra Books revival of the magazine, ''Weird Tales'' #2, with the Leffing case "The Nursing Home Horror", retitled "Fear".

Late 1950s and 1960s: Macabre House, Macabre magazine and Arkham House

In 1955 Brennan tried his hand at a new endeavour, and his imprint Macabre House was launched with the publication of the pamphlet '' H.P. Lovecraft: An Evaluation'' (now incredibly scarce, like many of the other Brennan-published efforts). Macabre House published its own magazine, ''Macabre''. According to Donald M. Grant, "together with its companion magazine, ''Essence'', it (''Macabre'') provided the opportunity and the encouragement for publication of poems and stories by writers seeking recognition in a period that lacked a vehicle for development. ''Macabre'' ran for 23 issues and just shy of 20 years; issues are prized collector's items. ''Macabre'' was founded in 1957 to "work for the revival" of ''

''. He also wanted ''Macabre'' to "serve as a rallying place for all those devoted to horror and the supernatural". Twenty three issues were released, the last one in 1976. Issues of ''Macabre'' included Brennan's "Lucius Leffing" stories, and well as other of his well-known stories and articles on H. P. Lovecraft": "Time and Lovecraft" and "Lovecraft on the Subway". The ninth issue (Summer 1961) also featured an article on H.P. Lovecraft by Brennan. Other contributions included "Wei-Thogga" by Mike Ambrose, "Ice People" by George Dendrinos, "Balthor the Dreamer" by W. Paul Ganley, "The Floating Coffin" by John Perry, and "Day of Departure" by Frank Sherry. Other contributors include

Ramsey Campbell Ramsey Campbell (born 4 January 1946) is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over fifty years. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awa ...

, Robert Caspar, Lawrence R. Griffin, Helen T. Hill, Leslie Nelson Jennings, Lilith Lorraine, Joseph Francis Murphy, William J. Noble, Violet Hiles Ringer, Richard L. Tierney, Lawrence A. Trissel, and Elizabeth Weistrop. Several stories in ''Macabre'' have been cited as essential to Lovecraft's

Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American Horror fiction, horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent and protégé of Lovecraft, t ...

. The Macabre House imprint also published most of Brennan's horror fiction in the 1950s to early 1970s, such as the volumes ''The Dark Returners'' (1959), ''Scream at Midnight'' (1963) and ''The Casebook of Lucius Leffing'' (1973).

had been an early correspondent and so Brennan sought publication for his first fiction collection with

Arkham House Arkham House was an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...

; Derleth assembled this volume as Nine Horrors and a Dream (1958). Arkham House would later publish one of his volumes of poetry, Nightmare Need (1964) and Brennan's fifth volume of supernatural tales, '' Stories of Darkness and Dread'' (1973). Additionally, the 1961 poetry collection ''Wind of Time'' was issued by Derleth under the ''Hawk and Whippoorwill Press'' imprint, a subsidiary of Arkham House. As early as 1961, Brennan had more entries than any other poet in Derleth's anthology '' Fire and Sleet and Candlelight'' - fourteen poems. Stefan Dziemanowicz has written that "his volumes ''Nightmare Need'' and ''Creep to Death'' rank as high watermarks of modern macabre verse". Brennan was repeatedly turned down for grants to help produce and sustain his "little" magazines, ''Essence'' and ''Macabre''. These two outlets were carried on for decades by his own determination and the assistance of numerous private contributions. The only organization to contribute substantially was the Virginia Humanities Foundation, through the auspices of Margaret Haley Carpenter 917-1985 and Nan Cooke Carpenter.

Lucius Leffing ( occult detective) series

In the tradition of the psychic or

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

detective, Brennan introduced his character Lucius Leffing, a sarsaparilla-sipping occultist private detective and psychic investigator, who resides at Number 7 Autumn St, New Haven, and collects antique glass. The character first appeared in the story "The Haunted Housewife" (''Macabre'' XII, Winter 1962-1963). Leffing was quoted, and briefly appeared at the end of the story "In The Very Stones" which appeared in ''Scream At Midnight'' (1963). ''Macabre'' published two more of his adventures ("Apparition in the Sun", and "In Death as in Life") before the series began to run in ''Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine'' and ''Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine'', where a further thirteen tales appeared prior to the 1973 publication of ''The Casebook of Lucius Leffing''. The stories comprising the Lucius Leffing canon are akin to the Holmes and Watson stories of Conan Doyle, and to the Solar Pons and Parker stories of August Derleth. In the stories, Leffing's adventures are chronicled by his protege and friend - Brennan himself. Three collections of Leffing stories, plus the novel ''Act of Providence'' (in which Leffing investigates the bizarre happenings at the First

) include all the stories in the series. Stefan Dziemianowicz has pointed out how Leffing's status as a

psychic detective A psychic detective is a person who purports to investigate crimes using paranormal psychic abilities. Claimed techniques and abilities have included postcognition (paranormal perception of the past), psychometry (information psychically gain ...

changed over time: "Leffing began life as a psychic detective, but after his third escapade, Brennan felt compelled to minimize the supernatural content of the stories to ensure their acceptance in the mystery/detective magazines. With the revival of the horror market in the 1980s, Leffing turned ghostbuster once again - a career move that mirrors Brennan's own resurrection in the horror mainstream following his years of exile in the small press". Frank Belknap Long explains that while there had been occult detectives before, "Lucius Leffing is in all respects unique. He seldom engages in dramatic confrontations on a mundane human plane, and he does not shout at the reader, his clients, or anyone else. But in his scholarly reserve and quietness there is a sagacity of a high order, a brilliance that blazes and sears and shatters the horrific as if it were a vessel of glass with the deadly precision of a rapier thrust. He has a comforting way with clients who come to him for help, for he is wise enough to know that the most fatal error a victim of dark and mysterious forces can make is to doubt his own sanity at the start. He questions nothing that he has been told until every aspect of a strangeness has been explored in depth."

1970s

In 1970, Brennan married the former Doris M. Philbrick, who was herself a published poet. Three of her poems are included in Brennan's volume ''Creep to Death'' (1981). He also became a member of the Praed Street Irregulars, a society founded by fellow author Luther Norris in honor of

's sleuth

Solar Pons Solar Pons is a fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portr ...

. A second collection of Leffing tales, containing eight stories, was published in 1977 as ''Chronicles of Lucius Leffing''. The introduction to this volume by

recounts his several meetings with Brennan over the years. Long says of Brennan that he was a "storyteller of exceptional gifts who trusts his own creation right up to the hilt" and that "no present-day writer of fantasy conforms, in quite so miraculous a way, to the most fascinating of literary legends - that of the cultivated poet-philosopher-scholar who explores literature's most adventurous byways, in thrall to the darkly mysterious and the subtly terrifying". The 1978 poetry collection ''As Evening Advances'' was a slim chapbook containing 31 poems including two reprints ("The Old Man," first collected in Nightmare Need and originally appearing in ''The New York Herald Tribune'' (1959); and "Maelstrom of Stars," first collected in ''The Wind of Time'' (1961) and originally appearing in ''The New York Times'' 960. The balance of content was reprinted from various horror genre fanzines, mainstream poetry journals, or original to the collection. Brennan was the first recipient of the International Clark Ashton Smith Poetry Award 1978 for Life Achievement. (This award was created by Frederick J. Mayer and awarded yearly at the Fantasy Faire Convention in Southern California until the passing of co-founder William "Bill" Crawford in 1985). The third Lucius Leffing book was the short novel ''Act of Providence'' (1979), set in and around the events of the First

, convened in Providence,

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, on Halloween weekend 1975.

1980s

In 1980, twelve of Brennan's classic horror stories were collected in the paperback-only collection ''The Shapes at Midnight'', with an introduction by

. The 1981 poetry collection ''Creep to Death'' assembled an even-handed blend of 84 poems by Brennan, many culled from the pages of Essence and Macabre, and various contemporary semi-pro genre magazines of the day, including ''Bleak December'', ''Cross Plains'', ''Myrddin'', ''Nyctalops'', ''Weirdbook'', ''Whispers'', and the one-off collaboration ''Toadstool Wine'' (1975). The collection concludes with a brief showcase (three poems) by his wife, Doris Philbrick Brennan. The author biography to this volume indicates that Brennan was assembling work for five further volumes, several of which eventuated. Two did not - these were ''Make Mine Macabre'', a collection drawn from the author's pioneer magazine ''Macabre''; and ''Lucius Leffing, Supernatural Sleuth'', the collected supernatural adventures of his favourite detective. In 1982, the short

hardboiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence o ...

detective novel ''Evil Always Ends'' made its hardcover debut at the 1982 World Fantasy Convention, at which tribute was paid to Brennan as Guest of Honor. Brennan also won the Convention Award at this convention, along with

Roy Krenkel Roy Gerald Krenkel (July 11, 1918 – February 24, 1983), who often signed his work RGK, was an American illustrator who specialized in fantasy and historical drawings and paintings for books, magazines and comic books. Influences and stu ...

In 1984, ''Twilight Zone'' magazine featured a seven-page spread of Brennan's poems with illustrations—probably the largest such periodical coverage in the history of the fantastic poetry genre. 1985's poetry collection ''Sixty Selected Poems'' represents the gamut of Brennan's poetic work, from poems published in his first collection up until the date of publication. Nineteen eighty-six saw the publication of ''The Borders Just Beyond'', a collection of 24 macabre stories.

Death

Brennan died, aged 70, a few months prior to the issuance of his fourth Leffing book, the third collection of short stories to feature the character. ''The Adventures of Lucius Leffing'' (1990) contains another 13 adventures of the psychic sleuth. Weird Tales March 1953

Common themes and legacy

Almost all of Brennan's work takes place in or around New England, especially coastal and northwestern Connecticut. Many of Brennan's best tales are set within the environs of New Haven and East Hartland, some within the mythical New England town of Juniper Hill, and feature seemingly semi-autobiographical elements throughout. He often goes to great lengths describing vast stretches of forest, scenery, small towns, and so on. His characters are often reclusive, and stick to these desolate places. As Alan Warren points out, many of Brennan's tales involve ghosts or apparitions that make frightening, unexpected appearances in old houses, hospital rooms, or even, as in 'The Man in Grey tweeds", on the highway. In his poetry, he himself identified his main themes as "death, loss, the mystery of time, Nature". Critics have varied in their responses to Brennan's output. Alan Warren considers that almost singlehandedly, he continued the ''Weird Tales'' tradition of well-wrought and atmospheric Gothic horror that seemed moribund for many years until Stephen King, and others employing many of the same methods, arrived on the scene. Warren credits Brennan with being able to put the horror right in front of the reader's face and suggests that "part of this is due to Brennan's simple style: his horrors are vivid because they stand out in sharp relief, against his homespun, small-town scenes." For Warren, "Brennan's tales often succeed because they are written with conviction, deliberately understated, and are often genuinely frightening."

notes in his appreciative introduction to ''Shapes at Midnight'': "you will find nothing flashy in his work...Brennan writes in what E.L. White called 'the plain style', a style which is as modest and self-effacing as Joe Brennan is himself...but for all of that, it is a sturdy style, capable of wielding enormous power when it is used well." By contrast, S. T. Joshi writes that Brennan has "the ability to devise a clever supernatural idea but an utter deficiency of literary talent to execute it competently. The hallmark of Brennan's work is an almost childishly simple, unadorned prose that might be thought to facilitate the subtle incursion of the weird; but in reality this flatness of style renders his conceptions preposterous and absurd because of an insufficiency of atmospheric preparation." Joshi does consider that "Brennan is probably a better poet than a fiction writer, and his simplicity of utterance can be highly effective in short, pungent poems of fantasy and terror. Arkham House's ''Nightmare Need'' (1964) is well worth seeking out, as is the later ''Sixty Selected Poems'' (1985)." Stefan Dziemanowicz comments of the collection ''Nine Horrors and a Dream'' that "All the stories in the book are notable for their simple, unaffected style, and their depiction of ordinary suburban and rural people contending with eruptions of the supernatural in their everyday lives." He concludes that "The timeless themes of his weird tales made him an important bridge between the pulp and the modern horror era. He was also a pioneer in horror's specialty press phenomenon".

Works

*''Heart of Earth''. (Prairie City, Illinois: The Decker Press, 1950); ames A. Decker Verse. * ''Essence''. (New Haven, Connecticut: The Author). Poetry journal, 1950 - 1977, 47 issues, I - XLVII. * ''A Select Bibliography of H. P. Lovecraft''. (N.P.: The Author, 1952); expanded edition as ''H. P. Lovecraft: A Bibliography''. (Washington, D.C.: Biblio Press, 1952). * ''The Humming Stair''. (Denver, Colorado: Big Mountain Press, 1953); lan Swallow Verse. * ''H. P. Lovecraft: An Evaluation''. (New Haven, Connecticut: Macabre House, 1955). 75 copies issued. (essay is reprinted in Peter Cannon, ed. ''Lovecraft Remembered.''(Sauk City, Wisconsin:

, 1998). * ''Macabre''. (New Haven, Connecticut: The Author). Fiction journal, 1957 - 1976, 23 issues, I - XXIII. * "20,000 Feet Over History". (

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

, 1958). *'' Nine Horrors and a Dream'' (Sauk City, Wisconsin:

, 1958).

. (New York, NY:

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major American book publisher that is a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Ballantine was founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. Ballantine was acquired by Random House in ...

, pt, 1962). * ''The Dark Returners''. (New Haven, Connecticut: Macabre House, 1959); onald M. Grant Limited to 150 signed & numbered copies; not issued in d.j. * ''The Wind of Time''. (Place of Hawks, Sauk City, Wisconsin: Hawk & Whippoorwill Press, 1961); ugust Derleth Verse. * ''Scream at Midnight''. (New Haven, Connecticut: Macabre House, 1963); onald M. Grant 250 copies; not issued in d.j. *'' Nightmare Need'' (Sauk City, Wisconsin:

, 1964); ugust Derleth * ''A Sheaf of Snow Poems''. (Hamden, Connecticut: Pendulum Press, 1973). Verse. * ''The Casebook of Lucius Leffing''. (New Haven, Connecticut: Macabre House, 1973); published by Donald M. Grant. * ''Stories of Darkness and Dread''. (Sauk City, Wisconsin:

, 1973); ugust Derleth * ''Death Poems''. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Pilot Press Books, 1974); . Eric Greinke Verse. * ''Edges of Night''. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Pilot Press Books, 1974); . Eric Greinke Verse. * '' The Chronicles of Lucius Leffing''. (West Kingston, Rhode Island: Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc., 1977). Introduction by

. * ''The Riddle''. (Warren, Ohio: Fantome Press (C. M. James), 1977. Poem; chapbook. 75 copies printed. * ''As Evening Advances''. (Huntsville, Alabama: Crystal Visions Press, 1978); harles W. Melvin Limited to 400 numbered copies. Verse. * ''Webs of Time''. (New Haven, Connecticut: Macabre House, 1979); 500 copies. Introduction by Frederick J. Mayer. * '' Act of Providence''. (Co-authored with Donald M. Grant). West Kingston, Rhode Island: Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc., 1979. * ''The Shapes of Midnight''. (New York, New York:

Berkley Books Berkley Books is an American imprint founded in 1955 by Charles Byrne and Frederic Klein owned by the Penguin Group unit of Penguin Random House. History Berkley Books began as an independent company in 1955. It was founded as "Chic News Compa ...

, 1980). Introduction by

. * '' Creep to Death''. (West Kingston, Rhode Island: Donald M. Grant, 1981). Verse. * '' Evil Always Ends''. (West Kingston, Rhode Island: Donald M. Grant, 1982). Limited to 750 copies signed by both author and artist. Novella. * ''Sixty Selected Poems''. (Amherst, New York: The New Establishment Press, 1985); . Paul Ganley * ''The Borders Just Beyond''. (West Kingston, Rhode Island: Donald M. Grant, 1986). Limited to 750 copies signed by the author. * ''Look Back on Laurel Hills''. (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Jwindz Publishing, 1989); wayne H. Olson Verse. * '' The Adventures of Lucius Leffing''. (Hampton Falls, New Hampshire: Donald M. Grant, 1990). Limited to 1000 copies numbered and signed by both author and artist). Introduction by Jack L. Chalker. * ''The Feaster From Afar: The Selected Weird Tales of Joseph Payne Brennan, Volume One''. Rio Rancho, NM: Midnight House, 2008. Edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz and John Pelan. This was to have been a four-volume set of Brennan's tales, but Midnight House (as of 2015) has published no further volumes in the series.

Radio, television, and film

* '' Thriller'' elevision adaptation aired 16 April 1962. The Lethal Ladies episode presented "Good-Bye, Mr. Bliss" as "Good-Bye, Dr. Bliss", and "The Pool" as "Murder On The Rocks". Thriller also considered using "Apprehension" but apparently determined that it would be difficult to effectively adapt to performance media. * Tales from the Darkside elevision adaptation, 1984 presented "Levitation". *Italiana Radio Televisione adapted the stories, "The Calamander Chest", "The House On Stillcroft Street", "Levitation", and "Long Hollow Swamp" for broadcast in 1982. *"Zombique" was adapted for radio and presented on THE HITCHCOCK HALF-HOUR airing on South African Broadcasting, 1981. *"The Calamander Chest" was recorded by Caedmon Educational Recordings in 1978 with a performance by Vincent Price. This tale is Side 2 on the LP recorded album (or "B" side on cassette) ''The Goblins At The Bathhouse'', which is the title of Ruth Manning-Sanders tale on the "A" side. This tale was also recorded by Houghton-Mifflin in 1973 for the Mystery Stories Listening Library, as a companion format to MYSTERY STORIES 1, edited by James Higgins. This recording can be accessed at *Supposedly, Brennan was recorded reading selected poems ("Heart of Earth"; "Black October"; "When Yellow Leaves"; "Return of the Young Men"; "The Closer Light"; and "Lines To H. P. Lovecraft") during a "Meet The Authors" gathering at the First World Fantasy Convention held in Providence, Rhode Island, October 31 - November 2, 1975. Thus far this is unsubstantiated. * Brennan was recorded as part of a panel discussion with several other authors at the First World Fantasy Convention, 1975. Some of this discussion appeared that year on a flexi-disc inserted into the fanzine ''Myrddin'' 3. The full recording can be accessed a

Awards

*Hartshorne Award for 1957. Wisconsin Poetry Magazine. *Leonora Speyer Memorial Award 1961, for "New England Vignette". The

Poetry Society of America Poetry (from the Greek word '' poiesis'', "making") is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, literal or surface-level meanings. Any partic ...

. *International

Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an influential American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories and poetry, and an artist. He achieved early recognition in California (largely through the enthusiasm ...

Poetry Award 1978, (first recipient) awarded for Life Achievement. (An award created by Frederick J. Mayer and awarded yearly at the Fantasy Faire Convention in Southern California until the passing of co-founder William "Bill" Crawford in 1985). *At the Eighth

1982, held in Brennan's home town of

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, Brennan was awarded a Special Convention Award for Life Achievement, along with artist/illustrator,

. The winner of the Life Achievement Award for 1982 went to

Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, ; ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian novelist and short story writer. His best-known works include the ''Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the '' Cosm ...

. *Brennan received numerous awards in poetry from various literary journals including ''Kaleidograph'', and others.Jacket bio, Joseph Payne Brennan, ''Nine Horrors and Dream'' Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1958

References

External links

* * * Occult Detectives 15: Lucius Leffin

* Checklist of issues, Macabre magazine (contents not given

* Description of Joseph Payne Brennan Paper

* Essay by Brennan on poet David Park Barnitzbr>
* Review of ''The Feaster from Afar'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brennan, Joseph Payne 1918 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers American fantasy writers American horror writers American male novelists American weird fiction writers World Fantasy Award–winning writers Writers from New Haven, Connecticut 20th-century American poets American male short story writers American male poets 20th-century American short story writers Novelists from Connecticut Yale University staff