Affirmative Lovecraft Fandom: Beyond Disavowal and Apologism as Approaches to Lovecraft's Racism

H. P. Lovecraft's legacy of racism thinking and writing has come to the forefront in recent years. Consequently his status in the canon is being rethought, with the WFA trophy controversy serving as a microcosm displaying the larger debate. I identify two common approaches to Lovecraft's racism: disavowal and apologism. Yet both have unsurpassable flaws, ranging from a loss of critical finesse to tacit support for advancing a white nationalist agenda. Hence I proclaim both approaches bankrupt, and propose a third: an affirmative approach. This approach acknowledges Lovecraft's racism first and foremost and works from there.