Dunn, John T[homas]

   (1889–1983)

   Irish-American living in North Providence who came in touch with HPL in late 1914 in the Providence Amateur Press Club and corresponded with him for the period 1915–17. (HPL’s letters to him, edited by S.T.Joshi and David E.Schultz, were published in Books at Brown28–29 [1991–92]: 157–223.) He assisted HPL in editing two issues of the Providence Amateur (June 1915, February 1916); for the first issue HPL wrote a poem, “To the United Amateur Press Association from the Providence Amateur Press Club,” discussing Dunn and other members. HPL also wrote “Lines on Graduation from the R.I.Hospital’s School of Nurses” for Dunn to recite; it was published under Dunn’s name ( Tryout, February 1917). Dunn and HPL argued over the Irish question and World War I; Dunn refused to register for the draft and was sentenced to a long prison term, but was released shortly after the war and became a Catholic priest. He was interviewed late in life by L.Sprague de Camp (see “Young Man Lovecraft,” Xenophile,October 1975; rpt. LR).