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Practice your writing by typing out classic literature. This method not only enhances your understanding of rhythm, structure, and nuances but also connects you deeply with the timeless flow of literary history.This is a BETA version.

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The Horror at Red Hook

by H.P. Lovecraft

The Horror at Red Hook is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written on August 1–2, 1925, it was first published in the January 1927 issue of Weird Tales (Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 73–94). It is based on the urban legend of the Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, and tells the story of a New York City detective who encounters, and becomes involved in, a series of occult-related events.

Read more about H.P. Lovecraft
The Horror at Red Hook
picturesque and semi-mythical remoteness.

Robert Suydam sleeps beside his bride in Greenwood Cemetery.  No
funeral was held over the strangely released bones, and relatives are
grateful for the swift oblivion which overtook the case as a whole.

The scholar's connection with the Red Hook horrors, indeed, was never
emblazoned by legal proof; since his death forestalled the inquiry he
would otherwise have faced.  His own end is not much mentioned, and
the Suydams hope that posterity may recall him only as a gentle
recluse who dabbled in harmless magic and folk-lore.

As for Red Hook--it is always the same.  Suydam came and went; a
terror gathered and faded; but the evil spirit of darkness and
squalor broods on amongst the mongrels in the old brick houses; and
prowling bands still parade on unknown errands past windows where
lights and twisted faces unaccountably appear and disappear.  Age-old
horror is a hydra with a thousand heads, and the cults of darkness
are rooted in blasphemies deeper than the well of Democritus.  The
soul of the beast is omnipresent and triumphant, and Red Hook's
legions of blear-eyed, pockmarked youths still chant and curse and
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Why Type a Masterpiece?

Typing out classical literature is not just an exercise in patience; it's a deeply immersive way to understand the rhythm, structure, and nuances of great writing. By manually reproducing the works of renowned authors, you engage with the text on a level that reading alone cannot offer. This method allows you to feel the flow of sentences, the choice of words, and the intricate construction of paragraphs that make these works timeless.

Style is a very simple matter; it is all rhythm. Once you get that, you can't use the wrong words.

– Virginia Woolf

literati is a unique platform where writers can select from a vast collection of public domain classics to type out. This practice is akin to a musician playing pieces by the masters to internalize the elements of composition and performance. Just as the musician learns the subtleties of each note and chord, the writer learns the power of each word and sentence.

Prose is like hair; it shines with combing.

– Gustave Flaubert

Engaging directly with masterpieces allows writers to absorb the rhythm of the text, the ebb and flow of its pacing, and the beauty of its imagery. It cultivates an appreciation for the craft of writing and provides invaluable lessons in how to construct compelling narratives, develop characters, and evoke emotions in readers. Happy typing!

The only truth is music.

– Jack Kerouac

More on this topic:

"Imitate then innovate", an article by David Perell