Robert E. Howard is my literary hero. Now, don’t curl your lip at the inclusion of the word “literary” in that sentence; sure, Howard never ran into a burning building to save a baby, nor did he walk on the moon, or any of those other things that go into the inarguable definition of what it means to be heroic. But he’s my literary hero nonetheless, because his career was a courageous and heroic thing.

Howard once wrote to H.P. Lovecraft,

“I was first to light a torch of literature in this part of the country, however small, frail and easily extinguished that flame may be. I am, in my way, a pioneer.” And, “It is no light thing to enter into a profession absolutely foreign and alien to the people among which one’s lot is cast; a profession which seems as dim and faraway and unreal as the shores of Europe. The people among which I lived—and yet live, mainly—made their living from cotton, wheat, cattle, oil, with the usual percentage of business men and professional men. That is most certainly not in their disfavor. But the idea of a man making his living by writing seemed, in that hardy environment, so fantastic that even today I am sometimes myself assailed by a feeling of unreality.”

I could not have said it better myself.

Here’s a young man who was different, like a lot of us—smart, well-read, and interested in things that no one else around him was interested in. He could have put his dreams and aspirations on a shelf, gotten a job at a general store, and collected books and pulp magazines until the end of his life. But Robert E. Howard wanted more; he wanted to be the one others read in books and pulps. And so, in the middle of rural Texas, a place far away from the publishing centers of New York City and Chicago, Howard began writing. He had no formal training, no teachers to help him, and no real experience. He just started doing it, long before the sneaker company made it a registered trademark.

His family and circle of friends more or less understood what he was doing. But the rest of the town? Forget it. They were farmers, ranch hands, tool dressers. There wasn’t much time for reading, unless it was the Bible, or maybe a newspaper, and especially not for pleasure. It didn’t make sense to a number of them. After all, he was the son of a doctor. He could afford an education. But he stopped working in local stores. He graduated, but never became a stenographer. He didn’t leave town, nor partake in the family business. Howard chose “None of the above,” and made his own way in the world.

Through sheer willpower and a fighting heart that told him not to give up, Robert E. Howard became one of the greatest pulpsters of all time. His stories and poetry continue to inspire after 80 years. His most famous character, Conan the Cimmerian, has yet another pop cultural milestone in the form of a new movie, due out in August. There’s talk of the long-awaited Solomon Kane movie getting released on DVD in America, soon, too. The comics continue to come out every month. It’s a great time to be a Howard fan.

And for diehard Howard fans, the year revolves around the second weekend in June, when they make the pilgrimage to Cross Plains, Texas for the annual Robert E. Howard Days festival, a two day celebration of the author’s life and works. This year is particularly special, as it marks a number of anniversaries: the 25th consecutive year of Howard Days, the 50th Anniversary of Glenn Lord’s fanzine The Howard Collector, the 75th Anniversary of Robert E. Howard’s death, and the 100th Anniversary of the creation of modern day Cross Plains.

Me, I go every year, whether or not there are anniversaries going on. I have found that, no matter what writing projects I’m working on, no matter how blocked I am, I always manage to re-connect to my original source of inspiration, the thing that made me want to be a writer in the first place. My first and best literary hero.

This year, the members past and present of the Robert E. Howard United Press Association have a fundraiser intended to help the ongoing care and restoration of the Robert E. Howard house. Dreams in the Fire is a collection of fiction and poetry inspired by Robert E. Howard’s life and works. I co-edited the book with Chris Gruber, and we’re very happy with the result. You can order the book from Lulu, or you can trek out to Cross Plains on June 10th and June 11th, and get your copy signed by no less than ten of the contributors.