Tied Cottage - the screenplay

 The past is a doorway that can be opened and reveal stories which have been forgotten. One of Robert E. Howard's monologues tells of his love of hearing a good yarn. The fight at the Alamo he enjoyed listening about. I incorporated one facet into the play that told of William Irvine Lewis (1806-1836) who served as a rifleman with the volunteers who rode with Jim Bowie. Many years later, his mother was given a keepsake of his death that had been fashioned from stone taken from the ruins of the Alamo. The other story I did not use was that of Edward Edwards, who also died at The Alamo, and has a plaque commemorating his death in the church of St John the Baptist, Aberdare. He was a Major-General in the Mexican army of General De Santa's Anna 

 A Drifter off Hyperborea All fled-all done, so lift me on the pyre- The Feast is over and the lamps expire  Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) is the pulp fiction writer who found fame in the pages of “Weird Tales” that first published his stories of Conan the Cimmerian. His other creations are well-known and too numerous to list; he also wrote in other genres that showed his individualistic style. A man of vast contradictions, irascible temper, he committed suicide on June 11th when he knew his mother would not recover from her final illness. Howard survived for eight hours after shooting himself in the head. His mother, Hester, died the following day. Mother and son were buried in the same grave on June,14th.  An extract from the play” A Drifter off Hyperborea” is printed below. We are interested in this one-act play that explores Howard’s last hours, exploring his different ideals, and offers a perspective on why he took such a course of action. Howard:  I am asleep even when I am awake.