The Heart Of Earth

The Heart Of Earth first appeared in The Saturday Review,  London,  July 1909.  It was one of the stories we at Pegana Press were privileged to add to our collection of previously uncollected works entitled Lost Tales Volume 1 by Lord Dunsany.

It begins thus.

As the poet walked through the moist, grey town thinking of Faëry and imperious Death, he saw the unthought-of pavement, monotonous, wet, clad with dirt, desolate.  And, thinking of the long time that they had lain there under unheeding feet, unprotected by soil or grass against the will of the rain, he, being at peace because it was now evening, pitied the old grey stones.  And the pavement felt his pity.  Every stone felt it; stone told it unto stone for quite a mile.  It had been trodden on for two hundred years by dogs as well as men, it had been spat upon and covered with filth, but had not before been pitied.
     Deep in it's core it felt the poet's pity; it had felt an earthquake less.


Lord Dunsany shares through his potent writing the ability of creating a portal which transports us into the very setting of the story itself.  Anyone who has walked a lonely road lost in thought will recognize this realm. The smell of the wet pavement - rain on stone.  The feel of footsteps meandering as the mind follows its own fancy.  The power of connection that is the very fabric of reality - that which communicates the feeling of the poet through a network of stone conveying information further down the road.

We are told the poet's thoughts go wandering off into other realms, while the pavement fairly bristles with indignation.


     "What is this that dares to pity the heart of Earth?  A thing of a few years and the toy of Time!

     Is not Earth's heart of the lineage of the stars?..."


And we are allowed audience as the Earth waxes poetic about what it has seen throughout time.

     "...What love should Earth's heart have for the hearts of men, who have chosen cities as their foster-mothers, rejecting Earth?..."


Lord Dunsany was a story teller who could make his point in under 1000 words and he wrote a wealth of material in short story format.

The Heart Of Earth appears in Lost Tales Volume 1 published by Pegana Press; by arrangement with the Dunsany Estate.  This book contains 10 stories written by Lord Dunsany which have not been in print since their original magazine appearances about 100 years ago.

If you wish to own a copy of the book, please visit Pegana Press Books.

     "...Am I not the heart of wandering Earth, child of the sun?

     Who?  Who has pitied me?..."

A Dreamer's Tales: A New Google Community

We'd like to extend an invitation to those of you who have a deep appreciation for the work of Lord Dunsany to join A Dreamer's Tales, a Google Community to encourage renewed interest in the work of Lord Dunsany.

Come on over and let's talk about your favorite stories and what draws you to this author's work.  When did you first discover Lord Dunsany?  What was the first Dunsany book or short story or play you read?

If you're just discovering this author, you're in for a treat, and if you are well acquainted with the writing of Lord Dunsany, then come on over and help encourage others to discover this master story teller.

We look forward to the conversation.

And don't forget to join us at Pegana Press, as we prepare to release Lord Dunsany's Lost Tales Volume 3, this Autumn.

Lost Tales Volume 1 Deluxe Edition?

We've had many requests to create a deluxe binding for this book.  So here it is.  Lost Tales Volume 1.  The original printing with a deluxe binding.

This is a great companion to the deluxe Lost Tales Volume 2.  I used a Dubletta cotton cloth in Teal for the binding and the Lama Li Tiger paper in black for the end papers.  Letterpress title on spine and inset paste down on front cover.

I will be binding this book in small batches starting next week.  You may order it on our website to reserve your copy.