R. H. (Robert Hayward) Barlow

Born in 1918, Robert Hayward Barlow was an American writer, poet, anthropologist, and historian whose life moved between literature and scholarship. He is often noted for his friendship with H. P. Lovecraft, with whom he corresponded and collaborated while still very young; Lovecraft later named him executor of his literary estate.

Barlow's interests went far beyond the circle of weird fiction. He became a dedicated student of Mexico's past, worked on the history of early Mexico, and developed expertise in Nahuatl. Contemporary memorial writing after his death described him as an important and well-liked scholar among researchers of Middle America, and he held a leadership role in anthropology at Mexico City College.

His life was brief—he died in Mexico in early January 1951, still only in his early thirties—but his reputation has endured in more than one field. He remains a fascinating figure for readers interested in Lovecraft's world, as well as for those drawn to twentieth-century literary experimentation and the study of Mexican history and culture.