Editing Robert E. Howard (section)

=== Novalyne Price ===
{{Multiple image
 | footer    = "Red Nails" was inspired by a trip to New Mexico with Truett Vinson, during which Howard discovered that Vinson was also in a relationship with Price.<ref name="Finn 2006 191">{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|p=191}}</ref><ref name="Louinet 2005 381">{{Harvtxt|Louinet|2005|p=381}}</ref>
 | image1    = Novalyne Price 2.PNG
 | width1    = 140
 | alt1      = A studio photograph of a young woman looking over her shoulder.
 | caption1  = Novalyne Price
 | image2    = Weird Tales 1936-07 - Red Nails.jpg
 | width2    = 150
 | alt2      = Magazine cover showing a naked woman held on an altar by other woman and about to be sacrificed.
 | caption2  = ''Weird Tales'' (July 1936) featuring "Red Nails".
}}

Howard is known to have had only one girlfriend in his life, [[Novalyne Price Ellis|Novalyne Price]].  Price was an ex-girlfriend of Tevis Clyde Smith, one of Howard's best friends, whom she had known since high school; Smith and Price had remained friends after their relationship ended.  In the spring of 1933, Howard was visiting Smith after driving his mother to a Brownwood clinic.  Howard and Smith drove to the Price farm and Smith introduced his friends to each other.  Price was an aspiring writer, had heard of Howard from Smith in the past, and was enthusiastic to meet him in person.  However, he was not what she expected.  She wrote in her diary about this first meeting: "This man was a writer! Him? It was unbelievable. He was not dressed as I thought a writer should dress." They parted after a drive and would not see each other again for over a year.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|pp=181–183}}</ref><ref name="Burke ¶ 42">[[#CITEREFBurke|Burke]] (¶ 42)</ref>

In late 1934, Price got a job as a schoolteacher in Cross Plains High School through her cousin, who was the head of the English department.  When Howard came up in conversation with her new colleagues, she defended him from accusations of being a "freak" and "crazy", then phoned his house and left a message.  When the call was not returned, she tried a few more times.  Price finally visited the Howard house in person after having her telephone calls blocked by Hester Howard.  After a drive through town, Howard and Price arranged their first date.<ref name="Burke ¶ 42" /><ref>{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|pp=183–185}}</ref>

Over much of the next two years, they dated on and off, spending much time discussing writing, philosophy, history, religion, reincarnation, and much else.  Both considered marriage but never at the same time.<ref name="Burke ¶ 42" /><ref>{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|pp=188}}</ref>  Price became ill from overwork in mid-1935.  Her doctor, a friend of Howard's father, advised her to end the relationship and get a job in a different state. Despite agreeing to this, she met with Howard soon after being discharged.  Howard, however, was too preoccupied with the state of his mother's health to give her the attention she wanted.  Their relationship did not last much longer.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|pp=188–191}}</ref>

Not considering herself to be in an exclusive relationship, Price began dating one of Howard's best friends, Truett Vinson.  Howard discovered his friends' relationship while he and Truett were on a week's trip together to New Mexico (the same trip that inspired a lot of the final Conan story "[[Red Nails]]").<ref name="Finn 2006 191" /><ref name="Louinet 2005 381" />  The relationship between Howard and Price was irrevocably scarred, but they continued visiting with each other as friends until May 1936, when Price left Cross Plains for to pursue a graduate degree at [[Louisiana State University]].  The two never spoke or wrote to each other again.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|pp=192–194}}</ref>

In an effort to improve her memory and writing, Price had begun recording all her daily conversations into a journal, in the process preserving an intimate record of her time with Howard.  This was useful years later when she wrote of their relationship in her book ''[[One Who Walked Alone]]''.  This book became the basis for the 1996 film ''[[The Whole Wide World]]'' starring [[Vincent D'Onofrio]] as Howard and [[Renée Zellweger]] as Price.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Finn|2006|p=183}}</ref>