I am flipping through a 1962 biography right now called, simply enough, Poe: A Biography, written by William Bittner. I found it at a used book sale for a dollar or two. The end has a great section on "Poe controversies," including discussions of the alleged suicide attempt and - fascinating, to me - the various attempts Poe made at rewriting his own biography, from birthdate to fighting for Greek independence to voyages to Russia. Has anyone else come across this one before?
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.
I've only read Quinn's. I'm looking for something that covers his whole life and doesn't descend to Freudian analysis, and it should cover more than just his death.
I seem to recall someone writing one a few years ago that emphasized Poe as literary journalist, but I can't seem to find the title now.
without any doubt:
ISRAFEL: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe. (Harvey Allen)
Reynolds wrote:I'm really not that interested in the subject of Poe's drinking. I don't think it had much of an effect on his writing one way or another.
I think you nailed it right there. One thing that I believe is clear: Poe did not write under the influence of alcohol. Sure, he had his drinking habits, whatever they may be, but it was not a catalyst to his writing. It would be impossible to believe that he could write works like "The Fall of the House of Usher" (probably the most perfect example of a short story) while intoxicated. The Poe Nat'l Historic Site in Philadelphia argues that his five years in that city were his most prolific because it was also his most sober period. I don't have any quotes on me, but he does say one or twice that he can not write when he drinks, which is one of the reasons he tried to avoid drinking - he needed the money!
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.
Actually, Midnight, I think there's a lot of truth to that definition of a drunkard.
I'm really not that interested in the subject of Poe's drinking. I don't think it had much of an effect on his writing one way or another.
I think other aspects of his life, like upholding the idea of himself as a Southern gentleman, probably influenced his career a lot more and are more interesting. (Of course, I say this as a guy who has only read a single bio of the guy.)
You mentioned the Ackroyd book on Poe. Was it worth reading? I'm curious because I liked his book on London but 200 pages seems a bit thin for Poe's life.
What is a drunkard? Someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.
I think most biographers these days (Silverman and Ackroyd excluded) defend the drunkenness charge. My 2 cents is that Poe was not an alcoholic but a recovering alcoholic - and, without any support groups, he often fell off the bandwagon. But, to assume he was drunk all the time is a long-standing rumor that just doesn't seem to be true.
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.
Thanks for the recommendations. I will check out the Henry Lee Poe and Silverman books.
It's been awhile since I've read Quinn, but I seem to recall him defending Poe on the drunk charge. But I read him about the same time I talked with the tour guide at the Poe Museum in Richmond, so I may be conflating the two.
My vague impression is that Poe probably drank less than many other people at the time. (The per capita liquor consumption in early 19th century America was pretty high.) He probably didn't get drunk regularly, and his drunkenness seems the result of some metabolic peculiarity that didn't process alcohol correctly.
I agree with Monday. Most biographers start with the agenda of proving that Poe was a bad person and make sure to find all the evidence to prove it, and evidence that disproves it is considered a fluke. What I can't stand are the excessive analyses of Poe's works as being indicative of Poe the man. Poe's works and his life can be considered separate. As I've said before, Poe never wrote an autobiography, so don't make "The Tell-Tale Heart" out to be one!
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.
Take them all with a grain of salt. Most biographers actively dislike Poe. Especially Silverman. He adds nothing new, and he really doesn't like Poe. I would avoid that one. You're better off with Harrison, or almost anyone.
Actually, I'm reading the Henry Lee Poe book right now, too, and with its facsimilies of letters and documents, it's really very nice, and the author is keenly sympathetic to Poe, which is rare.
You can tell most biographers think Poe was an a-hole, or a kind of weak, pathetic personality; but I find Poe very likable; sure, he was bitter from his treatment by his guardian John Allan, and he definitely had a rough-and-tumble, 'speak his mind' quality, he could be sarcastic and biting when making a point, but I think that personally, he was heroic, and if he was prickly, it was because he was a good heart living in a sordid world.
There really is no exception: all the 'major' biographies are condescending and slighting. They manage to make Poe, the person, seem petty. I think the biographers are petty. Watch out for that.
First of all, there's no such thing as a good Poe biography. They all have some flaw, even if minor.
I'm currently recommending Henry Lee Poe's Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories. I think at least one participant on these forums gave a fairly in-depth "review" of the many common Poe biographies out there. Not sure if it's easy to find or how far back it was.
I'd say, if you've read Quinn, you might be intrigued by Silverman's take on it (Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance, though you'll find ample pseudo-Freudian analysis in there that usually makes me groan) or get a kick out of Hervey Allen's Israfel. I think Daniel Hoffman's Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe is often quickly dismissed, but there's some real good stuff in there, but it's mostly literary analysis, not biography.
-- Edited by Midnightdreary at 17:45, 2009-01-10
-- Edited by Midnightdreary at 17:46, 2009-01-10
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.
I've only read Quinn's. I'm looking for something that covers his whole life and doesn't descend to Freudian analysis, and it should cover more than just his death.
I seem to recall someone writing one a few years ago that emphasized Poe as literary journalist, but I can't seem to find the title now.
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