Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) may be thought of as the father of American horror and gothic fiction. Some of his stories are The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher. He is also known for his “sound” poetry, such as The Raven and The Tale of Annabel Lee, for which the sounds of the words are more important than the meaning of the poem.
Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1809. His parents died three years later, and he
was sent to Richmond to live with John and Frances Allan, whose last name he later took as a middle name. He was sent to England to study, after which he attended the University of Virginia for two years, his foster father withdrawing him because of his wild habits and debts.
In 1827 he became estranged from the Allans and journeyed to Boston where he had his first book of poems published in 1827. He enlisted in the Army in Boston in 1827, but his guardian obtained his discharge the following year, and Poe returned to Richmond. He published a second book of poems in 1829. Entering West Point in 1830, he was expelled in less than a year.
In 1831, he moved to Baltimore, where he lived until his death.
Known today as one of American's major writers, Edgar Allan Poe was best known to his generation as a magazine editor and critic. Many of his works were originally published in magazines. Unable to keep a job for longer than two years, Edgar Allan Poe nevertheless dramatically increased circulation at the magazines where he worked. He died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849.
Richmond, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland, celebrated the 200th birth anniversary in 2009 of their favorite native author of horror stories and the macabre:
http://edgarallanpoe200.com/
http://www.poe200th.com/
http://www.poe200th.com/students.php
Local destinations are the Poe House and Westminster Burying Ground (now known as the Westminster Church and Cemetary), both in Baltimore, and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond. Did you know that a mysterious person called “The Poe Toaster” brings a bottle of champagne to Poe’s grave at Westminster Hall Burying Ground every year on Poe’s birthday, January 19, and toasts his memory? It is believed by many that paranormal activity occurs here, and local folklore has it that ghosts often visit the graveyard.
http://www.westminsterhall.org/
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, known simply as The Edgars, have been presented annually since 1946 by the Mystery Writers of America for the best mystery, crime and suspense writing in books, television, radio, film and theater.
http://www.theedgars.com/
There are also Edgar awards given every year for the best children’s mystery novel and the best young adult mystery novel.
http://dev.mysterynet.com/edgars/previous/juvenile/
Web sites
Life:
- Poe House, City of Baltimore
- The Edgar Allen Poe Museum (Richmond)
- The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
- Westminster Presbyterian Church and Cemetery (National Park Service)
Works:
- A Poe Webliography: Edgar Allan Poe on the Internet
- Academy of American Poets
- Fairfax County Public Library: Websites for Readers: Mysteries
- Mystery Writers of America: Awards
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Edgar Allan Poe
Databases
Enter Poe, Edgar Allan in these databases:
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