The Poe Log

Download or read book The Poe Log written by Dwight Thomas and published by Macmillan Reference USA. This book was released on 1995-09 with total page 919 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For a century and a half Edgar Allan Poe has remained one of the most controversial and enigmatic figures in American literature. No other author has been subject to so much misconception; the "real Poe" has been all too dimly perceived, obscured by rumors and innuendoes about his alcoholism, ill-fated love affairs, and poverty. The Poe Log is the first complete and reliable chronicle of his tragic life and brilliant literary career. Extracting facts and clues from a fascinating array of documents, reminiscences, newspaper reports, legal records, and letters to, from, or about Poe, Messrs. Thomas and Jackson have created a vibrant reconstruction of Poe's personal and professional life. The resulting text is remarkable for both its detail and its clarity. The broad outlines of Poe biography were sketched over a century ago; The Poe Log provides the fine strokes and details that complete the unfinished picture, endowing it with depth, verisimilitude, and meaning.