Black Lamb

A Week in Literary History

January 19th, 2002

In 1809, American poet and writer of tales Edgar Allan Poe ("The Raven," “The Tell-Tale Heart”) is born in Boston.

Edgar Allan Poe, b. January 19, 1809, d. 1849

At the age of thirty-six, Poe finally won fame with the publication of "The Raven" in a New York newspaper. Four years later, he was dead, but his fame swept the world, where his name is still a watchword for the macabre. His spine-tingling tales and death-obsessed, sing-songy verse are well known, but for the real goods, read Arthur Gordon Pym, a fascinating book-length exploration of his favorite themes and one of the strangest stories ever written.

Suggested Reading Poems Tamerlane and Other Poems, 1827. Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems, 1829. Poems, 1831. The Raven and Other Poems, 1845. Eureka: A Prose Poem, 1848. Short stories Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, 1840. Tales, 1845. Novella The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, 1838.

Posted by: The Editors
Category: Books and Authors, A Week in Literary History | Link to this Entry