Edgar Allan Poe in context

Edgar Allan Poe mastered a variety of literary forms over the course of his brief and turbulent career. As a storyteller, Poe defied convention by creating Gothic tales of mystery, horror, and suspense that remain widely popular today. This collection demonstrates how Poe's experience of early nineteenth-century American life fueled his iconoclasm and shaped his literary legacy. Rather than provide critical explications of his writings, each essay explores one aspect of Poe's immediate environment, using pertinent writings including verse, fiction, reviews, and essays to suit. Examining his geographical, social, and literary contexts, as well as those created by the publishing industry and advances in science and technology, the essays paint an unprecedented portrait of Poe's life and times. This collection offers new insight into Poe's rich and complex work.

Geographical Contexts. -- Great Britain / Christopher Gair -- The South / James M. Hutchisson -- The American West / Nathaniel Lewis -- The sea / David Dowling -- France / Andrea Goulet -- The Near East / Travis Montgomery -- The polar regions / Mark Canada. -- Social Contexts. -- The urban environment / Bran Nicol -- Curiosity / Lindsey Hursh -- Alcohol, addiction, and rehabilitation / Paul Fisher -- Fashion, furnishings, and style / Patricia A. Cunningham -- The American stage / Philip Edward Phillips -- Lions and bluestockings / Anne Boyd Rioux -- Slavery and abolitionism / Paul Christian Jones -- The cult of mourning / Therese M. Rizzo. -- The Contexts of Publishing. -- The literary profession / John Evelev -- Magazines / Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock -- Gift books / Kathryn K. Shinn -- Literary piracy / Michael J. Everton -- The art of reviewing / Jonathan Hartmann -- The politics of publishing / Amy Branam. -- Literary Contexts. -- Ancient classics / Gregory Hays -- Rabelais and Lesage / Lois Davis Vines -- The Gothic movement / Alan Brown -- Byron / Chris Beyers -- Folk narrative / Katherine Kim -- Transcendentalism / Heidi Silcox -- Charles Dickens / Tara Moore -- Nathaniel Haw…