Poe Exhibit

[Barrister]

Wanted to let everyone know there is a superb exhibit at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore entitled, "The Enigmatic Edgar A. Poe in Baltimore & Beyond." It features highlights from the Susan Jaffe Tane Collection of Poe artifacts. Hers is one of the finest private collections of Poe materials in the world. Items on display include:
Poe's first published book of poems, one of only 12 known copies and "the most celebrated rarity in American literature."
The engagement ring that Poe gave to the woman who had been his teenage sweetheart in Richmond, VA.
The story that launched Poe's career as an author—"MS. Found in a Bottle"—published when he won a contest in The Baltimore Saturday Visiter (sic).
Manuscripts of "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" as they first appeared to readers in magazines.
The New-York Tribune obituary that ruined Poe's reputation attacked Poe's reputation, and a lock of Poe's hair.
I had the pleasure of visiting it yesterday and highly recommend it.

[ChrisGeorge]

Wanted to let everyone know there is a superb exhibit at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore entitled, "The Enigmatic Edgar A. Poe in Baltimore & Beyond." It features highlights from the Susan Jaffe Tane Collection of Poe artifacts. Hers is one of the finest private collections of Poe materials in the world. Items on display include:
Poe's first published book of poems, one of only 12 known copies and "the most celebrated rarity in American literature."
The engagement ring that Poe gave to the woman who had been his teenage sweetheart in Richmond, VA.
The story that launched Poe's career as an author—"MS. Found in a Bottle"—published when he won a contest in The Baltimore Saturday Visiter (sic).
Manuscripts of "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" as they first appeared to readers in magazines.
The New-York Tribune obituary that ruined Poe's reputation attacked Poe's reputation, and a lock of Poe's hair.
I had the pleasure of visiting it yesterday and highly recommend it.

Hello Janis

Glad to hear about this exhibit of Poe artifacts. I will have to drop by and see the exhibit.

All the best

Chris

[Steadmund Brand]

Oh I wish I could get to Baltimore to see it....and just to get back to the city, I do love it there (even when Baseball games get snowed out!!)

would love to see you all again as well!!

Steadmund Brand

[ChrisGeorge]

Oh I wish I could get to Baltimore to see it....and just to get back to the city, I do love it there (even when Baseball games get snowed out!!)

would love to see you all again as well!!

Steadmund Brand

Thanks, Steadmund. Enjoyed having you with us, and also that man-mountain Brian Young, he wasn't bad either. Look forward to having you back here with us before long.

Best regards

Chris

[Mayerling]

I think the book of poetry is "Tamerlane and other poems"?

I see that the poison of Rufus W. Griswold got some preservation. Does anyone know if Griswold's magnus opus about the poets of America is used anymore? I question as to whether his personal spleen may have colored his opinions and statements about other writers.

Final question - has anyone ever seen an original copy of the New York Sun from 1836 that had "The Balloon Hoax" in it?

Jeff

[GUT]

Thanks, Steadmund. Enjoyed having you with us, and also that man-mountain Brian Young, he wasn't bad either. Look forward to having you back here with us before long.

Best regards

Chris

And maybe one day his "Twin" will be able to join you.

[ChrisGeorge]

I think the book of poetry is "Tamerlane and other poems"?

I see that the poison of Rufus W. Griswold got some preservation. Does anyone know if Griswold's magnus opus about the poets of America is used anymore? I question as to whether his personal spleen may have colored his opinions and statements about other writers.

Final question - has anyone ever seen an original copy of the New York Sun from 1836 that had "The Balloon Hoax" in it?

Jeff

Hi Jeff

I believe you are correct that the rarity mentioned would be Poe's first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, published in Boston in 1829 when he was aged 20. I would very much doubt if Griswold's book on Poets of America is used today on college campuses or anywhere given that it covered poets who were famous in their day but who have not lasted the test of time. I personally have not seen an original copy of the New York Sun with "The Balloon Hoax" in it. The following URL dates the newspaper's publication of the story to 1844 not 1833 -- http://poestories.com/read/balloonhoax.

Best regards

Chris

[Barrister]

I think Griswold's only distinction was beia writer without distinction
. Know how he felt, but I would never attack another writer's work or character. Artists must support each other.

[ChrisGeorge]

I think Griswold's only distinction was beia writer without distinction
. Know how he felt, but I would never attack another writer's work or character. Artists must support each other.

As a reviewer, Poe didn't make himself many friends among his fellow writers -- he had a tendency to savage writers of the day.

Chris

[Abby Normal]

As a reviewer, Poe didn't make himself many friends among his fellow writers -- he had a tendency to savage writers of the day.

Chris

"Longfellow!?!"

LOL

[Mayerling]

Hi Jeff

I believe you are correct that the rarity mentioned would be Poe's first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, published in Boston in 1829 when he was aged 20. I would very much doubt if Griswold's book on Poets of America is used today on college campuses or anywhere given that it covered poets who were famous in their day but who have not lasted the test of time. I personally have not seen an original copy of the New York Sun with "The Balloon Hoax" in it. The following URL dates the newspaper's publication of the story to 1844 not 1833 -- http://poestories.com/read/balloonhoax.

Best regards

Chris

Hi Chris,

You are right, it was 1844. I confused the year I put down (1836) because the "Sun" had run another hoax the year before with the classic "the Moon" hoax (if anyone doesn't know, it was a "report" from South Africa that using an extremely powerful telescope Sir John Herschell had seen bat winged men and cattle on the moon! Herschell was a prominent scientist, and son of the discoverer of the planet "Uranus", Sir William Herschell, so that the detail added "verisimilitude" to an otherwise questionable item). Poe probably picked up a lot from the older hoax, as among the passengers on his super-powerful airship he places the novelist Harrison Ainsworth as a passenger.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

"Longfellow!?!"

LOL

Yes, he thought Henry Wadsworth had purloined (i.e. plagiarized) some verses of his own in one of his poems. While I still prefer Poe, Longfellow was one of his few peers in the U.S. as a poet.

But you should try his review on Fitzgreen Halleck and Joseph Rodman Drake. Everytime I go to Central Park and see Halleck's undeserved statue there I laugh. Stanzas from "The Culprit Fay" or "Connecticut" or "Fanny" anyone?

But his best are his reviews of most of the novels and plays of the period. Penguin Classic's selection of his stories, poems, and reviews includes a few, and they certainly show Poe did have a good sense of humor when he to show it.

Jeff

[Pcdunn]

I see that the poison of Rufus W. Griswold got some preservation. Does anyone know if Griswold's magnus opus about the poets of America is used anymore? I question as to whether his personal spleen may have colored his opinions and statements about other writers.

Jeff

I was curious, so did an Amazon search for Griswold's name and the title-- believe or not, he is still in print, so must retain some importance among scholars of American literature and literary criticism.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Rufus+w+griswold+poets+of+America&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3ARufus+w+griswold+poets+of+America

[Abby Normal]

I was curious, so did an Amazon search for Griswold's name and the title-- believe or not, he is still in print, so must retain some importance among scholars of American literature and literary criticism.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ets+of+America

Griswolds a punk

[Mayerling]

Griswolds a punk

Let's just say he was a self-important pedant and hack. He's remembered for being jealous and nasty to a great writer. Hardly worthwhile recalling him at all.

He's the 19th Century equivalent to the early Elizabethan dramatist Robert Greene, who is best (or worst) recalled for mangling a quote by a genius in order to call that genius a "Shakes-scene".

Jeff