The Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe by Scott Peeples

The Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe by Scott Peeples

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Summary

A study of the controversy-filled scholarship on Poe from the time of his death to the present.

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The Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe by Scott Peeples

A study of the controversy-filled scholarship on Poe from the time of his death to the present. Controversies abound in studies of Edgar Allan Poe. From the time of his death well into the twentieth century, partisans debated the issue of his character: was he an alcoholic? drug addict? pathological liar? necrophile? In the1920s and 30s, psychoanalytic critics sought to divorce the study of Poe from Victorian moral concerns but in the process made scandalous claims by linking Poe's dream-like stories to his personality. The status of Poe's literaryproductions was similarly disputed; dismissed by the New Critics but championed by poets such as William Carlos Williams and Allen Tate. Recent scholars have debated the meaning and significance of Poe's representations of race, class, and gender, often returning to the character issue: how racist and misogynist was he, and how important are those questions to understanding his work? Finally, how have the seemingly countless plays, films, novels, comic books, and pop music experiments based on his image and works intertwined with academic study of Poe? This book examines these and other controversies, shedding light on broader issues of canon formation, the role of biography in literary study, and the importance of integrating various, even conflicting interpretations into one's own reading of a literary work. This book will be of great interest to Poe scholars, both those who have been a part of the literary battles described above and newcomers to the field who can use the book as a guide to the field of Poe studies, and to all those interested in Poe and his work. Scott Peeples is Professor of English at the College of Charleston.
Peeples, president of the Poe Studies Association in the United States, chooses a perfect framework for a study of PoePoe did not really become the Poe we know until after his death. Peeples expertly examines responses to Poe's writings as well as his life in the century and a half since his death. His chapter on Poe's death, and the way it has been perceived, stands among the very best texts on the subject. -- Matthew Pearl * THE GUARDIAN *
Winner of the Poe Studies Association's 2004 Patrick F. Quinn Award for a Distinguished Book of Poe Scholarship * . *
Poe is probably the US's most well-known and misunderstood author. This book helps readers see the forces contributing to his complexity. * CHOICE *
If any study can achieve the goal of reaching all possible readers interested in knowing what has gone on in Poe studies, this one will do the job. * AMERICAN LITERATURE *
[A]n impressively learned and thoughtful account. * THE EDGAR ALLAN POE REVIEW *
SCOTT PEEPLES is Professor of English at the College of Charleston.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9781571133571
ISBN 10 1571133577
Title The Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe
Author Scott Peeples
Series Literary Criticism In Perspective
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Year published 2007-02-23
Number of pages 211
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.