Poe Shadow ~ Matthew Pearl ~ Book Club Online ~ 9/ Export

"The public, the press, and even Poe's family and friends accept the conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who met a disgraceful end as a drunkard.

Matthew Pearl has crossed a pitch-perfect literary history with innovative mystery to create a beautifully detailed, ingeniously plotted tale of suspense.
Pearl's groundbreaking research - which uncovered material never published until now - opens a new window on the truth behind Poe's demise, literary history's most persistent enigma." Random House

To fully appreciate Matthew Pearl's stylistic accomplishment we recommend you read Edgar Allan Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales.

CHAPTERS	DATES
Book I ~ Oct.8, 1849	Sept.1 - 7
Book II ~ Paris	Sept.8 - 14
Book III ~ Baltimore 1851	Sept.15 - 21
Book IV ~ Phantoms Chased for Evermore	Sept.22 - 28
Book V ~ The Flood	Sept.29 - Oct.3

Discussion Leader ~ Joan P

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Are you ready for some Poe? Recently there seems to be renewed interest in this multifaceted author, his psychological mysteries and untimely, mysterious death on a Baltimore street at the age of 39.

We are fortunate to have Matthew Pearl join us in this discussion of his own fictional mystery based on Poe's death, The Poe Shadow as well a concurrent discussion of Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue,.

You may remember Matthew's participation in our SN discussion of his first book, the New York Times best selling mystery, The Dante Club

What I like about this author's work is the blend of literary characters and the mysterious problem-solving in his fiction. Matthew is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School and has taught literature at Harvard and at Emerson College. A formidable combination for a mystery writer!

We are looking forward to this Poe adventure with the author in September and really hope that you will join us!

Already have the book, right by my computer. Count me in.

ahahahahaa, Yogi, nobody like our Yogi! Great to see you are planning to be with us, Scootz. We really miss you in Quixote!

I'll be there Joan P.. I have the book in large print. Probably won't need it now but will read that one anyway.

I am really looking forward to this book!

Joan Grimes

My copy is ordered and on its way, should be here this week. I'm really looking forward to reading another Matthew Pearl.

This is my first Matthew Pearl book. I do remember all the excitement during the author's last visit. I feel very excited about "The Poe Shadow." I would love to come along.

I'll be here, Joan P. I have the book.

Hats--You will enjoy this discussion, I predict. We had a good time with Matthew Pearl before and enjoyed his book.

Maryal

Maryal, Hats, Pedln and JoanG - happy you will be joining us! See you in September! Matthew will be thrilled too. He's coming to Arlington this Thursday as part of his book tour - plan to go and tell him you!

I see that Poe Shadow is #15 on the New York Times bestselling fiction list today.

Count me in. Will order the book in time for September.

Stephanie, I was expecting you...I associate you with Poe for some reason, now forgotten. Welcome, welcome!

This looks like it is going to be a fun and unique discussion, with author participation and reading of Poe's mysteries on the side --- how could I pass it up?!?

Some of you may remember me from the Middlemarch discussion last fall. I called myself a junior member of Seniornet, since I haven't even hit 40 yet, but I enjoy the stimulating conversation here.

See you all then!

WEnt to B&N today, so since I had an extra 20% plus my card, bought the Matthew Pearl.. So I have the book.. As I remember we talked of also reading or rereading some of Poe. Does anyone remember what?? I love Edgar and have read a bunch of stuff about him.. Some fiction, some not..

Stephanie, In the header it says that Bill will be doing some side discussions of Poe stories in September too- Lordy! Don't know if I can do both but I can die tryin'!

Laura, so happy to have you join us again...yes, this will be a unique discussion with the author dropping in to chat. Welcome!

Stephanie...Matthew Pearl has also published a companion piece to go with the novel, the Rue Morgue Mysteries. This Thursday, I am planning to meet with him when he comes to Arlington as part of his book tour. I want to talk to him about these mysteries and how helpful they would be in solving the mystery in his book. Will come back in here to report on Thurday.

Ah, Scootz - we don't want you dyin' here! The Rue Morgue Mysteries are actually three stories - a total of only 160 pages!!!

The Rue Morgue Mysteries are actually three stories - a total of only 160 pages!!!

Oh heaven's - I can manage a mere 160 pages I guess.

Anxiously awaiting what we will need to read. I have read all of Poe, but too many years ago to count on remembering.

Stephanie, have you read the three Dupin Mysteries? After talking to Matthew Pearl last pm, I was certain that these are the tales we ought to read. We'll discuss them in a separate discussion though...also starting in September.

I caught up with Matthew Pearl who is on a whirlwind book tour of the US right now - leaves for Spain next week! Here's a link to his schedule; you might want to check and see if he will be in your area ~

I did take notes and will share them with you. Some surprises. First of all, he says he looks forward to participating with us on SeniorNet - he got such a "kick" out of us last time. He even inscribed my copy of The Poe Shadow with this intention.

Second, the photo was taken by Matthew's Aunt Anna - very, very sweet. Am hoping she will join us in the discussion. Keep your fingers crossed. Imagine the stories she could tell!

Here are a few of the points he made last evening:

Matthew Pearl's story - the obituary of Poe's death is the springboard for The Poe Shadow. Though it is fiction, the story is based on heavily researched historical fact. Matthew says a good way to describe his fiction - "authentic without being accurate," though he hastens to add - "Every quote attributed to Poe was actually said by Poe."

Poe himself was not accurate in stating facts - a nice way of saying, he lied about things such as his birthdate, (he shaved off a year and actually died when he was 40, not 39) oh, and he claimed he had been to Paris for the writing of the Murders in the Rue Morgue - apparently not true.

Edgar Allan Poe - not really his name and he wouldn't be happy to hear the "Allan" included - although he himself used it once or twice - it seems that he was taken in to live with a family in Richmond, VA named Allan. This was not a happy time in his life.
He also claimed to have written a novel - in two parts. Matthew is not sure that isn't true, but no one has been able to locate it if it is.

Some M.Pearl reviewers have noted:
"Pearl writes deliberately in the style of Poe, and his attention to period detail is remarkable. The Poe Shadow is a hugely enjoyable read in its own right, and a clever literary exercise to boot." -- THE SUNDAY MERCURY (UK)

The Poe Shadow works well on two levels: It's effective history, sure to please fans of Edgar Allan Poe, and also it can stand alone as a fine piece of mystery writing, brimming with suspense. -- THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Poe's death: many theories. The Poe Museum in Richmond has a board that holds spinning blocks of about 30 different theories as to the cause of his death - you turn the blocks to read the details; everything from alcohol poisoning to rabies. It will be interesting to see how Matthew's fictional detective, Poe fan, Quentin Clark treats the facts as he attempts to solve the mystery of his death. Remember, Matthew bases this story on much research. He told us he came upon previously unpublished information in the course of the three years he did his research, but we need to wait to read the book first. (After last night, I can't wait!)

Poe's Mysteries - Matthew Pearl has edited a new collection of three of Poe's detective stories he has titled "Murders in the Rue Morgue: Dupin Tales: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt," and "The Purloined Letter." He says that make a great companion with his novel, and we plan to provide a companion discussion of these stories in September with our Bill as discussion leader. Matthew has written an introduction to this collection and will probably drop in on this discussion for comment if we invite him.

There was a lot more to the session...ask me questions and I'll try to answer them as Matthew did. What would you have asked him?

This is one I'll be joining. I really want to know what Matthew came up with in his reasearch on Poe. I know it will be fascinating, however it goes.

Babi

Babi, super! I just know this will be fun!

Oh, goodie! My husband brought home the Pearl book today because he heard about it on CBS Sunday morning (a couple of weeks ago) and they recommended it for summer reading. It's going to be one of his birthday presents. (Sometimes we buy our own presents, bring them home, and the other wraps them and gives them as presents on the appropriate day. That way we get what we want!) Bob and I will both read the book!

Sign me up, please, JoanP!

Marni

marni-

Hi! so glad to see you're coming, too. We just picked up some things for my birthday yesterday as well. We do the same thing- get them as we see them, put them away till it's time and then voila', we get exactly what we want.

I'm getting a set of radio broadcasts on cd of Poe stories done by the likes of Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, etc. It's put out by Smithsonian. I saw it and had Dan get it to put aside.

Marni, glad to have you! I'm sure you will enjoy the book. I don't know how you are going to keep from reading it between now and September...and if you know "whodunit" how on earth will you keep from spilling it? Really do want you to take part in this discussion! Do you get my message?

Scootz, the cds sound fascinating. They probably include the three Dupin mysteries? Perfect for a long car trip!

Joan, Which one exactly are all of the Dupin mysteries? I am hoping they are included. That was my intent.

Scootz, some time today or tomorrow we'll be opening a discussion site for the Poe stories. I hope you pop in there to make sure we get quorum. I think we will, but want to be sure.

Titles of the three Dupin Tales - "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt," and "The Purloined Letter"

I'm there already, Joan!

Ok, I have to get Dan to get the cds out of hiding so I can see if those titles are on it or not. I know for sure that Murders in the Rue Morgue are.

JoanP: I won't spill the beans. I won't have beans to spill for awhile. We had to put the book away because Bob's birthday isn't til mid-August. Then he gets it first. At least, I think he gets it first. I should be nice and let him read it first. After all, it's his birthday present, not mine. I have to be polite. (But I can sneak peeks at it during the day when he's at work.)

I have the book, but have put it resolutely away until August. Wont look.. But I do need to check for Poes Dupin series..

Joan,

My cds have PURLOINED LETTER and RUE MORGUE, but not Marie Roget. I don't even have that one in my BN edition of his poems and tales. Do I need to find it?

Hi JoanP,

I would love to join the discussion. I love the title of the book, "The Poe Shadow." What does that title mean? I bet the title is part of the mystery. I am also excited and honored to be in company with such a wonderful author, Matthew Pearl. This will make September a very exciting month.

Scootz, everyone, we've just opened the site for the discussion of The Rue Morgue mysteries...there's even a link to the online text for all three.

Since we just opened, and haven't a quorum yet for discussing Poe's stories, it would be great if you go down and post now so we can schedule this for the Fall lineup...concurrent with Matthew Pearl's mystery.

Here's the link to the Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue: Dupin Tales. Hope to see you there!

Two months in advance seems so early to start a 'pre'-discussion. What can you say for two months, before even reading the book?

Babi

Yeah, Babi, it's a long time. However, we don't really need to prediscuss, do we? Isn't it also a holding spot to let folks know what is coming up?

I'm on board for Poe, here and the mysteries. I'll get Pearl's book some time this week and read my own Dupin mysteries, if I can get them back from my son.

I first studied Poe in 7th grade when I got to take a class taught by a professor from the University of Washington to a small group at my middle school for gifted students. I did not take advantage of the opportunity at the time, but am grateful as an adult for the insight into literature this professor gave me. Reading literature was something I already enjoyed, and she made it a lifelong passion for me.

I have never feared discussing and dissecting great literature since having her open the door for me and show me how much I could learn while having fun.

She wasn't one of those teachers who taught that you could get anything out of literature, either. What she taught was how to read the literature to enjoy it by showing us how to see more in Poe and that when you discuss literature you use the author's work itself to demonstrate your discussion points.

Too bad I was such a punk student.

Kleo

Babi, let's not regard this as a "pre-discussion," but rather a sign-up sheet. If we know you are interested in the fall discussion, we can stay in contact if there are any developments with the author or his book between now and then.

No way we can pre-discuss a mystery story! (No way I can pre-discuss anything half way through Don Quixote, either!

Kleo, sounds like that teacher taught you a very valuable lesson. Don't knock yourself as a student...you learned the lesson well! You get a gold star!

My most memorable teacher and most valuable lesson - if I find things are too difficult, I'm probably not doing it right. Find another way.

I do look forward to participating with both of you once this discussion starts in the fall.

Very sensible, KLEO & JOAN. I was getting in a dither, and it's much too warm for that! :>)

Babi

Welcome, Hats! Your smiling face is a special addition to our discussions! You like to ask questions - so important for a detective...

I am reading a light detective story about a college professor and the theme is EdgarAllan Poe and a woman poet who is supposed to have killed herself for love of him.. So far it is fun.. I will try and remember to bring it upstairs to I can give you the author and title.

Weekend Edition had a segment this morning on the two new Poe books out. I missed most of it but it is available at their website if you want to listen.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5543300

Thanks, Mrs. Sherlock, for posting the link to the NPR story. I listened to that, but also noted several additional links on the NPR page: to Matthew Pearls' site, to the Edgar Allan Poe society, and to the Poe Museum. All looked like they would contain interesting and valuable information. I think some of these links might be posted in the actual discussion of Poe's mysteries on Seniornet, but I think they would be of use in this discussion also.

I also would like to say thank you Mrs. Sherlock for the link. I am looking forward to listening.

Thanks, Jackie! I'm really looking forward to reading the book! I had to smile when Matthew said that to be a Poe fan while he was alove was quite peculiar, yet that is what Quentin Clark, the protagonist in his book is - one of the few American Poe fans. Matthew has said elsewhere that it was the French who first became interested in Poe's detective stories and stirred up interest here. Everything the American public disliked about the poet, the French found no fault with.

Laura, I agree, I think we'll be doing crossovers between the two discussions. We can put links in both...and we can link both discussions to one another too.

Stephanie, were you able to listen to the link Jackie posted? When the narrator mentioned the letter from the woman Poe was supposed to meet in Philadelphia when he left Baltimore...it reminded me of the book you are reading. I wonder if this is the same lady? If I've got this right, Matthew discovered this letter in a museum in Philadephia. Maybe I should listen to that again! I wonder if he names her in his book. What is the name of the book you are reading?

The book I read was The Raven and the Nightingale.. by Joanne Dobson. It is about a college professor who inherits the personal writings of a poet( who is fictional) and was supposed to have killed herself for love of Poe. The plot of the book revolves around the murder to another professor who had published a book about Poe that indicated he was a homosexual and so he was trying to suppress any knowledge of Poe having affairs. It seems that it is true that Poe carried on correspondences with lady poets, but I dont think that anything else was really happening. Book was good and I am looking for more Joanne Dobson since she always uses authors as the targets in her books..

Thought that sounded fmiliar. Joanne Dobson is one that I always grab when I see the name. I've been a Poe fan since I was a silly adolescent. Even then I was captured by the meter and the repetition. His stories have not had the same effect on me except the Dupin's.

Thanks, Stephanie - So, she's fictional, not the lady of the letter!...am hunting for the name...of the real one.

I subscribe to the Poe Forum on Matthew Pearl's website. Someone suggested these titles - will check them out at my library and let you know what I think...

"Ihave read a few biogragraphies, and there are two that I enjoyed. They are:

Israfel : The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe by Hervey Allen

Edgar A Poe : Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance by Kenneth Silverman

This is a really good one as well:

Edgar Allan Poe : A Critical Biography by Arthur Hobson Quinn and Shawn Rosenheim

All of these are still in print and available at a reasonable cost on Amazon.com

JoanP, thank you for the titles.

JOAN, is that the same Hervey Allen that wrote the great historical novels? I devoured his books in my teens. If it's the same man, I assume "Israfel" was written some time ago.

Babi

Dunno how long he's been writing, Babi, but he has written a lot. I did a quick search yesterday in Barnes & Noble and found that Israfel was written in 1998..it's a big book - 700+ pages. Read about it HERE There are used copies available.

Thanks for the link, JOAN. From the customer review (positive) it appears that this is a very detailed life of Poe. It implies that one would almost require a scholarly interest, and that for the casual reader it might be a bit too much.

Babi

Mrs. Sherlock, thanks for that link. I just now requested a transcript of it from NPR. (I've been told they provide them for those who have trouble hearing the broadcast.)

My daughter and I spent a delightful two days in Richmond including a visit to the Poe Museum. Wonderful. ANd yes, I have a few pictures, but they are on my laptop, and I haven't yet had a chance to transfer them to this desktop. But here is a link to our Richmond hotel, picked just by chance by my daughter and her friend to try something new.

Linden Row Inn

Across the street from this property was the home of Charles Ellis who was the business associate of John Allan, Poe's foster father, who took him in when his mother died. Poe frequently played with the Ellis children at their home.

After Richmond, I spent a few days in Newport News with Anna Alexander and she took me to Fort Monroe (where Jefferson DAvis was imprisoned for 3 1/2 years.) Poe was stationed there during the winter of 1829, and would hold poetry readings while there.

Thanks Pedln! I look forward to hearing about the museum in Richmond. Though the house Poe lived in is no longer there, Matthew Pearl thought the museum excellent. He spent some time there researching his book.

I remember that he mentioned Edgar Poe would not appreciate being remembered as Edgar Allan Poe. This was never officially his name...though there were two times that he used the "Allan" ...funny how things happen over time, isn't it? He was and always will be Edgar Allan Poe to me - even knowing that the author wouldn't be happy with me.

Very nice hotel...I see they have high speed internet access. THat's more important to me than hot water!

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures when you get home.

I do like Richmond and we try to drop in when we are in that part of the country. I always lamented that I have never gone to Poe's grave in Baltimore. Has anyone else gone?? What is it like?

Stephanie...a complicated question. Or at least a complicated answer. The short answer is - there's a huge monument in Westminster Cemetery in Baltimore but Poe's not buried there. No one is certain where he's buried. Sad.

Stephanie--The one memorial I know of for Poe in Baltimore is his house which is on a side street off Martin Luther King Blvd.

Joan P--Was Poe buried (originally) in a pauper's grave? That would explain no marker and no current idea as to where he is buried.

Joan P--Here's a link to photos of markers for Poe--one indicating that it marks the "original burial place."

Poe's grave

Existing records show that Poe was buried in his grandfather's plot...You might enjoy reading this account, fairly well documented from what I can see.
Who is buried in Poe's Grave?

... he was placed to the right of his grandfather with his headstone's writing facing east. Edgar Allan Poe did not, initially, have a headstone although a temporary marker was placed at his head bearing the Number 8.

But the marker was temporary and soon disappeared...read all about the ensuing confusion over the years - exhumations, wrong body, wrong location, new monument in 1875 at present site.

What was sad to be was the original burial...no real mourners...though that changed over the years.

You might find this of interest -

"Since 1949, writer Edgar Allan Poe's Baltimore grave has been visited every year by a mystery man in the early hours of Poe's birthday, January 19th. The man, described as an elderly gentleman draped in black with a silver-tipped cane, kneels at the grave for a toast of Martel cognac and leaves the half-full bottle and three red roses.

'He leaves quietly and we don't know who he is, nor do we have any intention. We're very careful to protect his anonymity,' said Lou Ann Marshal, a tour guide at Westminster Hall cemetery . 'In the last few years, I've heard it's been a younger man with a cane who tries to walk with a limp, but it's not natural-looking. My guess is that it's something that's been passed down in a family--a secret Poe society" ("Undying Devotion" sec: D STYLE, 1).

My library has a Poe biography entitled "The Raven". It looked interesting, but I didn't have time to look it over closely. Busy checking in books. It looked new, but it could have simply been a new copy. Can't remember the author. I have got to start taking notes on everything!

Babi

The Mystery Writers of America (MWA) have named their annual award for the year's best mystery the Edgar. Checking their site for 2006 winners, I found they have a special badge, labelled 2004, which has the likeness of Poe. This drawing of him appears on many of their products, tshirts, etc. It is quite cute, nothing like the Edward Gorey image. I wonder if they would be interested in our discussion?

Thanks for the information on the grave site. Will add to notes if we ever get back in the area to be sure to go and look at it.

If you get to the area, let me know, Stephanie! I'd love to go with!

Babi...we'll be so ready by September! Matthew will be impressed how knowlegable we are!

Jackie...thank you - yes, I'll write to them to let them know. Matthew would probably love to see them here. Is this the image of Poe you wrote about?
MysteryWriters of America

Yes, that's it. Isn't he cute

I just picked up from the library the cd recording of A PALE BLUE EYE by Louis Bayard. Here is the blurb from amazon:

another tour-de-force, an intense and gripping novel set during Edgar Allan Poe's brief time as a West Point cadet. In 1830, retired New York City detective Gus Landor is living a quiet life at his Hudson Valley cottage, tormented by an unspecified personal sorrow, when Superintendent Thayer summons him to West Point to investigate the hanging and subsequent mutilation of a cadet. Poe aids Landor by serving as an inside source into the closed world of the academy, though Poe's personal involvement with a suspect's sister complicates their work. But the pair find themselves helpless to prevent further outrages; the removal of the victims' hearts suggests that a satanic cult might be at work. This beautifully crafted thriller stands head and shoulders above other recent efforts to fictionalize Poe.

Colby and I will lay down and begin listening to it this afternoon.

Blessings,

Cathie & Colby

Listen to an interview with Matthew Pearl

Looking for th eBayard book, sounds interesting.

Stephanie,

I have it on cd and am thoroughly enjoying it. It's unabridged, with 13 discs, each one over an hour!! But the story is great, Poe entered in at about disc two, he's a cadet at West Point, and he's already bending a few elbows.

MarjV, that was very interesting!

MarjV, thank you very much for the link. When the weekend is over, I will certainly relax and hear it all.

Thanks for the link to that interview, Marj! I am so impressed with the amount of research that went into this book. Did you hear him say that he would end each day of research in Baltimore with a few words with Poe in the cemetery? What inspiration he must have taken from that!

I'm going to take that link and insert it into the new heading for the discussion. Thank you again.

My very first book discussion on Seniornet was "The Dante Club," and what fun that was! I can't wait for another encounter with Matthew Pearl.

Joan, Thanks for that link to The Mystery Writers of America.

Hi everyone. Thanks to all of you for your interest in peeking in or participating in this forum. SeniorNet is such a unique community and it was a pleasure to be a small part of a great discussion about Dante and my first novel, The Dante Club, so I'm glad that Joan, your incredible organizer, took the initiative to invite me back for my new novel, The Poe Shadow. I hope to "see" some familiar names and get to know new ones.

Yours truly, Matthew

I am really mad! There are no Matthew Pearl titles in our library catalogue. A big fancy library all the bells and whistles and the paucity of books discussed lately has really got me annoyed. I shall just have to lurk and read your comments. Its not an option to buy at the moment!

I did read a detective novel a couple of years ago which featured Poe as a child and a young man. For the life of me I cannot remember the title. It was set mainly in London where supposedly Poe went to live for a time with the Ellis's. Anyone read it? Was it "The Raven"

Carolyn

Welcome, Matthew! We are so happy you are able to squeeze us into your busy schedule and appreciate your sharing precious time with us. Your enthusiam for the subject is contagious. We are happy to catch some of it!

Carolyn, I'm so sorry that your library doesn't carry Matthew's books. I'll bet they carry Poe though. We're planning a discussion of Poe's mysteries simultaneous with Matthew's book. Bill is leading it and it should be a lively discussion.

Welcome, Matthew Pearl! It's very generous of you to take the time to participate in our discussion of your book. As I'm sure you know from your participation in The Dante Club, we have a great group of readers here who share interesting views on the books we read together with the able facilitation of our volunteer discussion leaders.

CAROLYN, at the library here we can request an Interlibrary loan of any books they don't have. They ask a dollar to cover mailing costs, but they will put out a notice to all the area libraries. I usually have a requested book in less than a week. Perhaps your library will do the same.

Glad you're going to be with us again, Matthew. It was a definite plus having you join us for the Dante Club and I'm glad you can make it for this one.

Babi

Matthew Pearl Welcome! I am very excited about your new book, THE POE SHADOW. Thank you for sharing your precious time with us.

Babi - I doubt whether the book will be in any library yet. American authors in certain genre do not sell here and the libraries won't buy them in unless they are good sellers and likely to be in demand. There are none of Matthew Pearls books in our library system. I will just have to watch out in second hand stores as time goes by and there may be some that our intrepid travellers have brought back.

Carolyn

Ah, I know what you mean, Carolyn. Foreign authors don't usually appear on our library shelves either, until they've gained some notice and popularity here. I suppose it's understandable. No library can afford to invest it's funds in books their readers have never heard of and will leave on the shelf to gather dust.

Babi

I remember from both London and parts of Italy the many many english bookstores.. But it is still hard to get certain books. I would assume that there has to be a market for the book. I am doing my preliminary reading of the Poe Shadow..I always like to read it once by myself and then reread it during the discussion. A little confusing upon occasion, but worthwhile for me.

Welcome, Matthew Pearl! What a wonderful surprise! Yesterday was my husband Bob's birthday. He opened his first present and....yup! The Poe Shadow! He had asked for it for his birthday because people at work recommended it and he saw a good review about it on Sunday Morning TV. Of course, I wanted to read it and participate in the SeniorNet book discussion. So Bob and I will read it together (although not simultaneously). (Bob doesn't know this yet.)

I'm going to dash off and let Bob know that Matthew Pearl is joining us! I know Bob will take a peek at our online discussion and maybe even add an opinion or two as our discussion proceeds.

Marni

How neat, MARNI! We'll get a chance to 'meet' Bob, too.

Babi

A big welcome, Matthew. I liked The Dante Club so much when we discussed it here, and enjoyed your participation. I'm looking forward to reading and discussing The Poe Shadow and to meeting you again.

Pedln, Babi, we did have fun with Matthew in the Dante Club - we're lucky to have him bak in our midst.

It would be great to have Bob aboard, Marni! You've been sitting on that present for quite a while now! So glad Bob's birthday came before September 1!

I'm getting excited to begin as September draws nearer. As most of you know, Bill will be handling the discussion of Poe's Mysteries of the Rue Morgue - the Dupin Tales. I've begun to confuse Poe and his character, C. Auguste Dupin with Matthew and his character, Quentin Clark. And I haven't even begun to read either The Poe Shadow or Poe's Rue Morgue murders!

C. Auguste Dupin is Poe's detective in the three Murders of the Rue Morgue trilogy. According to Matthew's introduction to these three stories, Dupin was a strange character for Poe's readers to understand...no detective prototypes to which to compare him. Poe's Dupin was the original Sherlock Holmes and the detectives that followed. "Incompetent police, locked rooms where murders occur, an eccentric genius investigator...a naive narrator." These were Poe's inventions.

Poe's readers frequently compared Dupin's investigations to those of a criminal lawyer. A young lawyer! Matthew quotes from The Pennsylvania Inquirer that "some experienced criminal lawyer must have established the chain of evidence."

Poe's first story featuring Dupin was written when Poe was 32. His contemporaries often blurred Poe and his Dupin character - especially his analytical mind when solving problems.

Matthew Pearl's main character, Quentin Clark is a young Baltimore lawyer, an avid fan of Poe, eager to solve the mystery surrounding the author's death. He concludes that to solve the case he must find the one person who can solve the case - another young lawyer, who is considered to be the real-life model for C. Auguste Dupin!

Wait! It gets better - Matthew Pearl himself is a graduate of Yale Law school - a young lawyer/author!

From Poe's biography we learn that he attended the University of Virginia, joined the army and then went to West Point. After West Point, he returned to Baltimore to live with his Aunt Julia and his 8 year old cousin, Virginia - (he married her when she was 13!) No mention of law school however.

So, my first question for Matthew:

Where did Poe pick up his knowledge of criminal law? Was there in fact a real-life model for C.Auguste Dupin among Poe's acquaintances, from whom he learned the fine points of the law - or is this purely a fictional character of yours?)

My library had both the printed novel and the unabridged audibook: an abundance of riches.

My daughter went to Yale. I wonder if they were there at the same time. How old is Matthew?

Ann, you were lucky that your libarary had an available copy! The book was just published in late May.

I'm not sure exactly how old Matthew is - He graduated from Harvard University (summa cum laude) in English and American literature in 1997, and in 2000 from Yale Law School. When was your daughter there?

He wrote The Dante Club while he was a law student - taught classes at Harvard and Emerson College, but I'm not sure for how many semesters. He then researched The Poe Shadow for three years before the book went into publication.

Did you count that out on your fingers?

How old do you think he is?

I guess Matthew is in his early thirties. My daughter was at Yale before him, and then went on to Stanford Medical School.

It seems that Poe is currently a popular subject among authors of novels. There is at least one other newly published novel in which Poe is a major character--"The Pale Blue Eye" by Louis Bayard. In this book Poe is a cadet at West Point where he helps a retired police detective solve a mystery involving another cadet.

Poe in Baltimore

Although Richmond is the place Poe most considered home, Baltimore defines the beginning and the end of his life. Born while his parents, both actors, were traveling in Boston, his family roots were firmly set in the soil of Baltimore and here his mortal remains rest for eternity. His great-grandfather, John Poe, established the Poe clan in Baltimore in 1755, only a year before his death. Poe's grandparents, David and Elizabeth Cairnes Poe, raised seven children and achieved here a place of prominence if not wealth through patriotism, hard work and community service. When asked about his origins, Poe was fond of saying that he was a Virginian gentleman, but it was in Baltimore that Poe sought refuge when he had feuded with his foster father, John Allan, and was compelled to leave the house. It was in Baltimore that Poe found his future wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm, and in Baltimore that he placed his feet on the first steps of what would be his career for the next 17 years. Perhaps most revealing, when asked for the place of his birth, Poe turned his back on Boston and claimed Baltimore instead.

It was most likely in Baltimore that Poe began his transformation from a poet to a writer of imaginative short stories. By 1831, Poe had published three collections of his poems, with little financial and only minor critical success. Although poetry clearly was and would remain his first love, it seemed obvious that Poe would need to expand his bag of tricks if he hoped to make a living as a writer. In 1827, Poe's brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, published in the Baltimore North American a fictional narrative titled "The Pirate." (Henry, as he was always called, lived most of his short life in Baltimore and published a number of poems and other pieces in the Baltimore North American. For a time, Henry appears to have been employed as a sailor, possibly the inspiration for Poe's Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.) Perhaps encouraged by his brother's apparent success, Poe began to write stories. By 1833, Edgar had written eleven prose extravaganzas he hoped to publish as a set under the title "Tales From the Folio Club."

In October of 1833, he made an important friendship with John Pendleton Kennedy, who recommended Poe to his friend Thomas W. White. White, the owner and editor of the Southern Literary Messenger, was eager for some assistance in dealing with what he had found to be the increasingly onerous responsibilities of running a magazine. Poe left Baltimore for Richmond, Virginia in August of 1835. He never again made a home in Baltimore, but thought fondly of it and often passed through on business and to visit family and friends. The last of these trips was in September and October of 1849. Much speculation has been written about his final days and everything from alcoholism to rabies has been offered as the cause for his mysterious death at the age of 40. His remains were placed in lot 27, near those of his grandparents and his brother in the Westminster Burying Ground at Fayette and Greene Streets.

I have ordered the book -- hope I get it by the first.

HORSELOVER: I haven't read the back posts yet, so if the following has already been discussed, please ignore it. What do you know about the mysterious person who visiyts Poe's grave once a year to leave flowers? Is it true that they've found out who he is?

Thursday, January 19, 2006 Associated Press

BALTIMORE — For the 57th straight year, a mystery man paid tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by placing roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave to mark his birthday. Some of the 25 spectators drawn to a tiny, locked graveyard in downtown Baltimore for the ceremony climbed over the walls of the site and were "running all over the place trying to find out how the guy gets in," according to Jeff Jerome, the most faithful viewer of the event. Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum, said early Thursday he had to chase people out of the graveyard, fearing they would interfere with the mystery visitor's ceremony. "In letting people know about this tribute, I've been contributing to these people's desire to catch this guy," Jerome said. "It's such a touching tribute, and it's been disrupted by the actions of a few people trying to interfere and expose this guy." Jerome has seen the mysterious visitor every Jan. 19 since 1976. "They had a game plan," Jerome said of the spectators. "They knew from previous years when the guy would appear."

But Jerome declined to reveal details of what the Poe toaster was wearing, what he did at Poe's grave, and whether he left anything besides the roses and cognac, such as a note. It was a the crisp, cold, clear night. "I was hoping for wind and rain in keeping with a Poe story," Jerome said. But the museum curator was saddened by the disrespectful spectators. "I hope to preserve this tribute. It's one of those things that make Baltimore so unique," he said. For decades, a frail figure made the visit to Poe's grave. In 1993 the original visitor left a cryptic note saying, "The torch will be passed." A later note said the man, who apparently died in 1998, had handed the tradition on to his sons. Poe, who wrote poems and horror stories such as "The Raven" and "The Telltale Heart," died Oct. 7, 1849 in Baltimore at the age of 40 after collapsing in a tavern.

Re "...everything from alcoholism to rabies has been offered as the cause for his mysterious death at the age of 40."

Rabies? I've never heard that before. I wonder why rabies? I wonder if was bitten by a rabid dog or something?

This is from the Book Review section of The New York Times. I thought some of you might be interested in it since we often like to discuss books from that point of view.

THE THINGS THAT MATTER What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stages of Life By Edward Mendelson

260 pages. Pantheon. $23.

Novels, Edward Mendelson writes, should be interpreted and understood from a personal point of view, and not just historically, thematically or analytically. “A reader who identifies with the characters in a novel is not reacting in a naïve way that ought to be outgrown or transcended, but is performing one of the central acts of literary understanding.”

Mr. Mendelson, a Columbia University professor, argues further that literary critics should get in touch with their own feelings. “Criticism is always more memorable, more convincing, more valid, when the critic’s voice is — and sounds like — the personal voice of someone who has learned from unique personal experiences, rather than a dispassionate impersonal voice that sounds like the product of advanced professional training.”