This biography of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), a giant of American literature who invented both the horror and detective genres, is a portrait of extremes: a disinherited heir, a brilliant but exploited author and editor, a man who veered radically from temperance to rampant debauchery, and an agnostic who sought a return to religion at the end of his life. Acclaimed biographer Jeffrey Meyers explores the writer's turbulent life and career, including...

Presents an annotated selection of writing by Edgar Allan Poe, including poems, stories, essays, and a novel, and includes documents related to Poe's life and career, as well as fourteen critical essays.