Cambridge Companion To Edgar Allan Poe, The

Description:
This collection of specially-commissioned essays by experts in the field explores key dimensions of Edgar Allan Poe's work and life. Contributions provide a series of alternative perspectives on one of the most enigmatic and controversial American writers. The essays, specially tailored to the needs of undergraduates, examine all of Poe's major writings, his poetry, short stories and criticism, and place his work in a variety of literary, cultural and political contexts. They situate his imaginative writings in relation to different modes of writing: humor, Gothicism, anti-slavery tracts, science fiction, the detective story, and sentimental fiction. Three chapters examine specific works: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, 'The Fall of the House of Usher', 'The Raven', and 'Ulalume'. The volume features a detailed chronology and a comprehensive guide to further reading, and will be of interest to students and scholars alike.

Review:
'Kevin Hayes's delightful Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe offers a good, no-nonsense introduction to Poe's admittedly troubled and turbulent life ... [it] is the first volume I would put into the hands of any open-minded adult who wanted a reliable introduction to Poe studies.' Richmond Times Dispatch 'Like the other excellent titles in the 'Cambridge Companions to Literature' series, this volume provides a collection of well-researched essays that will be useful for both students and researchers... [S]uperlative essays on important Poe topics less studied--Poe's humor, his science fiction, and his impact on popular culture. More familiar subjects are given fresh treatment... All academic collections.' Choice

Table of Contents:
Chronology of Poe's life; Introduction Kevin J. Hayes; 1. The Poet as critic Kent L. Jungquist; 2. Poe and his circle Sandra M. Tomc; 3. Poe's aesthetic theory Rachel Polonsky; 4. Poe's humor Daniel Royot; 5. Poe and the Gothic tradition Benjamin Franklin Fisher; 6. Poe, sensationalism, and slavery Teresa A. Goddu; 7. Extra! Extra! Poe invents Science Fiction! John Tresch; 8. Poe's Dupin and the power of detection Peter Thoms; 9. Poe's feminine ideal Karen Weekes; 10. A confused beginning: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, of Nantucket Geoffrey Sanborn; 11. Poe's 'constructiveness' and The Fall of the House of Usher Scott Peeples; 12. Two verse masterworks: 'The Raven' and 'Ulalume' Richard Kopley and Kevin J. Hayes; 13. Poe and popular culture Mark Neimeyer; 14. One-man modernist Kevin J. Hayes; Selected bibliography; Index.

Author Biography:
Kevin J. Hayes is Professor of English, University of Central Oklahoma. He is the author of Poe and the Printed Word (Cambridge, 2000); Melville's Folk Roots (1999); The Library of William Byrd of Westover (1997), for which he won the first annual Virginia Library History Award; Folklore and Book Culture (1997); and A Colonial Woman's Bookshelf (1996). In addition, he has edited Henry James: The Contemporary Reviews (Cambridge, 1996). His essays and reviews have appeared in American Literature, Edgar Allan Poe Review, Literature/Film Quarterly, New England Quarterly, Studies in the Novel, and Visible Language. In 1998, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Documentary Editing.