# Please recommend a biography of Edgar Allan Poe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-biography-of-edgar-allan-poe/740447 "2015-12-14T20:20:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-biography-of-edgar-allan-poe/740447/1 "2015-12-14T20:20:41Z")
The title says it: what’s a good bio of Poe? I love his stories, I like many of his poems and I want to delve into his life. If the book has lots of illustrations, so much the better. It doesn’t have to be currently in print because the good people at Alibris, bless 'em, always come through with the oldies but goodies. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-biography-of-edgar-allan-poe/740447/2 "2015-12-14T21:00:48Z")
If no one answers you can always do an Amazon search for: Edgar Allen Poe biography and read the customer reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-biography-of-edgar-allan-poe/740447/3 "2015-12-16T12:44:15Z")
There have been 3 out fairly recently which seem at least interesting and all have had good reviews, afaik Poe-Land (2014) by I. W. Ocker won the Edgar Award this year in their biography category > [@](#): > > explores the physical aspects of Poe s legacy across the East Coast and beyond, touring Poe’s homes, examining artifacts from his life locks of his hair, pieces of his coffin, original manuscripts, his boyhood bed and visiting the many memorials dedicated to him. The Ambiguity of Death (2015) by Giuseppe Cafiero claims to be a surreal bio-fiction: > [@](#): > > brings to life a solidly constructed psychological portrait of the writer through the characters in his works. Each story is accompanied by gloriously gothic Illustrations by acclaimed Italian artist Sergio Poddighe The Strange Man Deep in the Shadows (2015) by Charlotte Montague appears to be a more straight forward look at his life. I’d pick the approach that most appealed to you as they all appear to be quite different. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-biography-of-edgar-allan-poe/740447/4 "2015-12-21T23:53:57Z")
\*\*Meurglys, \*\* thank you very much! This is is terrific information. I’m going to order all of your suggestions. 🙂