Man of the Crowd: Edgar Allan Poe and the City

Edgar Allan Poe moved frequently throughout his life in search of literary success and to support his family. Scott Peeples explores how each city he lived in left an enduring mark on his writings, reflecting his experiences with urban slavery, violence, and poverty. The book challenges the notion of Poe as an isolated artist and reveals him as a man shaped by his urban surroundings, longing for a stable home.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 20 October 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Edgar Allan Poe ({PHONE}) was a writer who moved frequently throughout his life, driven by a desire for literary success and the need to support his family. He sought work in American magazines, living in the cities that produced them. Scott Peeples explores Poe's rootless life in these cities, examining how each place left its mark on the writer and his craft.

Poe wrote short stories, poems, journalism, and editorials with urban readers in mind. He witnessed urban slavery firsthand, living and working near slave jails and auction houses in Richmond and among enslaved workers in Baltimore. In Philadelphia, he saw a growing city struggling to control its violent tendencies. At a time when suburbs were beginning to offer an alternative to crowded city living, he attempted to live cheaply on the then-rural Upper West Side of Manhattan and later in what is now the Bronx.

Poe's urban mysteries and claustrophobic tales of troubled minds and abused bodies reflect his experiences living among soldiers, slaves, and immigrants in American cities. The Man of the Crowd, by Michelle Van Parys, challenges the popular notion of Poe as an isolated artist living in a world of his own imagination, detached from his physical surroundings. The book reveals a Poe who was shaped by the cities he lived in, longing for a stable home.

Poe's life was marked by a series of moves, each leaving its imprint on his work. He moved from Richmond to Baltimore, then to Philadelphia, and finally to New York City. Each city had its own unique characteristics and challenges, which influenced Poe's writing.

In Baltimore, Poe lived near slave jails and auction houses, which provided him with a wealth of material for his stories. He witnessed the brutal treatment of slaves and the auctioning off of their bodies, which deeply affected him. This experience is reflected in his works, such as "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."

In Philadelphia, Poe saw the growth and development of a city struggling to contain its own violent tendencies. He wrote about the city's crime and poverty, as well as its political corruption and social unrest. His stories, such as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Fall of the House of Usher," are set in Philadelphia and reflect the city's dark and dangerous atmosphere.

In New York City, Poe lived in various neighborhoods, including the Upper West Side
Side and the Bronx. He was a frequent visitor to the city's literary salons and clubs, where he mingled with other writers and intellectuals. He also worked as a journalist and editor, contributing to magazines such as the Broadway Journal and the Evening Mirror.

Poe's experiences in these cities shaped his writing in many ways. He was a master of the short story, and his urban settings and characters often reflected the realities of life in the cities he lived in. His stories are filled with vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, as well as its darker aspects, such as crime, poverty, and social unrest.

Poe's urban mysteries and claustrophobic tales of troubled minds
minds and abused bodies reflect his experiences living among soldiers, slaves, and immigrants in American cities. His stories are filled with vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, as well as its darker aspects, such as crime, poverty, and social unrest.

In conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe's life was shaped by the cities he lived in, and his writing reflects the realities of life in these cities. From his experiences with urban slavery in Baltimore to his observations of the growth and development of Philadelphia and the struggles of New York City to contain its own violent tendencies, Poe's work is a testament to the power of the city to shape and influence the lives of its inhabitants. The Man of the Crowd, by Michelle Van Parys, provides a fresh perspective on Poe's life and work, challenging the popular notion of him as an isolated artist and revealing him as a man whose outlook and career were shaped by the cities where he lived, longing for a stable home.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 148 x 222 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691182407