History Daily The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe
Oct 3, 2024
The podcast explores the eerie tribute by the 'Poe Toaster' who honors Edgar Allan Poe with roses and cognac at his grave. It delves into Poe's troubled beginnings, his relentless ambition to write, and the struggles he faced on his journey to fame. Personal tragedies, including the loss of his wife, add to the complexity of his final days. The discussion culminates in the unsolved mystery surrounding his death, leaving listeners intrigued by the ghostly echoes of a literary legend.
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The Poe Toaster
- A journalist witnessed a mysterious figure annually visiting Edgar Allan Poe's grave.
- The figure, known as the "Poe Toaster," left cognac and roses, toasting the deceased author.
Poe's West Point Escape
- Edgar Allan Poe, a West Point cadet, deliberately got himself court-martialed.
- He wanted to pursue his writing career and saw this as his only escape from the military.
Challenges for American Writers
- Making a living as a writer in 19th-century America was challenging due to publishers' practices.
- Many publishers preferred copying British works to avoid paying American authors.