Disciplines
American Literature
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Although Poe was a social introvert, he knew and was connected to other early American Romantic writers, including Herman Melville. Examining first editions of works by both authors in the Bentley Rare Book Museum at Kennesaw State University, I discovered a common link between them – the publisher and literary critic Evert Duyckinck. In this presentation, I will use evidence from the first editions and the Poe & Melville Archives at the New York Public Library to investigate the nature of the relationship between Poe, Duyckinck and Melville. I found that Duyckinck was Melville’s close friend, however, he was Poe’s critic and was extremely harsh on him. First editions can tell us a great deal about the circumstances of publication and are an important resource for scholarship.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Tamara Livingston
Included in
Did Ishmael Know the Raven?: Publisher Evert Duyckinck and the Connection Between Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville
Although Poe was a social introvert, he knew and was connected to other early American Romantic writers, including Herman Melville. Examining first editions of works by both authors in the Bentley Rare Book Museum at Kennesaw State University, I discovered a common link between them – the publisher and literary critic Evert Duyckinck. In this presentation, I will use evidence from the first editions and the Poe & Melville Archives at the New York Public Library to investigate the nature of the relationship between Poe, Duyckinck and Melville. I found that Duyckinck was Melville’s close friend, however, he was Poe’s critic and was extremely harsh on him. First editions can tell us a great deal about the circumstances of publication and are an important resource for scholarship.