Lepore's take on Poe hating his readers is a bit of a narrow view. He was a snob, but he also placed such high standards on literature and art that it was hard for not only artists to meet his criteria, but for consumers of art as well.
David Reynolds, in his new book on the Jacksonian Age, Waking Giant, writes about Poe's AMBIVALENCE: revelling in pop culture and being repelled by it at the same time. He sometimes says he hates the readers who consume his magazine fiction. Yet, he toils over it with such care.
It's tough to get a handle on Poe's character. But I'm not surprised. He lived a life of almost daily frustration. I think often in Lepore's piece, she is quick to take Poe's letters at face value. I'm a little reluctant to do so. Desperation--and Poe was often desperate, for money, love, family, respect--is the kind of thing that leads us to say all sorts of things in private conversation. The only consistent attributes of Poe I've been able to discern are his tenacity and strong work ethic.
Poe was a dedicated professional writer who toiled over all his pieces, day in, day out. It's not a view consistent with his iconic status as a drunken, raving madman writer, but if you look at the body of his work, his correspondence and the short time he lived, he managed to cram an awful lot of work into a brief writing career. Of course, living in Philly helped.
I agree; the article was a purposeful swipe at Poe. I'm of the opinion that if you dislike Poe, don't write about him. The inaccuracies, biased slants, and outright falsehoods will, unfortunately, have a large audience thanks to Lepore's status as a Harvard scholar and, of course, the wide distribution of the New Yorker.
Lepore's take on Poe hating his readers is a bit of a narrow view. He was a snob, but he also placed such high standards on literature and art that it was hard for not only artists to meet his criteria, but for consumers of art as well.
ReplyDeleteDavid Reynolds, in his new book on the Jacksonian Age, Waking Giant, writes about Poe's AMBIVALENCE: revelling in pop culture and being repelled by it at the same time. He sometimes says he hates the readers who consume his magazine fiction. Yet, he toils over it with such care.
It's tough to get a handle on Poe's character. But I'm not surprised. He lived a life of almost daily frustration. I think often in Lepore's piece, she is quick to take Poe's letters at face value. I'm a little reluctant to do so. Desperation--and Poe was often desperate, for money, love, family, respect--is the kind of thing that leads us to say all sorts of things in private conversation. The only consistent attributes of Poe I've been able to discern are his tenacity and strong work ethic.
Poe was a dedicated professional writer who toiled over all his pieces, day in, day out. It's not a view consistent with his iconic status as a drunken, raving madman writer, but if you look at the body of his work, his correspondence and the short time he lived, he managed to cram an awful lot of work into a brief writing career. Of course, living in Philly helped.
I agree; the article was a purposeful swipe at Poe. I'm of the opinion that if you dislike Poe, don't write about him. The inaccuracies, biased slants, and outright falsehoods will, unfortunately, have a large audience thanks to Lepore's status as a Harvard scholar and, of course, the wide distribution of the New Yorker.
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