I Have Not Owned Many Items For 43 Years...

 ...but back on April 9, 1981, my then girlfriend, in El Centro & Calexico, CA, gave me a copy of the Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (one of my favorite authors and the creator of the modern detective story, long before and better than Sherlock Holmes stories). I remember the date inside the cover because she inscribed the front cover with it and a brief message. Well, it was not in the greatest shape, the binding was cracked and torn, the dust cover missing but it was a book that I loved. You probably have noticed I am writing about it in the past tense. That is because today while I was out, my 6+-  month old puppy Knucklehead decided to destroy it. 

 

I came back from shopping to find it in several pieces on the floor. He evidently did not touch one other book, except maybe to sniff some, in the bookcase. Of course, the one he had his fun with just had to be one of my all time favorites that I treasured. To think, I took this pooch in because he was a lonely and unhappy looking stray in need of a meal and a friend or two - my other pooch Skye and I have been giving him all of that and more for a month as of tomorrow; all that plus lots of expensive vet care - all while never intending to keep him. Now that I have probably unwisely decided to keep him - I sometimes think of changing his name to Bullethead, that would be right before I place the headstone on his grave far out in the woods somewhere.😏

 

Oh well, the book is replaceable as a reader; the gift is lost forever but not the spirit of it. Its spirit will live among fond memories of good times when I was a young Border Patrol Agent, who had great vision, did lots of reading and who had a girlfriend who sometimes gave me nice things that I treasured. Sadly that was the last remaining one of them. Damn, 43 years gone just like that at the whim of a mongrel.

All the best,

Glenn B

Today In History - Quoth The Raven, "Nevermore"

October has always been a happy month for me. I love the fact that it is the month of my birth, the month with the best weather - yes I love the October weather here in the northeast especially in New York, and I love the fact that it is the month in which Halloween and most of the leaves of the hardwoods fall. Today though, October 7th, is for me a sad day in history. On this day in 1849 Edgar Allan Poe was, in the words of the Raven, "Nevermore".

Edgar Allan Poe is undeniably one of the all time best writers of American Literature, and also one of the best writers of all time. In addition his writings are some of the most popular throughout the world despite the somewhat lack of their popularity during his own lifetime. Had he lived a longer and fuller life, had he written more of his maudlin yet haunting poetry, more of his macabre frightening yet intriguing short stories, another novella or two filled with the fantastic, and had he continued with his then unique literary creation and written more modern detective stories, he would likely have gone down in history as a writer unparalleled in his magnificence, or at least as the greatest American writer of all time. Regardless of his short pained life - he died when only 39 - and regardless of his shorter literary life, Poe indeed achieved a greatness with pen that few have ever matched. Be I so bold to say what I am about to, I believe he would have achieved the same greatness as Shakespeare, who died probably a few days short of 52, had he lived and written as long. (Heck I just surpassed old Will in age.)

Poe was a masterful user of the English language, and some others for that matter such as Latin and French. If you have never read any of his work, I suggest you give a few of them a try. Some of my favorites have been:

Poems:

El Dorado

To --- (the one that begins with the words "I heed not...")

The Raven

Lenore

Anabel Lee

Stories:

The Cask of Amontillado

The Murders in The Rue Morgue

The Mystery of Marie Roget

The Purloined Letter

The Pit and the Pendulum

There are many, many others. Besides short stories and poetry he wrote journalistic essays, articles, and one novella or short novel: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (another great one, but not all that easy to read as it is heavily laden with mystic symbolism).

Poe was misunderstood during his lifetime, and was even more so after his death. Most believe him to have been a half depraved drug addict, but much of that belief was based upon a libelous biography written after his death by Rufus Griswold, a man who despised Poe and who let his hatred of him carry on even after Poe's passing.

If you would like to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe, things that even up until a few years ago had not yet come to light (such as the fact that he was not a drug addict) you can find more info on Poe at these links:

The House of Usher: http://www.houseofusher.net/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

Project Gutenburg: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/p (page down to Poe)

No matter what you think of him or his life, no matter what you think about his works, he was and remains one of the most influential writers of all time. As in the Raven with thoughts of 'lost Lenore', Poe will never be with us again but so too shall his shadow, cast upon the literary floor, leave us Nevermore.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Edgar Allan Poe

...was born on January 19, 1809. He died on or about October 7, 1849 in a state of delirium, the official cause of death listed as 'congestion of the brain' During the 40 years of his life span, Poe was one of the most accomplished authors of his time, and has gone down in history as one of the most accomplished American authors of all time. As most of you should well know, he was and remains famous for his depictions of various terrifying scenes, be they of the realm of possibility, or of the realm of fantasy. His works included poetry, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, essays, and one novel or novella. He is probably best known for such works as: The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of The House of Usher, The Pit and The Pendulum; but he was also instrumental in the creation a tale of another type - the modern detective story.

Poe is quite possibly my favorite author; and he at least was certainly my favorite author when I was still endowed with youth of body and of spirit. I have read all of his poetry, all of his short stories, and his one novel. My favorite of Poe's works, from all of those that I have read, would have to be the detective stories. The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget, and, The Purloined Letter.I can tell you that Sherlock Holmes had nothing by way of detecting ability over C. Auguste Dupin. I have often wondered, was it a coincidence that his initials spelled out 'cad', which by definition is "an ungentlemanly man whose conduct in regard to woman is unscrupulous..."; or was Poe actually implying that a man with such a powerful facility of detection is by some requirement of nature destined to treat women in such a way. Furthermore is it a coincidence that the character of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's (funny how Dupin and Doyle had the same initials albeit not in the same order) Sherlock Holmes later followed this trait in his dealings with women! But I digress from Poe, and lest I sully his memory with that of another great writer, let me return to my praise of him.

Poe was a literary genius, with few if any modern equals. He led a difficult and trying life, that was at times given the opportunity to come round the bend into the sunlight of happiness and wealth; but in the end Poe died as he wrote, troubled and tortured. For more information about him and his great works, see: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan19.html, and http://www.eapoe.org/index.htm. The second site listed having copies of many of his literary works available online.

All the best,

Glenn B