Chapter 6 originally appeared in a slightly different form in Southern Literary Journal, and chapters 1 and 9 in The Edgar Allan Poe Review. Permission to reprint these essays has been kindly granted by the editors of those journals and by their authors.
The contributors to this volume deserve special recognition. Not only has their work made for engaging and stimulating reading, but their patience has probably stretched the bounds of credulity through what became an unusually long period of composition and production. I am sure they are glad to see their superb essays finally in print.
I am grateful to Winifred “Bo” Moore, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at The Citadel, for funding for research assistance. A sabbatical leave, underwritten by The Citadel Foundation, also provided time to work on this book.
To these friends and colleagues in particular I owe thanks for help, ideas, and, when needed, an attentive ear: Scott Peeples, Ben Fisher, Wally Coberg, John Jebb, Peter Norberg, Rich Fusco, Barbara Cantalupo, Susan Donaldson, Kevin Hayes, Matthew Pearl, Richard Rust, and James L. W. West III. All Poe scholars are deeply saddened by the passing of Burton R. Pollin, Jr., but his vast and important writing on Poe will continue to aid the work of generations to come.
As always, thanks go to my wife, Rachel. She reminds me that peace and quiet are nice, but a little healthy chaos is a good thing too.
J. H.
January 2011