Book Riot – The Podcast

Episode: Deep into that Darkness Peering

Air Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Jeff O’Neal & Rebecca Schinsky
Guest: Vanessa Diaz (Managing Editor)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the life, work, and myth of Edgar Allan Poe. With “spooky season” in full swing, Vanessa Diaz takes the wheel to guide Jeff and Rebecca through Poe’s biography, the mysterious circumstances of his death, his literary innovations, and the long-lasting effects of a single hater: Rufus Griswold. The episode blends history, literary gossip, and cultural context, inviting listeners to revisit or rediscover Poe’s legacy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Relationships with Poe (07:14–10:20)

• Vanessa asks the group about their relationship to Poe:
  • Jeff: Remembers Poe from high school (e.g., “Telltale Heart,” “Cask of Amontillado,” “The Raven”), noting Poe’s role as a genre/short story originator and a journalist (07:22–08:59).
  • Rebecca: Admits not reading much Poe as an adult but notes Poe’s strong presence in Richmond, VA, through museums and local culture; she wasn’t aware of the mystery surrounding Poe’s death (08:59–10:20).

2. Poe’s Early Life and Odd Education (10:20–16:33)

• Vanessa outlines Poe’s turbulent childhood:
  • Orphaned young: Father abandoned the family (12:51), mother died of tuberculosis (13:02).
  • Raised by the wealthy Allan family in Richmond; received a privileged but emotionally distant upbringing (13:02–14:23).
  • Unusual for an American writer of the time to have a classical education and exposure to UK boarding schools—these would later inspire names in his stories (14:50).

3. Poe’s Tumultuous Young Adulthood (16:33–21:42)

• Early promise as a writer and student, but financial hardship struck at University of Virginia (17:23–18:17). Attempted to gamble to cover tuition, ended further in debt.
• Joined the Army (“a Bostonian” was his first pen name) and briefly attended West Point (19:32–20:31), ultimately getting court-martialed via “extreme dereliction of duty” (20:24).
• Moves to Baltimore after foster father dies and is left out of the will, living with aunt and cousin (21:02–21:42).

4. Career, First Publications, and Infamous Marriage (21:42–25:39)

• Poe starts publishing poetry and then short stories; initial reception is minimal, but he slowly gains recognition (23:14–23:57).
• Writes reviews, edits journals, and marries his first cousin, Virginia Clemm—aged 12 or 13—sparking modern discomfort and even some “side-eye” at the time (23:14–24:08).

5. Literary Innovations: Detective Fiction, Psychological Horror, and Influence (25:39–28:14)

• The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) arguably launches detective fiction, and its protagonist inspires Sherlock Holmes (25:39–26:19).
• Poe’s short stories are praised as still lively and engaging for contemporary readers (26:39–27:46).
• Rebecca notes the thrill of realizing genres (like detective fiction) had to be invented by someone—and Poe was that someone (27:07–27:46).

6. Poe’s Fame, Tragedy, and the Mystery of His Death (30:54–38:48)

• Becomes a celebrity with “The Raven” (1845), though only earning $15 from its publication (30:54).
• Wife Virginia dies of tuberculosis (1847), sending Poe into a spiral of grief and increased drinking (32:38–33:43).
• 1849: Poe reconnects with childhood sweetheart Elmira and becomes engaged, only to vanish en route to New York (33:43–35:06).
• Found incoherent in Baltimore (wearing clothes not his own), never regains composure, dies four days later. No definitive cause of death—various theories include illness, alcoholism, murder, or “cooping” (voter fraud scheme) (35:06–38:48).

“There’s never been a conclusive diagnosis or cause of death determined. But there are, of course, a lot of theories...”
— Vanessa (35:36)

7. The Hater: How Rufus Griswold Twisted Poe’s Legacy (39:01–48:39)

• After Poe’s death, literary rival Rufus Griswold engineered a smear campaign:
  • Wrote a searing obituary (“This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it.” – 43:32)
  • Assumed control of Poe’s literary estate (under dubious circumstances), published a memoir filled with fabrications: accused Poe of womanizing, opium addiction, and using his “evil predilections” for inspiration.
  • Directly forged quotes from Poe praising Griswold.
• These myths “stuck”—no competing biography appeared for 25 years, and many remain in public imagination today.

“Most of the stuff, like the jiggly pokery he did, was after Poe died. So, like, he didn’t even do it with his chest.”
— Vanessa (40:02)

8. Poe’s Enduring Impact and Recommendations (48:39–54:54)

• Poe’s real legacy: Invented or popularized the detective story, psychological horror, aspects of science fiction, and established literary criticism in the U.S. (49:02–49:16).
• His themes focus on loss, madness, and the darkness within humanity.
• Recommendations for reading (52:21–53:54):
  • “Telltale Heart,” “Cask of Amontillado,” “Purloined Letter,” “The Black Cat,” “Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” “Murders in the Rue Morgue.”
  • The new Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher draws heavily on Poe’s works (53:16).
• Modern myths (e.g., 'Wednesday’s' Nevermore Academy was inspired by Rowling, not Poe) reflect how misunderstanding persists (49:57).

“You probably got a lot of Poe wrong, but he’s still worth reading for…really being the introduction to a lot of the things we enjoy about genre fiction.”
— Vanessa (54:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Poe’s Looks and Athletics:
  “If you haven’t seen a picture of Edgar Allan Poe, he looks like a character from an Edgar Allan Poe story.”
  — Jeff (16:33)

• On Poe’s Writing Career:
  “He is just still dear dyering it all the way to an eventual career. But it doesn’t happen at first.”
  — Vanessa (22:03)

• On Poe’s Marriage to His Cousin:
  “These things do exist on a spectrum and marrying your 13-year-old cousin is on the pretty bad end.”
  — Rebecca (23:27)

• On Literary Innovations:
  “It’s not just the primordial soup out of which…Holmes will evolve. Like, it’s pretty great in its own regard and in the public domain.”
  — Jeff (26:39)

• On Literary Haters:
  “Rufus Griswold was Poe’s arch nemesis and pretty much single-handedly responsible for a lot of the character assassination…”
  — Vanessa (39:01)

  “You knew what you were getting into when you asked this dude to write this review…”
  — Vanessa (42:35)

  “Literally that—Po’s over there doing the Don Draper ‘I don’t ever think about you’.”
  — Vanessa (43:02)

• On Reading Poe Today:
  “All these stories…I really think you should just discover it. But it’s like, somebody gets lured into a slow and very terrible death…”
  — Vanessa (52:35)

Timestamps by Segment

• Intro, guest setup: 01:05–02:20
• Poe’s childhood and education: 12:51–15:47
• University/gambling/Army & West Point: 17:23–20:31
• Early writing/publishing & Marriage: 21:42–24:08
• Detective fiction & genre innovation: 25:39–26:39
• Later career, “The Raven,” & Death: 30:54–38:48
• Rufus Griswold’s smear campaign: 39:01–48:39
• Legacy, recommendations & wrap-up: 48:39–54:54

Conclusion

This episode delivers an accessible and fascinating reevaluation of Edgar Allan Poe—unpacking the myths, highlighting his groundbreaking literary contributions, and exposing how a vengeful rival warped his reputation for generations. With Vanessa Diaz at the helm, listeners are encouraged to revisit Poe’s works with fresh eyes and an appreciation for both the genius and the messiness of one of American literature’s most misunderstood figures.