Edgar Allan Poe as a detective? It's not just a Hollywood movie. In 1842, the real Poe set out to solve the murder of Mary Rogers, known in New York as the "beautiful cigar girl." While her death captured the imagination of the press and the public, the crime remained unsolved. It was perfect fodder for Poe though, who once called the death of a beautiful woman "the most poetical topic in the world." Tuesday, we talk to writer Daniel Stashower about Poe's life and the birth of crime fiction.
Books and Music from Today's RadioWest:
- Daniel Stashower, The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder
- Edgar Allan Poe, The First Detective: the Complete Auguste Dupin Stories-The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt & The Purloined Letter
- Edgar Allan Poe, The complete works of Edgar Allan Poe
- Other works by Daniel Stashower
Music:
- Hilary Hahn, (Louis Spohr) Violin Concerto No.8 in A minor, Op.47 (Im Form einer Gesangsszene) - 2. Adagio - Andante
- Sweek, Iki
- Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Mendelssohn) "Lobgesang" in B flat, Op.52 - Allegretto un poco agitato