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Poe and the Beautiful Cigar Girl

KUER 90.1 | By Doug Fabrizio
Published May 21, 2012 at 4:22 PM MDT
Illustration from an 1852 edition of Poe's "The Mystery of Marie Roget"
Illustration from an 1852 edition of Poe's "The Mystery of Marie Roget"

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.

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Doug Fabrizio
Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
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