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Poe's Writings in The American Museum

1838 - September (vol I, no. I)

"Ligeia" (tale) (text A), pp. 25-37.

"The Psyche Zenobia" (tale) (text A), pp. 301-317. (Includes "The Scythe of Time.") (These items eventually became "How to Write a Blackwood Article" and "A Predicament.")

Vol. II (January - June, 1839)

1839 - January (vol. II, no. I)

"Literary Small Talk" Part I (misc)  (text A), pp. 60-61.

"Literary Small Talk" Part II (misc)  (text A), pp. 133-134.

"The Haunted Palace" (poem)  (text A), p. 320.

Other Items:

Two other items have been suggested as perhaps by Poe:

• A review of The Phenix [[Phoenix]] (American Museum, I. no. III, November 1838). The review is not signed and Poe's possible authorship has generally been dismissed. W. D. Hull comments, "It has been suggested that this long and rambling notice may be Poe's. That it is not his a few sentences will make clear . . . [Hull quotes several sentences] . . . Brooks I believe to be the author" (Hull, 1941, p. 695).

• A tale, "The Atlantis, a Southern World" (American Museum, all issues, September 1838 - June 1839). This amateurish satire is signed by Peter Prospero (clearly a pseudonym). A. H. Quinn suggested that it may have been by Poe, admitting, "The evidence for Poe's authorship is largely internal. . . . Toward the end occur several passages which are distinctly in Poe's manner" (Quinn, 1941, p. 757). H&C later quoted T. O. Mabbott as saying "As I understand it, Professor Quinn only thinks Poe may have assisted in the story, writing a few passages here and there" (H&C, p. 145).

• On September 4, 1838, Poe replied to N. C. Brooks' request for a review of Washington Irving's works. Poe declined, claiming, "The truth is, I can hardly say that I am conversant with Irving's writings, having read nothing of his since I was a boy, save his 'Granada.' It would be necessary to give his entire works a reperusal. You see, therefore, the difficulty at once" (Poe to Brooks, September 4, 1838). Whatever were Poe's reasons for not reviewing Irving, it was certainly not a lack of familiarity with his works as Poe had already reviewed The Crayon Miscellany (Southern Literary Messenger, December 1835) and Astoria  (Southern Literary Messenger, January 1837). Poe reveals a greater acquantaince than he is willing to admit by continuing in the same letter, "It is a theme upon which I would like very much to write, for there is a vast deal to be said upon it. Irving is much overrated, and a nice distinction might be drawn between his just and his surreptitious and adventitious reputation -- between what is due to the pioneer solely, and what to the writer." It may be that Poe was already contemplating the creation of his own magazine and was reluctant to "use up" (as Poe might say) the prominent American author, whose services he might need to call upon. Ultimately, N. C. Brooks wrote the review "American Authors, No. 1 — Washington Irving" for the September 1838 issue of the American Museum. (The review is credited to Brooks in the table of contents for volume I.)

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