Last Update: December 12, 1998
Navigation: Main Menu
Poe's Misc
[Text: Edgar Allan Poe (?), "Literary Theft," Columbia Spy, July
31, 1844.]
LITERARY THEFT
The tale called "My First Love," in the July number
of Blackwood, just received, is a literal translation from the German of
Seatsfield, who probably stole it from the pages of some of our magazines.
The career of American literature is singular. It first makes its appearance
in this country, without exciting much attention; it is then translated
into German, and published as original, where it acquires considerable
reputation; next we see it translated back to English, by the writers for
Blackwood; and finally it is published in this country as something quite
extraordinary. Like wine, it is supposed to improve by crossing the sea.
This Seatsfield, for instance, who has been talked of so much, appears
to be a mere bookseller's hack, employed to translate from American works,
which are passed off as his own. His levies have been made chiefly upon
the novels of Mr. Simms, of South Carolina, the tales of Judge Hall, of
Cincinnati, and Graham's and Godey's Magazines.
[This brief article was tentatively attributed to Poe by Spannuth and
Mabbott, Doings of Gotham, p. 111.]
~~~ End of Text ~~~
[S:0]