Module 12: (November 8-14)Lange, K. E. (2009). Nevermore: A Photobiography of Edgar Allan Poe. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.
Summary: This “photobiography” illustrates the life and career of Edgar Allan Poe from his tragic youth and his ill-fated marriages and relationships, to his career highs and lows, as well as his increasing descent into madness and addiction, all through photos, illustrations, and letters from his life.
My Impressions: I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading this book, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying myself! Based on my limited reading of Poe, I could have guessed that he had a dark, tragic background, and this book confirms that. Besides that, I was interested to learn that he was also an addict, alcoholic, and suffered from mental illnesses (it seems like all of the best authors and poets usually have at least one of these problems!). The photos, letters, and illustrations really help, rather than detract from the text as well. I wanted to go out and read some of Poe’s works after this!
Reviews: “The drama of Poe's tortured life unfolds in accessible prose. Textual information is interspersed with photos, artistic interpretations, and revealing quotations presented in script…. This volume offers a fairly complete and thoroughly readable description of Poe's life and his importance to literature. His writing is shown to have grown from his troubled, largely dark, lifetime experiences and the constant longing for connection and love. In addition to his creative writing, Lange discusses popular psychological interpretations of Poe's work and credits him with creating new literary genres such as the detective story and the horror story. The book's brevity and format render it a good addition for reports and background for an author study.”—Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ. School Library Journal. http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/857197-427/grades_5_amp_up.html.csp
“Illustrated with many period photographs as well as pictures of Poe-related places and artifacts, the book has varied, spacious page layouts in which shades of turquoise add color to some of the illustrations and backgrounds. The jacket art, which features a photo of Poe’s face, overlaid with lines of manuscript, peering outward with haunted eyes, will draw both fans of Poe and a new audience. A chronology and lists of quote sources, books, articles, Internet sites, and historical sites conclude this handsome introduction to an American original.”—Carolyn Phelan. Booklist. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/142630398X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Library Use: You could use this in a “horror” display (we usually put one up in October for Halloween at my library), or you might also do a display for poets, or an entire display on Poe if there were enough materials, which might include the movies based on his stories, as well as the audio versions. Now that I know we have this book at my library I will recommend it for the photos alone for any students doing projects on Poe!
Image retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/Nevermore-Photobiography-Edgar-Allan-Photobiographies/dp/142630398X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290838198&sr=1-1
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