The American Face of Edgar Allan Poe

The contributors to this volume share the conviction that Poe is central to current work on American culture - that strictly theoretical approaches to Poe have become increasingly irrelevant. Aiming to transform his place in the American canon, they bring theoretical awareness to bear on the particular historical, social, political and economic circumstances of his literary career. Their essays offer new insights into the complex relations between traditionally literary issues and the broader aspects of a democratic mass culture.