Under the pseudonym Edgar A. Perry, an 18-year old Poe was ordered, along with the rest of his regiment, to Sullivan's Island near Charleston, South Carolina. After an eleven-day journey on a boat named Waltham, they arrived on November 18, 1827.
During his time on Sullivan's Island, Poe/Perry distinguished himself as an enlisted soldier. Six months after his arrival, Poe was promoted to "Artificer." Eight months after that, he was promoted to Sergeant Major, the highest rank a non-commissioned officer could make.
Sullivan's Island would later serve as the setting for "The Gold-Bug." Like many places which Poe made home, even for short periods of time, Charleston has come to truly embrace the writer. The town has named its public library for Poe and streets are named for "The Raven" and "The Gold-Bug."
But, the question is, considering how accomplished Poe was as a soldier, why did he not complete his enlisted term? Instead, he promised a high payment for another man ("Bully" Graves) to finish his term for him. When he tried to become a commissioned officer, why did he purposely get himself kicked out of West Point?
It was only about four months before he left for South Carolina that Poe gave a bundle of manuscripts to a Boston printer named Calvin F. S. Thomas. Thomas issued the first edition of Poe's poems ever published: the 40-page Tamerlane and Other Poems, credited only "by a Bostonian." It is estimated that only 50 copies were printed, and the book made no impact at all, critically or financially.
Showing posts with label Gold-Bug. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gold-Bug. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Poe's role in World War II
What does World War II have to do with Edgar Allan Poe? Well, that's easy: Poe helped win the war.
Even if you're a big Poe fan, you might not have heard of William F. Friedman, who died on November 12, 1969 (his headstone at Arlington National Cemetery reads "knowledge is power"). Friedman was one of Poe's many admirers. Born in 1891, Friedman was very young when introduced to Poe's short story "The Gold-Bug." Fascinated by the story's plot device of secret writing, Friedman was inspired to study cryptography and codes. As an adult, he wrote papers on Poe and cryptography, and often analyzed literature (Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, etc.) for coded messages. He eventually came to be known as one of America's greatest code-breakers.
During World War II, Japan was using a formidable form of code known as PURPLE. It was Friedman who went to work on deciphering this difficult, machine-made code. After months (and months) of studying, Friedman and his team were able to build a replica of Japan's PURPLE machine — without ever having seen the original. He named his machine MAGIC. The work was so intense he had a nervous breakdown after its completion. Nevertheless, Friedman and his team had succeeded, and now the American military had cracked Japan's code.
Years later, Friedman became the chief cryptologist for the National Security Agency and was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. And he owes it all to "The Gold-Bug" and Edgar Poe.
Even if you're a big Poe fan, you might not have heard of William F. Friedman, who died on November 12, 1969 (his headstone at Arlington National Cemetery reads "knowledge is power"). Friedman was one of Poe's many admirers. Born in 1891, Friedman was very young when introduced to Poe's short story "The Gold-Bug." Fascinated by the story's plot device of secret writing, Friedman was inspired to study cryptography and codes. As an adult, he wrote papers on Poe and cryptography, and often analyzed literature (Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, etc.) for coded messages. He eventually came to be known as one of America's greatest code-breakers.During World War II, Japan was using a formidable form of code known as PURPLE. It was Friedman who went to work on deciphering this difficult, machine-made code. After months (and months) of studying, Friedman and his team were able to build a replica of Japan's PURPLE machine — without ever having seen the original. He named his machine MAGIC. The work was so intense he had a nervous breakdown after its completion. Nevertheless, Friedman and his team had succeeded, and now the American military had cracked Japan's code.
Years later, Friedman became the chief cryptologist for the National Security Agency and was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. And he owes it all to "The Gold-Bug" and Edgar Poe.
Monday, October 19, 2009
$50 found in a bottle
On October 19, 1833, Baltimore's Saturday Visiter published Poe's tale "MS. Found in a Bottle." The tale is considered one of Poe's first major success. The newspaper was sponsoring a writing contest, as announced in their June 15, 1833 issue: "The proprietors of the Baltimore Saturday Visiter feeling desirous of encouraging literature, and at the same time serving their readers with the best that lies within their reach, offer a premium of 50 dollars for the best Tale and 25 dollars for the best Poem, not exceeding 100 lines." Though the newspaper claimed it was a national contest, both winners were identified as "Baltimoreans" — including Poe.
Interestingly, the paper had been founded in part by Lambert Wilmer, a friend of Poe's older brother. The judges for the contest, which included John Pendleton Kennedy, deliberated on October 7. Poe was chosen as the winner for prose and he was granted the $50 prize (apparently this translates to just over $1000 today). His prize-winning tale was published 12 days later with an introduction praising that it was "highly graphic in its style of composition."
"MS. Found in a Bottle" tells the story of an unnamed narrator ("Of my country and of my family I have little to say.") whose was a passenger aboard a ship caught in a hurricane/sandstorm/typhoon. Everyone aboard the ship is blown overboard — except the narrator and an old Swedish man. Driven south by the storm, this ship eventually collides with another, and the narrator climbs on board. It is while aboard this strange ship, continuously heading south, that the narrator begins to record a journal (the "manuscript" of the title). That manuscript is thrown into the sea just before... well, you'll have to read the story.
This incident was not without controversy. Shortly after "MS. Found in a Bottle" was published, Poe's poetry submission, "The Coliseum," was published as well. In fact, the poetry contest winner was "Henry Wilton" — a pseudonym for John H. Hewitt, one of the judges of the contest. Poe (and others) was outraged and suspected something was afoul. He, of course, presumed he would have been the poetry winner, if it wasn't for the whole contest being rigged. Decades later, in 1885, Hewitt claimed that he had a fistfight with Poe on the street over the accusation (no further evidence exists to substantiate this claim). A third judge, John H. B. Latrobe, later admitted that Poe was right: he would have won, if not for Hewitt.
Either way, "MS. Found in a Bottle" was a major financial boon for Poe, not to mention a morale boost for the struggling writer early in his career. Poe would continue writing adventures at sea for many years, including his only complete novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. He would later win another writing contest with his tale "The Gold-Bug."
Interestingly, the paper had been founded in part by Lambert Wilmer, a friend of Poe's older brother. The judges for the contest, which included John Pendleton Kennedy, deliberated on October 7. Poe was chosen as the winner for prose and he was granted the $50 prize (apparently this translates to just over $1000 today). His prize-winning tale was published 12 days later with an introduction praising that it was "highly graphic in its style of composition."
"MS. Found in a Bottle" tells the story of an unnamed narrator ("Of my country and of my family I have little to say.") whose was a passenger aboard a ship caught in a hurricane/sandstorm/typhoon. Everyone aboard the ship is blown overboard — except the narrator and an old Swedish man. Driven south by the storm, this ship eventually collides with another, and the narrator climbs on board. It is while aboard this strange ship, continuously heading south, that the narrator begins to record a journal (the "manuscript" of the title). That manuscript is thrown into the sea just before... well, you'll have to read the story.
This incident was not without controversy. Shortly after "MS. Found in a Bottle" was published, Poe's poetry submission, "The Coliseum," was published as well. In fact, the poetry contest winner was "Henry Wilton" — a pseudonym for John H. Hewitt, one of the judges of the contest. Poe (and others) was outraged and suspected something was afoul. He, of course, presumed he would have been the poetry winner, if it wasn't for the whole contest being rigged. Decades later, in 1885, Hewitt claimed that he had a fistfight with Poe on the street over the accusation (no further evidence exists to substantiate this claim). A third judge, John H. B. Latrobe, later admitted that Poe was right: he would have won, if not for Hewitt.
Either way, "MS. Found in a Bottle" was a major financial boon for Poe, not to mention a morale boost for the struggling writer early in his career. Poe would continue writing adventures at sea for many years, including his only complete novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. He would later win another writing contest with his tale "The Gold-Bug."
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Bitten by "The Gold-Bug," cont'd
It's hard for some to believe that the single most successful of Poe's prose works during his lifetime was not a horror story. In fact, the most-read story and the one which earned him the most money was an adventure tale called "The Gold-Bug." In the story, which is set in South Carolina, a seemingly mad loner named Legrand discovers a gold scarab which he believes is the key to buried treasure. Legrand breaks a secret cryptogram to discover gold coins and jewelry left years behind by the pirate Captain Kidd (upon seeing the treasure chest open, the narrator remarks: "As the rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a confused heap of gold and of jewels that absolutely dazzled our eyes." A couple paragraphs later is an extensive description of all that they found.).
Audiences ate up "The Gold-Bug" when it was first published in 1843, bringing Poe's name into the homes of many more Americans than ever before. In fact, the story proved so popular that a stage production was adapted shortly after publication. This dramatic presentation of the story opened on August 8, 1843, at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia; this performance is the earliest adaptation of Poe's works into another medium. As one newspaper noted, the play was part of a "Farewell Benefit" for playwright Silas S. Steele, who was about to depart for England. The benefit started with a performance of Steele's drama Clandare and it would "conclude with an entire new piece, entitled THE GOLD BUG, Or, The Pirate's Treasure." The African servant Jupiter was performed by "Coal White" (a stage name, possibly a white man in black face).
The play, however, did not fare as well as the original story. John Du Solle of the Spirit of the Times noted: "Mr. Steele had a good house at his benefit on Tuesday night, and the performances were generally good. The Gold Bug, however, dragged, and was rather tedious. The frame work was well enough, but wanted filling up."
I can't imagine "The Gold-Bug" would easily translate into a stage play. One of the aspects of the story which makes it so novel is the secret message which Legrand decodes. A reader can play along and try to decipher the message himself; a 19th-century theatre isn't likely to replicate that experience. I haven't read any speculation as far as Poe's financial benefit from the play. I would speculate he earned nothing at all from it, other than some recognition. The original publication of "The Gold-Bug," however, earned him a hefty $100.
Audiences ate up "The Gold-Bug" when it was first published in 1843, bringing Poe's name into the homes of many more Americans than ever before. In fact, the story proved so popular that a stage production was adapted shortly after publication. This dramatic presentation of the story opened on August 8, 1843, at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia; this performance is the earliest adaptation of Poe's works into another medium. As one newspaper noted, the play was part of a "Farewell Benefit" for playwright Silas S. Steele, who was about to depart for England. The benefit started with a performance of Steele's drama Clandare and it would "conclude with an entire new piece, entitled THE GOLD BUG, Or, The Pirate's Treasure." The African servant Jupiter was performed by "Coal White" (a stage name, possibly a white man in black face).
The play, however, did not fare as well as the original story. John Du Solle of the Spirit of the Times noted: "Mr. Steele had a good house at his benefit on Tuesday night, and the performances were generally good. The Gold Bug, however, dragged, and was rather tedious. The frame work was well enough, but wanted filling up."
I can't imagine "The Gold-Bug" would easily translate into a stage play. One of the aspects of the story which makes it so novel is the secret message which Legrand decodes. A reader can play along and try to decipher the message himself; a 19th-century theatre isn't likely to replicate that experience. I haven't read any speculation as far as Poe's financial benefit from the play. I would speculate he earned nothing at all from it, other than some recognition. The original publication of "The Gold-Bug," however, earned him a hefty $100.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Bitten by "The Gold-Bug"
On June 21, 1843, the Dollar Newspaper in Philadelphia published the first part of one of Poe's most important stories. That same day, the Public Newspaper reported:
The high pay-out and the controversy surrounding it helped build interest in an already exciting story. "The Gold-Bug" became the most widely-read of Poe's prose work during the author's lifetime, even inspiring a stage adaptation in Philadelphia. A year after its publication, it was claimed that the story sold 300,000 copies. Poe noted that "it made a great noise."
I'll briefly emphasize this: the prose work which earned Poe his largest paycheck and garnered his largest reading audience was not a horror story.
"The Gold-Bug" is a gripping adventure tale about the search for buried pirate treasure (set, incidentally, at Sullivan's Island near Charleston, South Carolina, where Poe had served in the Army). Poe keeps us guessing, not only with a narrator who is suspected to be insane, but also through secret-writing — the clues that lead to the treasure which is eventually deciphered. The story is considered an off-shoot of Poe's true detective stories (i.e. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"). Scholar of cryptography Shawn James Rosenheim (in his worthwhile book The Cryptographic Imagination) calls the story "a stimulus to future cryptographers," including William Friedman, who later broke the code used by the Japanese in World War II. "America's foremost cryptologist," as he was called, credited his interest in secret writing to Edgar Poe and childhood readings of "The Gold-Bug."
"The Dollar Newspaper" for this week, this day published, contains the prize story of "THE GOLD BUG," written by Edgar A. Poe, Esq., which is pronounced, by every man of taste who has read it, a production of superior merit. For ourselves, we never read a fiction that in its plot runs more in the line of probability, and consequently never one that more closely revetted [sic] our attention from its opening to its close.Must have been a slow news day, and the idea that the story was "probable" is somewhat laughable. Actually, the fuss was about the writing contest which the Dollar Newspaper sponsored, specifically because of its unusually-high grand prize: a whopping $100. When it was awarded to Poe, it became (and remained) the single largest sum of money Poe would ever receive for any work he ever published. In fact, jealous writers and suspicious readers (not to mention competitor publishers) suggested the contest was rigged. Philadelphia's Daily Forum called "The Gold-Bug" an "abortion" and "unmitigated trash" worth no more than $15. Those lines drew a libel suit from Poe, though the suit was soon dropped and the editor apologized.
The high pay-out and the controversy surrounding it helped build interest in an already exciting story. "The Gold-Bug" became the most widely-read of Poe's prose work during the author's lifetime, even inspiring a stage adaptation in Philadelphia. A year after its publication, it was claimed that the story sold 300,000 copies. Poe noted that "it made a great noise."
I'll briefly emphasize this: the prose work which earned Poe his largest paycheck and garnered his largest reading audience was not a horror story."The Gold-Bug" is a gripping adventure tale about the search for buried pirate treasure (set, incidentally, at Sullivan's Island near Charleston, South Carolina, where Poe had served in the Army). Poe keeps us guessing, not only with a narrator who is suspected to be insane, but also through secret-writing — the clues that lead to the treasure which is eventually deciphered. The story is considered an off-shoot of Poe's true detective stories (i.e. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"). Scholar of cryptography Shawn James Rosenheim (in his worthwhile book The Cryptographic Imagination) calls the story "a stimulus to future cryptographers," including William Friedman, who later broke the code used by the Japanese in World War II. "America's foremost cryptologist," as he was called, credited his interest in secret writing to Edgar Poe and childhood readings of "The Gold-Bug."
*The illustration above is by F. O. C. Darley, 1843. It accompanied the first appearance of "The Gold-Bug."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
