Edgar Allan Poe
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Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. He was known for his poems and short fiction. He deserves more credit than any other writer does, since he "practically created the detective story, perfected the thriller, and has been a worldwide influence on literature."1 Both of Poe's parents were actors and died before he was 3 years old. He was taken into the home of John Allan, a prosperous merchant in Richmond, Va., and renamed Edgar Allan Poe.
His childhood was uneventful, although he went to school for 5 years in England. In 1826 he entered the University of Virginia but stayed for only a year, because, although he was a good student, "he ran up large gambling debts that John Allan refused to pay."2 Allan prevented his return to the university and broke off Poe's engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster, his childhood sweetheart. Without any further means of support, Poe enlisted in the U...