Word from Matthew Pearl, author of The Last Dickens

Dear friends,

 

My novel THE LAST DICKENS (Random House) is out in paperback today in the US and Canada! If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, this is a great time to show booksellers support for the book at your local store or online. (You can order at www.matthewpearl.com/dickens/order.html)

 

If you already have the hardcover, I hope you'll consider picking up the paperback as a gift for someone, and do pass along this email to anyone who might be interested. There is a Readers' Guide in the back of the paperback perfect for book clubs. Your support for the books, as always, means everything.

 

THE LAST DICKENS, a National Bestseller and an Editor's Choice by the New York Times Book Review, is a literary thriller that begins when Dickens's sudden death leaves his final mystery novel unfinished. His young American publisher James Osgood sets out on a quest from Boston to England to discover how Dickens's novel was going to end, unleashing a real-life puzzle that becomes a matter of life and death. Lots more at www.MATTHEWPEARL.com! A companion volume is also out today: a new edition of Charles Dickens's THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD from Modern Library for which I wrote an introduction and served as editor (more at www.matthewpearl.com/dickens/edwin.html)

 

If you're in New England, come celebrate the publication of the paperback of THE LAST DICKENS with me at the Westford Library in Westford, MA on October 8 and the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, MA on November 9, as well as at the first literary luncheon for Literary Matters in Old Greenwich, CT on October 27. I will be honoring the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's death by speaking about THE POE SHADOW in Attleboro, MA on October 7. After this summer's trips to Italy and Spain, I'll continue talking about THE LAST DICKENS in translation when I go to Guadalajara, Mexico at the end of November. I will also be in the Plano, TX area (October 14-16) and Irving, TX (October 20) for speaking events about THE POE SHADOW, and will be back in Texas at the end of April/early May when I go to Mansfield, where THE LAST DICKENS will be the city's Book in Common. Details on all of these events and others as they're added at www.matthewpearl.com/news.html ... Because I don't like to clutter inboxes, I only send emails for book publications or events in your area, so check my site for other updates.

 

Please register and join in the conversation about THE LAST DICKENS at my LibraryThing chat (http://www.librarything.com/topic/74513), where I'm answering questions, and at the full-blown book club discussion at SeniorLearn (http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=840.0), where they are reading the novel section by section and I'm giving my two cents where I can. Plus, I've been blogging! I post my entries--about my books, writing in general and literary history--simultaneously at my Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-Pearl-author/29977879540) and MySpace pages (http://www.myspace.com/quentinclark), so please join one of those and chime in on anything that interests you. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MatthewPearl

 

Looking for more reading choices? See below for my latest recommendations.

 

Happy autumn,

 

Matthew

 

Back to School This Week

As I look at going back to school this week, I am forced to ponder all of the things I did and didn't accomplish this summer. I guess the biggest frustration is not finishing one of the novels that I set out to complete or finish the typing on some other works. I have been writing a lot as of late and actually have quite a bit done on a novel I hadn't planned to start until the fall. I have come to realize that the key for me is to have a routine and carved out times to write. During the summer, I had so much free time that I didn't focus my energies on my writing. It seems that when I get back into the teacher mode and have less time, I am more focused and get a lot more done. I also think I am inspired more by talking about writing with my students and studying some of the great pieces of literature. So, I am excited about the new school year, working with new students, and getting my writing back on track.

Jubilee Days

Today is our town's celebration called Jubilee Days. This will be the first time we've been able to go in a couple of years, because we are usually out with my wife's family for the weekend. We had that weekend last week, so we will be able to share in the communities celebration. It's always good to get out and talk with friends and just say, "Hi," to those we haven't seen over the summer. Who know how many story ideas are lurking around the corner?

Reflection on our History Trip to the Greenville, Ohio Area

As a writer, everything become grist for the mill. You pour as much knowledge as you can into your head so you can use that knowledge to make your writing better. To write historical pieces, you need to see it , experience it, and see the interlocked connections of culture, environment, and history. There are stories on every corner, and when you are learning about the past, or experiencing new places, you have added to that great filing cabinet in your head. As I’ve said before, you need to take advantage of the historical places around you and learn as much as possible. Use that knowledge to create more in-depth works. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my trip into Greenville, Ohio. It’s a time the kids and I will not soon forget and hopefully, it will encourage you to get out and expand your knowledge.

Early Days in Western Ohio

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about all of the sights we visited, but there’s one more thing I want to say about the Garst Museum. The museum also took the history back to ice age times. There was even the fossils of a mastedon. I had Kaleb pose by them just to show how big the mastedon’s jaw was.

The following is from a pamphlet provided by the museum:
The first people here were nomadic hunters called Paleo-Indians who left flint spear points and tools. Glaciers receded and the climate warmed as people of the Archaic Tradition settled more, cultivated plants, ground seeds and invented the atlatl. Glacial Kame Indians had complex funeral ceremonies and more extensive trade.

I know there have been some novels written about this time period, but it’s neat to actually see the artifacts from that time period. There are two series that come to mind: North America's Forgotten Past series by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'neal Gear and The First Americans series by William Sarabande.

Lowell Thomas

Until visiting the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio, I had never heard of Lowell Thomas. And on top of that, I always thought Lawrence of Arabia was a fictional person. Boy was I wrong.

I even had my picture taken next to a manaquin of Lawrence of Arabia because I felt so ignorant about this great man. Lowell Thomas was great himself. You can get a glimpse of his life at the Radio Hall of Fame. On another interesting note, if you've seen the movie Public Enemies, Lowell Thomas is the guy on the radio. I believe it's the actually audio of Thomas' broadcasts about Dellinger.

Annie Oakley

Also in our visit to Darke County, Ohio, we visited the Garst Museum. The museum had an entire section devoted to its hometown hero Annie Oakley. There were all types of artifacts from her life, even down to her chinaware and nightgown. There were guns that she had used and many publicity posters from the Wild West Show. There was also a case of Annie Oakley-inspired memorablilia. I was surprised at all of the books, even modern books, that featured Annie. It amazes me how writers can find so much to write about with these historical figures and when that wasn’t enough, they could bring that character into modern times and create all new adventures.

Homesteading in Ohio

Also at the Shawnee Nature Center is a log cabin, much like what would have been here in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. See yesterday's post for a picture I took from the wetlands to show what kind of work the homesteaders had in front of them.

These people had to tame the land as they made a living as best they could under tough circumstances. It was a life that was hard and very far removed from our ways of life today.

The Wetlands

Western Ohio actually marks the beginning of the prairies that extend all of the way to the Rockies. This early part of the prairies was a slow transition from the eastern woodlands, so most of the time the land was swampy and very hard to homestead. Pioneers really had to battle the land to cut out fields and homes. One spot at the Shawnee Nature Center gave information about the plants and how because of the wet grounds, the plants had roots that dug very deep into the ground. So, as a homesteader, it would be very difficult to pull up and cut up those deep rooted plants.

The pictures I’ve included yesterday and today show what this wetland would have looked like. It’s easy to look at this place and envision all of the animals that would have filled this area. I also see the homesteaders trying to tame this land and make it a place to raise a family and make a living in this new land of the free.

Shawnee Prairie Preserve

As I mentioned in my last post, we visited the site of Prophet Town at the Shawnee Nature Center. According to the Darke County Visitors Bureau, “this 118-acre preserve is the largest Darke County park.” There are “2 miles of trails that showcase the three distinct habitats of this park: woodlands, wetlands, and prairies.”

This park also has a Nature Center where Kaleb and Malarie were able to see real stuffed animals that are/were part of the western Ohio habitat. I took a picture of the badger because I’ve never seen a badger in real life and I’ve heard how mean they are. Just the claws on the thing would be enough for me to stay away.

Also, Kaleb gave his best beaver imitation. There were also microscopes where the kids could look at bugs and other specimen from the area. I even took a look at a spider and a honeycomb. There was another spot where you could touch and examine bones, skulls, and antlers. It took some work to convince Kaleb to hold this skull for a picture.

Shawnee Prophet's Town

Tecumseh and his brother established this town just outside of Greene Ville as a place of unity for the tribes worried about the white settlers. This town existed from 1805 to 1808. This spot is now a part of the Shawnee Nature Center. Eventually Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa were asked to move Prophet Town to a place in Indiana. They moved, but the town was burned during the Battle of Tippacanoe.

Again, I rely on Wikipedia for information to share:

Because his father died before he was born and because his mother left his family shortly after, Lalawethika grew up without parents. Lalawethika was then at the mercy of his siblings to teach him the Shawnee ways. Because he was not close with his older sister or older brother, he never learned how to successfully hunt or to be a good warrior, which are essential roles for a Shawnee man. He accidentally lost an eye in a hunting accident. His poor looks and braggart personality also did not win him many friends. As a result, Lalawethika grew up to be the laughing-stock of his community and he turned to alcohol.

Based on Lalawethika's development, it seemed that Lalawethika would never make a contribution to his tribe. However, that changed when Lalawethika was put in trance by the Master of Life. In May 1805, he experienced the first of several visions. He had a taste for whiskey, and in one of his alcoholic stupors he had a vision. After he awoke he began preaching and became a religious leader, and taught that the white Americans were children of the Great Serpent, the source of evil in the world. He also conducted witch hunts against Christian Indians. He forbade his people to use European foods, clothing, manufactured goods and alcohol. He changed his name to Tenskwatawa (The Open Door or One With Open Mouth). In 1808 Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh moved their followers to a new village called Prophetstown (Tippecanoe), near the present-day town of Battle Ground, near the juncture of the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers in Indiana.

Tecumseh Point

Across Mud Creek from Greene Ville Fort, Tecumseh burnt fires in protest to The Treaty of Greene Ville. Tecumseh had fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers but refused to participate in the signing of the treaty.

I pulled the following from Wikipedia so you could learn a little more about Tecumseh:

Tecumseh (Tekoomsē: "Shooting Star" or "Crouching Panther") is believed to have been born on March 9, 1768, just outside the current town of Chillicothe, Ohio. While some historians have located his place of birth at villages further west, modern historians believe this is unlikely as these villages were not yet in existence. His father was Pucksinwah, a minor Shawnee war chief of the Kispoko ("Dancing Tail" or "Panther") branch of the tribe. His mother was named Methoataske and belonged to the Pekowi branch of the tribe and was Pucksinwah second wife. Shawnee lineage was recorded paternally, making Tecumseh a Kispoko. Their tribe was living somewhere near modern Tuscaloosa, Alabama at the time of his parents marriage, having been in that region among the Creek tribe since being driven from homes by the Iroqouis during the Beaver Wars.

About 1759 the Pekowi branch of the tribe decided to move northward into the Ohio Country. Not wanting to force his wife to choose between him or her family, Pucksinwah decided to travel north with her. The Pekowi founded the settlement of Chillicothe where Tecumseh was likely born. Not long after his birth, the family moved again to the village of Scioto. Tecumseh's father took part in French and Indian War during the 1760s, and later in Lord Dunmore’s War; he was killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.

At least five times between 1774 and 1782, Tecumseh's village was attacked by colonials and later American armies as the Shawnee allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War. Following his father's death, his family moved back to Chief Blackfish's nearby village of Chillicothe. The town was destroyed in 1779 by Kentucky militia in reprisal for Blackfish's attack on Boonesburough. His family fled, and moved to another nearby Kispoko village, but their new home was destroyed the following year by forces under the command of George Rogers Clark. The family moved a third time to the village of Sanding Stone. That village was attacked by Clark in November of 1782, causing them to move again to a new settlement near modern Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Violence continued unabated on the American frontier after the American Revolution as the Northwest Indian War. A large tribal confederacy, known as the Wabash Confederacy that included all the major tribes of the Ohio and Illinois country, joined together to repel the American settlers from the region. As the war between the confederacy and the Americans grew, Tecumseh became a warrior and took an active part fighting along with his older brother Cheeseekua. Tecumseh took part in several battles, including the 1794 Fallen Timbers, which ended the war in favor of the Americans.

This is me again. It was after the Battle of Fallen Timbers that the Treaty of Greenville was signed and when Tecumseh burnt his fires across the river. I even took this picture to show how hard it would have been to cross Mud Creek and go from Fort Greene Ville and Tecumseh’s fires.

Fort Green Ville's Alter of Peace

In the city park of Greenville, Ohio we crossed a swinging bridge and hiked a short trail to a hillside where the Alter of Peace stood. This place was the site of where General Wayne kept a torch burning to symbolize peace as the Native Americans and U.S. officials came to terms on the treaty. (Sorry, I don't know how to turn this picture. If you know, please leave me a comment.)

Painting - "The Signing of The Treaty of Greene Ville"

This painting hangs in the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio just above the fire place in the Garst House Parlor. The following information comes from the free pamphlet Guide to the Painting “The Signing of The Treaty of Greene Ville” by Howard Chandler Christy prepared by the Department of History Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, published by The Darke County Historical Society, reprinted January, 2007.

Howard Chandler Christy’s interest in art began early in his youth. While a young boy he displayed a native talent for drawing. At the age of 20 he went east to make illustrating his livelihood. He contributed to various periodicals, including Scribner’s Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, Collier’s Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Hearst’s magazines.

About 1920, he turned from illustrating to portrait painting. His list of portraits is a list of many of the noted men of the twentieth century. Presidents, Cabinet officers, Congressmen, industrialists, and a large number of other well-known figures.

The artist established himself as a painter of historic scenes when he produced the large painting, “The Signing of the Constitution.” This historic painting was commissioned by Congress in 1939, and hangs in the national Capital in Washington.

The General Assembly of the State of Ohio authorized the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society to secure a painting of the Signing of the Treaty of Greene Ville in January 1945; instructing that Howard Chandler Christy or some other eminent Ohio artist should be commissioned. Mr. Christy was immediately chosen to paint the picture. The necessary historical research for the scene to be portrayed was provided by the historians of the State Historical Society. The picture was completed in July. After its unveiling at Greenville on August 3, it was to be hung permanently in the state Capital at Columbus.

This is me again. The last sentence makes it sound like the real painting isn’t hanging at the museum, but it sure looked real to me. I guess it could be a reprint, but the texture seemed to be real. I wish I had read the information while I was there, so I could have asked. Oh, well, live and learn.

The Treaty of GreeneVille

The following two paragraphs are taken from the Visitor’s Bureau booklet; it can also be found on their website:

In August of 1794 , the Legion of the United States, under the command of General Wayne engaged the Indians in northern Ohio at the “Battle of Fallen Timbers.” This decisive battle brought an end to some of the hostilities, and treaty negotiations soon began.

In this monumental fort, the famous Treaty of GreeneVille (also named the Wyandot Peace and Friendship Treaty) was signed by Wayne and chiefs fgrom the Woodland Indian tribes on Auguest 3, 1795. This treaty opened the Northwest territory to white settlers.

There were other historical figures present at the signing of the Treaty of GreeneVille. William Henry Harrison, who would one day be elected president of the United States, was a lieutenant and served as aide de camp to Wayne. William Clark was a lieutenant of infantry. Meriwether Lewis was a new enlisted soldier in the spring of 1795 and reported directly to Fort Greene Ville. Lewis and Clark fought in the same division at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and will be remembered forever because of their expedition into the Pacific Northwest. On the Native American side, there were also notable historic figures. Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) was a chief of the Miami tribe. He was the main war captain of the Indian forces in the early uprisings against the settlers, but eventually called for tribes to make peace with the whites. When the tribes fought against Wayne’s forces, he handed over leadership to Blue Jacket. According to a pamphlet picked up at the Garst Museum, as Little Turtle “signed the Treaty of Greene Ville he declared, ‘I am the last to sign it, and I will be the last to break it.’” Blue Jacket was the leader of the Indian forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. He was “a strong ally of the British from whom, it is said, he held the commission and half pay of a brigadier general.”

Fort Greene Ville

After leaving the sight of Fort Jefferson, we headed north toward the sight of Fort Greene Ville. We found the sign at the edge of downtown Greenville, right in front of the municiple building. If I understand correctly, that point was a corner of Fort Greene Ville and the fort followed the banks of the Mudd Creek past where the creek forks with Greenville Creek. The fort was built by General Anthony Wayne. It was “the largest log fortified structure ever built, encompassing 55+ acres of land enclosed by wooden stockades and surrounded by 8 blockhouses. The fort stood for six years and was partially rebuilt during the War of 1812” (http://www.discoverourlegends.com/).

The reason the fort was built was because there were more and more whites coming into western Ohio in the 1700’s. The Native American tribes that were already there began to realize that their ways of life were in danger and began to clash with the settlers. President Washington sent General Wayne to handle the uprisings. Wayne built the Greene Ville Fort in 1793.

Fort Jefferson

One of the great things about life is the unexpected treasures God lays before us. When we get up in the morning, we can have the greatest plans prepared and often we follow those exactly as we planned. But when things take a different turn, it often turns into a blessing.

Well, on a Saturday back in the spring my wife and two youngest daughters spent the day shopping with my mother-in-law. Since my oldest daughter and son were with me and all baseball games were rained out (or I should say, “flooded out), we decided to take an historic adventure. We headed to the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana only to find that it won’t be open until June. So, we will come back to that one this summer.

We decided to go to the Richmond Museum because they have some really neat exibits. But, we saw the sign for the “Highest Point in Indiana.” We headed out into the country and drove for mile and miles until we came up on the small community of Arba, Ohio. No chance of finding the highest point in Indiana there, so we turned around. There was a sign going that direction that told us to turn again. I have no idea why there wasn’t a sign coming from the other direction. So, once again we went for miles and miles. We could tell we were gradually going uphill all the way, but there were no signs. Hitting the Ohio lines once again, I decided we would follow the line of colonial forts through that part of Ohio. As you may already know, there was a line of colonial forts from Cincinnati to Toledo, which made it easier for the newly formed permanent army of the United States to make the Ohio Territory safe for settlers. Malarie and Kaleb were up for the adventure, so we headed for our first marker. It was almost like we were on a photo scavenger hunt.

After coming off the country roads and to a main highway, we headed straight for the sight of Fort Jefferson. As you can see from the picture, there was nothing more than a sign, but with a little imagination we could see the fort standing by the marsh lands. This fort was the site of a great Shawnee victory against St. Clair's army. Not until General Anthony Wayne came to "tame" the area did the U.S. forces reclaim this fort.

Go here to find more information about Fort Jefferson.

A Primetime Christmas to be Published in 2009

The contract is in the mail and with that A Primetime Christmas will be published by Contemporary Drama Service for the 2009 Christmas season. I'm excited about this production, as I believe it is one my Christmas programs ever. Now other churches can use this production to entertain and edify their congregations. I'll post the links to the publication when they are up.

Do Your Homework About Publishers

Do your homework on where to send your work.  Sometimes you can send a piece out cold and get a deal, but that is the exception and not the rule.  A cold submission means that you haven’t really researched the magazine or publisher and just sent your work to them, hoping for the best.  This has worked for me, but for the one publisher who published it, there were many others who rejected it.  There have been pieces that I wrote specifically for a certain magazine and those pieces were accepted immediately.  And that is what you’re looking for - a perfect fit.  You want the right piece of writing in the right magazine.  You want a win-win situation for the work and publisher.  I’m not saying that you sell-out and write only for a magazine.  Write what is inside of you to write, but find the match for that work.  If there isn’t really a match, then try to cold submissions, but don’t get discouraged when the rejection slips come in.  It’s just part of the process.

 

 

A Short Word About Dialogue

Dialogue has always been a strong point for me.  That’s why plays are easy for me to write.  I have an ear for how people talk and I can transfer that to paper.  Now, I struggle with description, which we’ll tackle another day.  You may be the opposite of me.  So, how can you get better at dialogue?  Here are some pointers:

 

Listen - When talking with people or in a crowded place, listen to people and how they talk.  How do they put their words together, phrases?  You may even write some of it down.  Once story I remember, now whether or not it’s true is beyond me, is about Quentin Terintino.  Before he made Pulp Fiction, he sat in a bathroom stall and wrote down a conversation he heard going on.  From that conversation came his most famous movie.

Transcribe - I talked about this above.  You have to sit down and write the conversations.  One thing you can do is record a conversation, then transcribe it in story form.  No, it may not make for a good story, but this is just for practice.

 

Practice - Practice.  Practice.  Practice.  You only get better at something by doing it.  If you know this is your weak spot, do more and learn more.  You may never be a playwright, but you will be a better write in your own right.

 

Any good writing resource can give you the rules for using quotation marks.  If you are a writer, you should already have at least one of these reference books in your writing space.

 

 

What's Happening

The picture is of me performing as Vanilla Swirl in “Sister Act” on March 27.  I wrote the skit as part of the Renaissance Rally to celebrate student achievement.  I also performed as Bret Michaels from Poison.  Maybe I’ll post a picture of that tomorrow.  

 

I’m completing a final revision of my novel The Sixth Commandment, which has I have now renamed.  Who knows if a novel title will stick all the way through the publication process.  I guess only time will tell.  I’ve also shifted the novel just slightly to match the locale of some of my other novels.  I thought I had finished this novel some time ago, but after being away from it for a time and coming back to it, I’ve found some errors and corrected them.  I really feel like there is little more I can do to this book, so hopefully someone will pick it up.

 

I am also working on some preliminary story ideas, but I can’t decide what form the story needs to take.  It may make a better play than novel.  Then again, I could write the novel, then base the play on it, or vice versa.  It would also make for a nice independent film.  I’m not really sure.  I’ll keep you updated on the progress.  If it comes in novel form, it will be more of a literary novel than a commercial one.

 

Tis the Season should be out for the Christmas.  It’s a collection of four Christmas plays that have been performed in the past and can now be purchased all in one.  The book even comes with reproduction rights, just in case your church group would like to perform one or all of them.  I think this is cost effective, because you don’t have to buy an entire package or the production rights.  All you need to do is give yours-truly a blurb in the program.

 

A Light in the Darkness and Other Stories is also in the early stages of the publication process.  This collection of short stories has the published stories “A Light in the Darkness,” “The Overpass,” “The Toymaker,” and “Faith of a Mustard Seed.”  The collection also includes some never-before-published stories.  The collection is broken into three sections:  The Spirit World; The Real World; and Other Tales.  Some of my favorite short work is in this collection.

 

The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

THE POE SHADOW by Matthew Pearl is about a young lawyer trying to recreate the last days of author Edgar Allan Poe, which have always been clouded in mystery.  After being introduced to Pearl’s writings, I went out and bought this novel along with THE DANTE CLUB, which I look forward to starting.  I teach Poe’s stories in my high school classes and in my college literature class.  I know Poe’s biography and since I enjoy literary novels, I figured this was the perfect fit for me.  I appreciate the details and the references to Poe’s life.  Pearl has definitely done his homework.  In college I loved doing research and I loved researching Biblical stories and artifacts to write my plays.  There are historical time periods and people that interest me and this book gives me the idea that perhaps I, too, can combine my loves of writing and history and literature to create something amazing.

 

More about the book:

Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. The public, the press, and even Poe’s own family and friends accept the conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who met a disgraceful end as a drunkard. Everyone, in fact, seems to believe this except a young Baltimore lawyer named Quentin Clark, an ardent admirer who puts his own career and reputation at risk in a passionate crusade to salvage Poe’s.

As Quentin explores the puzzling circumstances of Poe’s demise, he discovers that the writer’s last days are riddled with unanswered questions the police are possibly willfully ignoring. Just when Poe’s death seems destined to remain a mystery, and forever sealing his ignominy, inspiration strikes Quentin–in the form of Poe’s own stories. The young attorney realizes that he must find the one person who can solve the strange case of Poe’s death: the real-life model for Poe’s brilliant fictional detective character, C. Auguste Dupin, the hero of ingenious tales of crime and detection.
In short order, Quentin finds himself enmeshed in sinister machinations involving political agents, a female assassin, the corrupt Baltimore slave trade, and the lost secrets of Poe’s final hours. With his own future hanging in the balance, Quentin Clark must turn master investigator himself to unchain his now imperiled fate from that of Poe’s.

Following his phenomenal debut novel, The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl has once again crossed pitch-perfect literary history with innovative mystery to create a beautifully detailed, ingeniously plotted tale of suspense. Pearl’s groundbreaking research–featuring documented material never published before–opens a new window on the truth behind Poe’s demise, literary history’s most persistent enigma. The resulting novel is a publishing event that, through sublime craftsmanship, subtle wit, and devious twists, does honor to Poe himself

About the Author
Matthew Pearl is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and the editor of the Modern Library editions of Dante’s Inferno (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales. The Dante Club has been published in more than thirty languages and forty countries around the world. Pearl is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School and has taught literature at Harvard and at Emerson College. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He can be reached via his website, http://www.matthewpearl.com.

 

You can also purchase the book at:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780812970128.html