As is attested to by the abundance of statues, museums, and national historic sites dedicated to Poe along the eastern coast of the United States of America, a variety of cities claim him as one of their native sons. Due to the peripatetic nature of his editorial career, Poe left his literary mark on Richmond, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City as he sought stable employment and an opportunity to own and edit a journal of his own. To this familiar list of Poe’s literary locales Christopher Byrd Downey seeks to add Charleston, South Carolina, as a significant site for Poe lovers, although perhaps not for Poe scholars.
Mr. Downey, or “Captain Byrd” as he identifies himself on his web page,1 is a Virginian by birth who, like Poe, eventually found himself living in and around Charleston. Downey’s previously published works Stede Bonnet: Charleston’s Gentleman Pirate (2012) and...
