A Young Girl's Recollections of Edgar Allan Poe Available to Purchase

In a previously unpublished essay, Elma Mary Gove Letchworth (1832–1921) details her visits to the Fordham, New York, cottage of American poet, critic, and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49). Her account provides a young girl's impressions of the famous author and insights into Poe's domestic life, humor, and fondness for children. The present paper examines Letchworth's essay and compares it with the reminiscences of other acquaintances of Poe, including a similar article written by her mother, Mary Gove Nichols (1810–84), in order to evaluate the accuracy of Letchworth's account.