Edgar Allan Poe notoriously identified the death . . . of a beautiful woman as the most poetical topic in the world. Despite that cringeworthy claim, Poe drew creative inspiration from female authors, and women figure prominently among the artists and critics fascinated by the writers creative legacy. A book-length work about the various ways in which womenPoes female contemporaries, scholars, writers and artists, as well as women characters in Poe adaptationshave influenced perceptions of Poe is long overdue. Covering a time frame that extends from the mid-nineteenth century to the twenty-first, this collection features essays about all of these subjects. One goal of this book is recognizing how women have helped establish Poes reputation in the U.S. and abroad. The other is drawing attention to ways that constructions of womanhood accepted by Poe are revised in popular culture, a sphere where artistsin film, fiction, and comicsbuild on the subversive potential of Poes work while exposing its ideological limitations. Poe and Women will appeal not only to Poe specialists but also to anyone interested in his ongoing relevance to gender discussions inside and outside the academy.
