Edgar Allan Poe: The Master Of The Macabre by Levi Lionel Leland

Hunh, I think Edgar Allan Poe might be the one writer — if not one person outright — of whom I’ve read the most biographies.

And certainly, what a wealth of material and mystery there is surrounding one of the most famous writers to ever live! From a life marked with more than its fair share of drama and scandal, to a death people still can’t quite figure out, Poe has been talked about almost incessantly since the day he was born. His genius and creativity, however, left a legacy that still resonates today.

Levi Lionel Leland takes on the great man in this Pocket Portrait biography, that serves as an excellent, digestible introduction to the Master of the Macabre and, coincidentally, the Father of the Detective Story (the awards handed out by the Mystery Writers of America are named after him for a reason!) Each chapter is brief and punctuated with a fascinating bit of trivia. Excerpts of Poe’s work also dot the text, often as they’re referenced and usually around the point of their creation. There’s a useful index included, as well as a list of suggested Further Reading towards the end.

Mr Leland’s accounting of Poe is highly readable, setting down all the facts of his life and legacy, acknowledging all the controversies, and relating the inspirations behind Poe’s prolific output. While clearly sympathetic to his subject, he doesn’t spend an excessive amount of time attempting to excuse him. Perhaps this was why I realized, while reading this biography, that Poe was likely an insufferable person to be around.

And that’s okay! Mr Leland’s stated objective in writing this biography was to humanize Poe, and he absolutely succeeds in doing that. Poe was messy and couldn’t hold his liquor and had some of the worst luck in the world but he was also a great thinker and writer. I can always respect a person who contains multitudes, even if I don’t necessarily want to be friends with them. I do, however, want to embark on a pilgrimage to Baltimore and pay my respects to Poe’s grave after reading this, which is not something I’ve ever been moved to do before.

I also appreciated the credence lent here to the cooping theory of Poe’s death (as that’s my pet theory, too.) I would like to correct the idea that Al-Araf, the state of purgatory advanced by certain Muslim doctrines — and the name adapted to title one of Poe’s poems — is somewhere people go when they die. Modern Christians may have conveniently forgotten about general resurrection in advance of Judgment Day, but Muslims know that souls wait in the grave till the angelic trumpets sound.

I do wish there’d been more art, but Kim Arrington’s illustrations do a fine job of representing Poe and his themes. Overall, this is a beautifully designed, comprehensively written look at Poe’s life and legacy that fits neatly in a pocket. It’s the perfect biography for diehard fans of the literary icon as well as for readers just starting to get to know him.

Edgar Allan Poe: The Master Of The Macabre by Levi Lionel Leland was published today September 23 2025 by Adams Media and is available from all good booksellers, including