Poe's Alcoholism

Send us Fan MailThis episode uses some great information from Dr. Harry Lee Poe (a distant descendant of Edgar Allan Poe) to deal with one of the most controversial aspects surroundning the writer - his substance abuse.  Dr. Poe is head of the Poe Foundation, and is certainly in a position to know.   In this podcast, George uses personal experiences to touch on some of the dynamics surrounding Poe's alcoholism, what scholars believe was his first use of liquor, and Poe's membership in the Sons of Temperance (a precursor of Alcoholics Anonymous.)Was Poe an alcoholic?What kind of reaction do we believe Poe had to alcohol?Was Poe a problem binge drinker?Who is Dr. Harry Lee Poe?Who is William Poe?Did Poe drink at the University of Virginia?Do we think Poe drank at West Point?What is eap.org?What is the Sons of Temperance?Did alcoholism run in Poe’s family?Did Poe require a great deal of alcohol to become wasted? 00:00 Intro and shoutout00:41 Personal (backgroud) story07:48 Poe’s alcoholism09:47 Communication with Dr. Poe15:18 James Russell Lowell17:37 Poe and alcoholism as an infant and child19:01 Drinking at the University of Virginia and Army22:50 eap.org25:28 Letters to and from William Poe27:50 Future episodes on Poe and alcoholism30:00 Poe, Sons of Temperance, and his personal insight34:02 Conclusion35:25 Future podcasts on Poe's substance abuse35:48 SourcesSupport the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.