Edgar Allan Poe, John Pendleton Kennedy, James H. Miller, and John Hazelhurst Boneval Latrobe
Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland
Marker Inscription
The Latrobe House. On an evening in October, 1833, three of Baltimore's most discerning gentlemen were gathered around a table in the back parlor of this house. Fortified with "some old wine and some good cigars," John Pendleton Kennedy, James H. Miller and John H. B. Latrobe poured over manuscripts submitted in a literary contest sponsored by the Baltimore Sunday Visitor. Their unanimous choice for best prose tale was "M8. Found in a Bottle," a curious and haunting tale of annihilation. The fifty dollar prize was awarded to the story's unknown, penniless author Edgar Allan Poe. Poe had come to Baltimore in the spring of 1831, after his dismissal from West Point. He had no money, no trade and no reputation. The four years he spent in Baltimore were a period of intense creativity. His major effort during those years were sixteen tales he wrote for the Folio Club, an imaginary literary club of his creation. One of these sixteen tales was "M8. Found in a Bottle." The prize for this story, the public recognition that it brought and the lifelong friendship it generated between Poe and literary patron Kennedy helped to launch Poe on his brilliant career. He left Baltimore in 1835 to become editor of the Southern Literary Messenger.
The Story
In October 1833, three of Baltimore's literary gentlemen — John Pendleton Kennedy, James H. Miller, and John H. B. Latrobe — met in this house to judge a contest run by the Baltimore Saturday Visiter. Their unanimous choice was "MS. Found in a Bottle," written by an unknown, penniless newcomer named Edgar Allan Poe. The fifty-dollar prize, the recognition, and Poe's lasting friendship with Kennedy helped set the struggling writer on his path.
Why it matters
This quiet parlor decision gave an early, crucial lift to Edgar Allan Poe, shaping the course of American letters.
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Related people
- · Edgar Allan Poe
- · John Pendleton Kennedy
- · James H. Miller
- · John H. B. Latrobe
Related events
- · Baltimore Saturday Visiter literary contest (1833)
Themes & tags
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