Edgar Allan Poe to John R. Thompson — December 7, 1848
Poe writes to John R. Thompson about Fordham, the Southern Literary Messenger and Susan Talley’s poem Genius. Complete letter text with local source scans.
Complete letter text as printed in The Princeton University Library Chronicle (1951), volume 12, number 2, pages 87. The local images and PDF are clearly identified crops of the letter areas in that historical printing, not manuscript photographs; surrounding commentary and unrelated material are omitted. The transcription was checked against the visible printing. Line breaks, superscripts and typographic emphasis are simplified. The recipient is identified in the printed closing. The local reading follows the 1951 printing, not a reconstruction from the autograph.
Original publication
Edgar Allan Poe to John R. Thompson — December 7, 1848
Date
1848-12-07
Credits
Edgar Allan Poe
Publisher
Friends of the Princeton Library
Published in
Fordham, New York
Where to find it
87
Reference collection
Internet Archive; Princeton University Library Chronicle historical printing
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Complete letter text as printed in The Princeton University Library Chronicle (1951), volume 12, number 2, pages 87. The local images and PDF are clearly identified crops of the letter areas in that historical printing, not manuscript photographs; surrounding commentary and unrelated material are omitted. The transcription was checked against the visible printing. Line breaks, superscripts and typographic emphasis are simplified. The recipient is identified in the printed closing. The local reading follows the 1951 printing, not a reconstruction from the autograph.
Complete letter text as printed in The Princeton University Library Chronicle (1951), volume 12, number 2, pages 87. The local images and PDF are clearly identified crops of the letter areas in that historical printing, not manuscript photographs; surrounding commentary and unrelated material are omitted. The transcription was checked against the visible printing. Line breaks, superscripts and typographic emphasis are simplified. The recipient is identified in the printed closing. The local reading follows the 1951 printing, not a reconstruction from the autograph.
Complete letter text as printed in The Princeton University Library Chronicle (1951), volume 12, number 2, pages 87. The local images and PDF are clearly identified crops of the letter areas in that historical printing, not manuscript photographs; surrounding commentary and unrelated material are omitted. The transcription was checked against the visible printing. Line breaks, superscripts and typographic emphasis are simplified. The recipient is identified in the printed closing. The local reading follows the 1951 printing, not a reconstruction from the autograph.
Compare reading text with the preserved source. Line breaks and spacing are retained; long lines wrap to fit the screen. A file's role does not establish that its text has been checked.
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Edgar Allan Poe to John R. Thompson — December 7, 1848
Complete letter text as printed in The Princeton University Library Chronicle (1951), volume 12, number 2, pages 87. The local images and PDF are clearly identified crops of the letter areas in that historical printing, not manuscript photographs; surrounding commentary and unrelated material are omitted. The transcription was checked against the visible printing. Line breaks, superscripts and typographic emphasis are simplified. The recipient is identified in the printed closing. The local reading follows the 1951 printing, not a reconstruction from the autograph.
Dec. 7 — 48.
Dear Sir,
I have been out of town for some weeks, and your letter, in consequence, did not reach me as soon as it should. —Now, of course, it will be out of my power to send you anything in time for your January number—but as soon as I find time to write an article such as I think will suit you, you shall hear from me.
You know, I suppose, that I live at Fordham, Westchester Co, N.Y.—although, as we have no P.O. in the village, my letters are addressed “N.Y. City”. In our neighborhood are some ladies (the Whitings) who often speak (well) of you.
Can you spare me the number of the Messenger containing Miss Talley’s beautiful lines entitled “Genius”? If I am not very much mistaken “Susan” will, ere long, stand at the head of American poetesses. She has, in fact, more real genius than all of them put together. Not that she has accomplished so much—but she evinces a capacity to accomplish a very great deal.
If you have a spare sheet containing “Genius” please enclose it in an envelope. I hope to be in Richmond soon.
Truly your friend,
Edgar Allan Poe.
Jno. R. Thompson Esq.
Friends of the Princeton Library. “Edgar Allan Poe to John R. Thompson — December 7, 1848.” 1848-12-07. Edgar Allan Poe to John R. Thompson — December 7, 1848. Crypt of Echoes evidence ID LED-2026-17b5f11196324e2987b0fde98f0b6730. https://cryptofechoes.com/evidence/LED-2026-17b5f11196324e2987b0fde98f0b6730. Accessed [date].
Catalogue citation: Edgar Allan Poe to John R. Thompson, 1848-12-07. The Princeton University Library Chronicle 12, no. 2 (1951), pp. 87. RCL-751.
Historical letter text by Edgar Allan Poe (died 1849), from the 1951 U.S. printing. No matching renewal was found in the relevant Copyright Office periodical/contribution renewal records and NYPL’s derived renewal dataset. Letter areas only; surrounding scholarly commentary excluded.
