Edgar Allan Poe, a great of his age, brought so much to literature, inspiring new forms and styles and genres. Of course I have questions about the character, and I do not know enough about him to lay down definitive thoughts on the subject. I have read that at the age of 26 he married his 13-year-old cousin. What can I think of this? I cannot judge the past by the morals of today, true, but I cannot ignore the past nor its crimes and nor its distastefulness. Too many people will forgive crimes of the past citing how different things were back then. I cannot join their number. When we refer to figures of the past we should call out their deficiencies, their errors and their crimes. Talent should not hide inadequacies, no matter who the person or people may be. The same standards should be applied today.

There is trouble in his works and I f ...