A struggling author approached his friend William Ross Wallace who sometimes listened to the author's "not yet published poetical work".
"Wallace, I have just written the greatest poem that ever was written." Wallace listened and pronounced it "fine."
"Fine? Is that all?"
The author? Poe.
The poem? "The Raven."
He made nine dollars from it.
______
source: "The Beautiful Cigar Girl" by Daniel Stashower.
55 fine, nice, interesting words for G Man.
nice. ;)
ReplyDelete^^^ Oh shut up, TexWis, LOL!
ReplyDeleteReally? If that is true, there is no market for the crap I write...;)
ReplyDelete!! So many critics are jealous weasels who have found out themselves they have not talent...
ReplyDeleteFiction or non-fiction?
ReplyDeletePoor ole Poe probably blew the 9 Bucks on a Bender.
ReplyDeleteI believe your story to be true!
Between you, Joy, and MZ, at least two of you play every Friday Night.
Planned or not, money can't buy that kind of friendship and support. You are a fantastic Human Being Shay, you bare your Soul to the World on a weekly basis. And do it in a way that brings, tears, sighs, smiles, and disbelief that any mind can conjure up the images that you create for us all.
You leave me amazed regularly.
Do you understand how much I appreciate all that you do?
I hope you do...:-)
Thanks a Bunch, and have a Kick Ass Week-End
How dast this poltroon address the greatest American poet, the inventor of genres, the coiner of a thousand unequaled phrases, my idol and poetic role model, with such slighting persiflage? Wallace was obviously a scoundrel and a cad with delusions of adequacy.
ReplyDeleteEr...returning to the current century, may I say, that was an awesome 55, Shay. Poe had a crap life, yet still he made something out of it that was remarkable and unique, and nine dollars, or nine million, was totally irrelevant to the worth of it.
Consonant with my experience as a woefully overlooked genius. . . then there's YOU!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= <3
If Poe can't sell, then I am doomed to die rich with words, but poor in currency.
ReplyDeleteI once made $10.00 for a poem. What an achievement. So many poets and writers never made a living off what they loved to do. And so it goes.
ReplyDeletewhy do all the crazy fabulous poets need to die before they make more than 9 dollars?!
ReplyDeletePlath, Sexton, Poe, Dickenson....
perhaps an early death, makes them more interesting.
xx
And think of how his work has inspired, frightened, instructed and delighted subsequent generations. Mighty fine.
ReplyDeleteMeh.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's poem that has stood the test of time. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a heartbreak that he couldn't have earned enough from his many works to live on. As if his life hadn't been filled with enough misery. Excellent 55.
ReplyDeleteMine is here
Perhaps "Fine" was considered high praise in those days.
ReplyDeletePoe thing. Other were raven about his work.
ReplyDelete:)